Cabo del Sol Desert Course
Tom Weiskopf's desert masterwork above the Sea of Cortez, reborn. The course that opened as the Desert Course in 2001 has been rebuilt and expanded with six new mountainside holes, and now plays as the Cabo del Sol Golf Course, broad fairways and granite outcrops climbing the slopes of Los Cabos with the blue Sea of Cortez always in view.
Photo: Cabo del Sol via Google.
The verdict
For two decades Cabo del Sol was known for two courses: the Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course along the water and Tom Weiskopf's Desert Course climbing the slopes behind. Weiskopf opened the Desert Course in 2001 and produced a masterful, strategic layout, with generous fairways framed by granite rock and dense cactus forest, every one of the eighteen holes offering panoramic views of the Sea of Cortez. It quickly earned a reputation as one of the most underrated desert courses in Mexico.
The property has since been through a major redevelopment. In late 2023 the Fry Straka design group added six new holes on the mountainside, with even bigger sea views, and the course was rebranded the Cabo del Sol Golf Course in 2024, with a new clubhouse and practice facility. The original Ocean Course, meanwhile, was redeveloped separately as the private Cove Club by Nicklaus. What remains for the travelling golfer is a refreshed, resort accessible eighteen that keeps the heart of Weiskopf's design, plays to a par of 72 of around 7,049 yards, and still serves up the views that made it famous.
The Desert Course at a glance
- Opened
- 2001, rebuilt 2023
- Designer
- Tom Weiskopf, Fry Straka
- Type
- Desert
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,049 yds
- Green fee
- Around $175 to $250
Designer, year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the resort and leading course databases. The original Weiskopf Desert Course opened in 2001 to a par of 72 of around 7,049 yards; Fry Straka added six mountainside holes in 2023 and the layout now operates as the Cabo del Sol Golf Course. Green fees are indicative, roughly 175 to 250 dollars depending on season and time of day in 2026, typically including cart, range balls and water. Fees and the configuration change, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Weiskopf built the Desert Course as a thinking player's layout, the opposite of the brute force desert golf found elsewhere. The fairways are broad and inviting from the tee, but the strategy lives in the angles into the greens, where the smart line off the tee opens a clear approach and the lazy one leaves a stern test over arroyo and bunker. Granite outcrops and cactus frame the corridors, and the elevation changes give the round its rhythm, falling toward the sea and climbing back into the hills.
The 2023 work pushed six holes higher up the mountainside, trading some of the lower desert for bigger, wider panoramas of the Sea of Cortez, the kind of vistas that stop play while phones come out. The greens remain the examination, large and contoured, asking for control of distance on approaches that often play downhill into the breeze off the water. It is a course that rewards a second look, when the strategy that seemed generous reveals its teeth.
For the travelling golfer, the Cabo del Sol Golf Course is a core round of any Los Cabos trip, paired naturally with the corridor's other Weiskopf, Nicklaus and Fazio designs. It sits among the best value of the big name Cabo courses, with the sea views of the headline resorts at a friendlier green fee.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to resort guests and visitors, bookable through the resort or your trip planner; note the property reopened after a major 2023 to 2024 redevelopment |
| Green fee | Around 175 to 250 dollars depending on season and time of day, typically including cart, range balls and water, with twilight options (indicative) |
| Booking | Book tee times in advance, especially in the high winter season from November to April when Los Cabos is busiest |
| On the day | Carts are standard given the elevation and desert terrain; the practice facility and clubhouse were rebuilt as part of the redevelopment |
| Getting there | On the tourist corridor between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, around 30 minutes from Los Cabos international airport |
| Best months | November to May for warm, dry, reliable desert golf weather; the summer is hot and humid but quieter and cheaper |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the resort; the course has changed substantially since 2023, so always confirm the current configuration and rates directly before booking with Cabo del Sol or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Cabo del Sol sits in the heart of the Los Cabos tourist corridor, the strip of resorts and beaches between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, which puts dozens of hotels within a short drive of the first tee, from grand all inclusives to boutique beach resorts.
For a golf focused stay, the corridor's resort communities place several of the region's best courses within easy reach, making Cabo a natural base for a multi course week.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in Los Cabos.
Build a Los Cabos golf trip
Cabo del Sol is a core round of a Los Cabos golf week. We pair it with the corridor's Weiskopf, Nicklaus and Fazio courses, sort the tee times and the resort lodging, and price the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
Cabo del Sol Desert Course questions
Who designed the Cabo del Sol Desert Course?
The Desert Course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and opened in 2001. In 2023 the Fry Straka design group added six new mountainside holes and reworked the layout, which now operates as the Cabo del Sol Golf Course while keeping the heart of Weiskopf's original design.
What is the par and length of the Desert Course?
The course plays to a par of 72 and measures around 7,049 yards from the back tees, with five sets of tees and broad fairways framed by granite outcrops, arroyos and cactus forest above the Sea of Cortez.
Is the Cabo del Sol Desert Course the same as the Cabo del Sol Golf Course?
Yes. The former Desert Course is now branded the Cabo del Sol Golf Course following the 2023 addition of six mountainside holes by Fry Straka. The neighboring Ocean Course was redeveloped separately as the private Cove Club by Jack Nicklaus.
Can visitors play Cabo del Sol?
Yes. The Cabo del Sol Golf Course is open to resort guests and visitors. Indicative 2026 green fees run roughly 175 to 250 dollars depending on season and time of day, typically including cart, range balls and water. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking, as the resort has been through a major redevelopment.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.