Diamante Cabo San Lucas - Photo Tour

[Greg Tallman]

You are correct George. #15 is a hole that we did little except clear the scrub while leaving the existing contours, including the green, and then irrigate and grass....similar to #7's efforts. The area to the right of the drive leaves a very interesting elevated blind shot to one of the largest greens on the course. The area was aerodynamically stable in its existing state and we didn't want to temp the wind gods.

I have always found reaction to #9 interesting....it finds its way into the top 3 of about half of those who play it. The existing cacti forest was strong enough to leave intact...the arroyo was a given...necessitating a green elevation to rise above major erosion events.

I'm pleased to see that #8 gets similar ratings from some. The site was totally flat...a "step child" hole in its raw state. Often these type of holes end up much better than the site gives...probably because more thought is required building something from nothing as opposed to having to react to and incorporate existing terrain features. I know I'm not the only one with similar feelings.

Paul,

I would only submit that anyone identifying #9 among the best 3 holes at Diamante is either:
1) Partaking in the comfort staions beverages FAR to frequently or
2) Someone who confuses difficulty with quality

Go easy on me... you know I am a fan.

[paul cowley]

Greg

I am probably surprised as you are...I have always always considered 9 and 13 as two of the weaker holes, but the feedback about 9 has been anything but. There are always a few "unfair/too steep" false front detractors, but there is a big backstop and plenty of room to hit long as an option. That is the internal beauty of what a false front creates. People get greedy about being close and then complain about the penalty of missing. You can run, bump or chip back as options....not easy, but you can. I've been in 16' deep Raynor greenside bunkers that are much more penal for a close miss, and I don't blame Raynor. Augusta has similar internal green conditions.

Aside from that I guess some just like the big Cardonals.....cactus that is!  

[Adam Clayman]

Paul, Congrats!

I wonder if you could, if you haven't already, discuss your motivation inspiration or whatever the hell else you were thinking about when you designed this course.

Was it other places, other people, fundamental principles, whatever you choose as germane? Thanks

[George Freeman]

#16
The sixteenth will definitely be one of the more photographed holes at Diamante.  The hole only plays 154 yards from the tips, but with the wind directly in your face, I would imagine people could be hitting anything up to a 3-iron.  Much of the right side of the green is partially hidden by a scrub island and the general roll of the land.  A large ridge runs through the middle of the green effectively splitting the green into two separate pieces.  It appears that a pin on the left half of the green would be quite a bit easier, due to more bailout space and better vision. 

I may be wrong, but I thought I saw another set of tees set up 90 degrees to the left of the tees in the pics.  If you were to play from these tees, you would be looking right up the length of the green, with the ridge creating a front half and a rear half.





You can see the bailout short and left in this pic (my Fiance is clearly bailing out!)


The view from the "alternate" tee.  I may like this angle better!


A nice pic from the right of the green

[George Freeman]

#17
A great hole; the seventeenth is one of my favorite holes on the course.  A great "cut off as much as you want drive," although it is very difficult to pick a line due to a scrub finger that cuts in from the far side of the fairway directly where you want to aim.  If you smoke a power-fade (which will get carried by the wind), some might have a chance to get home in two.  However, the green is 20-25 feet above the fairway, although there is a large backboard that will bring balls that go long back to the green.  

My favorite feature of the hole is the line of scrub essentially splitting the fairway.  If you hit a good drive, this shouldn't cause you too much trouble, other than some blindness for your layup.  However, if you bail out too far left on your drive, this feature plays much more at an angle and complicates your layup.



View from the tee box.  You play over a sea of sand.


The ideal landing area


The scrub centerline hazard, hiding the layup landing zone


You can see the fourteenth flag in the top right.


The layup area.  There is nice contouring (natural?) in this area.  My ball was unfortunate enough to stop on a slight downslope, leaving me with a downhill lie to an elevated green.


From the left of the green, showing the drop off


Two views from the 14th green



A nice view from the tee.  If you look closely, you can see that this pic was taken before the hillside short of the green was grassed over.

[George Freeman]

#18
The eighteenth at Diamante is a good hole, although after one play I wonder if it would have been better suited for an earlier spot in the round.  The hole bends hard left around a low lying area, with a 15 foot drop off the length of the hole on the left.  The drive landing area appears quite small from the tee, however once you clear the hill you realize there is quite a bit more room.  The hole is long and in order to have a manageable second, you need to hug the left side of the fairway as much as possible.  If you bail out right, you could be looking at a shot in the 200-230 range.  If your drive clears the corner, but stays very near the left edge of the fairway, you will probably be rewarded with at least a partial view of the flag/green.  If you bail out long and/or right, you will most likely only be able to see the very top of the flag, or nothing at all.  

The second shot plays downhill to a green that is very receptive to run up shots (probably the highest % shot with a longer club in your hands). The green follows the  lay of land as it falls from front to back, with nice contouring.

I suppose someone could argue that this is a Cape style tee shot, but that thought never crossed my mind standing on the tee box.



The drive



The hill that needs to be carried with the drive


Large natural dune to the left of the hole (as can be seen, the club is using some of the sand from the dune)


Just short of the corner, although from here you have a pretty good view of the green


My view from where my drive ended.  I had 200 yards into the wind, playing pretty drastically downhill.


70ish yards short of the green (I stuck it!)


View of the green

[George Freeman]

Some other pics of the course.  It is quite the place!

Not a bad view from the (temp) clubhouse


The 17th with the 15th behind (these are not my pics, obviously.  Pics are from Greg T.)


16th green and 17th tee.  The 17th tee might be one of the prettiest places on a golf course that I have witnessed!


Showing just how big the beach/dune system is

[George Freeman]

A nice view from the tee.  If you look closely, you can see that this pic was taken before the hillside short of the green was grassed over.

Paul,

Has the large sand dune/ridge in this pic been removed?  I don't recall this feature.  If so it is too bad, it is really cool looking!

[Greg Tallman]

A nice view from the tee.  If you look closely, you can see that this pic was taken before the hillside short of the green was grassed over.

Paul,

Has the large sand dune/ridge in this pic been removed?  I don't recall this feature.  If so it is too bad, it is really cool looking!

George, Are you referring to the ridge separation to fairway for the layup shots? If so that would be a big change and major softening of the hole... Was certainly there last time I olayed... hope it has not been removed as it makes the second shot one of thought after a mediocre drive.

[George Freeman]

Greg,

I'm talking about the sand ridge/dune which is just short of the fairway (or leads up to the fairway in the pic above).  Maybe it is just the angle of the picture, but I remember being able to see much more of the landing area from the tee and don't remember seeing that feature.  My picture from the tee doesn't appear to capture the feature either.

[paul cowley]

Greg...I think George is referring to the fronting edge of the fairway [in this old Lambrect photo], which was lowered to better see the landing area. This photo also shows the right side of #14 dune [as it appears in the photo] before we had a dozer back for 3 days to create the second landing area.

Adam...I'll post something soon per your comments, and thanks.

[paul cowley]

Adam

As has been stated by others, photos just don't reveal the dramatic nature of the site and the feeling one gets when there in person."Oh my god" is a common expression at least 5 or 6 times a round. I still do it after 5 years on site.
 
We had previously worked with the owner, Ken Jowdy, but had yet to build a course for him. He was looking at other sites in the Cabo area, none of which worked out. He asked me to come down to qualify a new tract of about 1600 acres that he had not fully seen, but was quite excited about what he saw. I took a jeep to where the tract started, jumped a fence and started to walk on jeep and cattle trails towards the ocean....probably about a mile away....which was largely blocked by the primary dune that varies in height from 35 to 60 M. After slogging up to the crest of the highest dune ridge...roughly where #11 is...I was truly overwhelmed and in awe when I looked out on  the site. I was a little panicked as well as I realized for the first time that the site was a design tiger by the tail...its features are that strong and bold. I was humbled by the challenge and the opportunity...how do we do the site justice?...are we capable?
 
I spent the rest of the day wandering and exploring the main ridges and valleys, taking it all in...the thrill of discovering fantastic sites and features and inventorying all the "givens"...which is the first part of the design process where one begins to sort it all out. I call it loading the computer. Piece by piece one's mind begins to claim the uncharted territory, and as you do a different form of excitement develops. It was a day that rarely happens...my first on a site where it actually could....or did.

[Greg Tallman]

Greg...I think George is referring to the fronting edge of the fairway [in this old Lambrect photo], which was lowered to better see the landing area. This photo also shows the right side of #14 dune [as it appears in the photo] before we had a dozer back for 3 days to create the second landing area. One more week of dozer work will improve the rest of the left sides of both #14 and #15 [for you Greg]. Hopefully soon.

Adam...I'll post something soon per your comments, and thanks.

Keep that dozer off of 15... it is just fine. What is the saying?. Fool me once...

As fopr 14 where specifically are changes planned? tee shot?

[Jud_T]

Some additional back 9 pix:

[Jud_T]

[Anthony Gray]

  Bump

[Anthony Gray]

#3
The third is a mid-length par 4 which has you hitting from up on the dune ledge, down into a valley between two ridges.  You then hit back up to a green placed up on the ridge.  I haven't played Old Mac #7, but from pictures, the approach shots look somewhat similar.  The regular wind is in your face quartering from the left, so the tendency is to have your tee ball pushed further and further right, making your approach more perpendicular to the green access.  The fairway has some really nice humps and mounds which are hard to see in the pics.





Zoomed in to capture (kinda) the humps in the fairway


This is a shot from the base of the hill.  The entire hill and bunker surrounds are shaved to fairway height, so anything left short will run back down the hill and most likely into a bunker.


Sorry, no pics of the green.

  This hole plays alot like 7 at Old Mac.

  Anthony

[Eric Smith]

Bump

A. Ray Gray, GCA says its World Top 5.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

As close to my idea of heaven that I have found so far

[Jay Flemma]

Guys, I have a question about this course...I see how well it looks...but how well does it play?  Can you actually play the ground game there?  Or are the undulations there more for eye candy?

Thanks.

[Greg Tallman]

Guys, I have a question about this course...I see how well it looks...but how well does it play?  Can you actually play the ground game there?  Or are the undulations there more for eye candy?

Thanks.

Favors the aerial approach for the most part. 6, 10 and 18 are about the only opportunities to land the ball well short and let it roll up.  Perhaps 1 as well if going for it in two on the par five.

There are a lot of green contours to use on your approaches... backboards, sideboards and such. Lots of that. 

[Jay Flemma]

Cool.  Good.  Any other interesting architectural things to look for, Greg?

[Greg Tallman]

Cool.  Good.  Any other interesting architectural things to look for, Greg?

Sand