Woods Christens El Cardonal

Situated at the tip of Baja California Sur, Diamante formally unveiled the El Cardonal course December 16th during a gala opening ceremony attended by several dignitaries, including the celebrated architect of the new layout.

Featuring an "Old California" design motif, El Cardonal marks the architectural debut of Tiger Woods, who has a residence at Diamante and was on hand to play the course and describe its features.

"I've always wanted to be in the golf design business," Woods told a small gathering of elected officials, resort executives and international media. "This is an incredible site, and working with (Diamante developer) Ken Jowdy and his team has been absolutely phenomenal."

Set back from the sea on higher ground than the neighboring Dunes Course - a Davis Love III design - in the 1,500-acre community, El Cardonal is a 7,363-yard, par-72 layout that features ocean views from every hole. The front nine meanders through rolling sand dunes near the sea. The back nine, framed by thick desert vegetation, ascends to higher ground and crisscrosses a series of arroyos.

Flashed-faced bunkers were placed by Woods to create strategic options throughout the course. With its broad fairway corridors and accent on playability from the forward tees, El Cardonal was designed to accommodate a wide range of golfers.

According to Jowdy, "He (Woods) focused more on the people he plays with on Wednesdays (the amateurs in the pro-ams) than on the weekend (the pros)."

Byron Bell, president of Woods' design company, said, "Tiger grew up playing some of the great, old-style courses on the West Coast. Bunkers and other hazards were used not as a deterrent, but instead to force players to make a decision. Tiger wants the variety of holes and strategic options to promote shot-making while still creating a very playable experience."

"I expect that everyone - moms, dads and kids - will all play basically the same 'lines' on each hole," Tiger added. "We've given them different tee boxes, but the strategy is the same for everyone. The idea was to make it fun for all types of players.

"With all the amenities here at the resort, I plan on spending more time here at Diamante," Woods said, adding that, "Cabo delivers what everyone is looking for. It's the best of all worlds. You've got great golf, plus all the activities available offshore, including incredible fishing and diving. You don't find too many places like this in the world - ever."

El Cardonal brings the course count in Los Cabos to 14, establishing it as the undisputed golf capital of Mexico. It was also announced at the grand opening that Woods will return to build a third course at Diamante.

Los Cabos, located at the tip of the 1,000-mile long Baja Peninsula, is home to hotels, resorts, golf courses, spas and sport fishing. It was the host city for the G20 Summit of global leaders in 2012. For more information, visit www.visitloscabos.travel.

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