Cabo Courses on Road to Recovery Following Hurricane 'Odile'


Despite the impact of Hurricane "Odile," a Category 3 storm that made landfall in Los Cabos September 14, the vacation area's golf courses sustained only minor damage and are rebounding quickly.

Directors of golf at Cabo's leading facilities report that cleanup and restoration efforts are well underway. With only minor erosion, cactus loss and sand intrusion caused by the storm, the courses in Los Cabos, which occupy the region's unique mountain-desert-ocean ecosystem, are expected to reopen starting October 1, and continue coming online through mid-December.

Two high-profile newcomers, Quivira Golf Club (designed by Jack Nicklaus) and Diamante's El Cardonal (Tiger Woods' first completed 18-hole course), are slated to open October 9 and mid-December, respectively. The two new venues will bring Los Cabos' total courses to 14, qualifying it as Mexico's golf capital.

Electricity, telephone, Internet and potable water supplies have been fully restored in Cabo San Lucas. No major structural damage was inflicted by the storm, enabling Los Cabos to recover quickly. Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) reopened to commercial flights October 3.

The federal government made the recovery of Los Cabos, Mexico's third most popular tourism destination, a top priority. Los Cabos, which includes Cabo San Lucas, the nearby town of San Jose del Cabo and the 20-mile "Corridor" between them, attracts about 2 million visitors a year.

"The response from the federal government has been beyond incredible," said Greg Tallman - director of golf at Cabo del Sol - of the government's $5 million recovery campaign. "This is the playbook for how to deal with a natural disaster."

According to the Mexico Tourism Board, approximately 5,000 hotel rooms in Los Cabos are expected to open by October 15, with an additional 7,000 rooms by November 15 and the final 10,000 rooms by December 15.

A new advertising campaign designed to support the recovery effort, entitled "Los Cabos - Unstoppable," will launch October 15. It will include digital/social media, TV ads and on-the-ground activations and events.