We love our fireplace in the McMulligan homestead, but there comes a time every winter when we start to long for the heat of the sun.
We’re not snowbirds. We don’t want to drive off to Palm Springs or Scottsdale or anywhere in Florida every winter. We love Colorado! But we asked the golf gods for a short little winter getaway where we could thaw out and post a few bad scores.
That’s how we found ourselves slathering on sunscreen in Cabo San Lucas. It’s an easy nonstop flight, two and a half to three hours from Denver without a time-zone change. And for the ultimate in simplicity, we stayed at one of the Baja resort destination’s flagship all-inclusive resorts, Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, which just happens to be next door to one of Jack Nicklaus’s favorite designs, Quivira Golf Club.
If you’ve got at least five days, four nights open on the calendar, consider this your invitation to join the whales for a carefree Mexican holiday.
It’s not hard to pick a winter week by the weather forecast: highs of around 80 every day, lows of not less than 60 every night. Whale watching season officially runs from Dec. 15 to April 15 but did get an early start this winter. Golf season is always.
With that kind of weather, we like to pack a carry-on and rent clubs. If you do this, here’s an oddity: You cannot bring golf balls out of Mexico in your carry-on luggage. We speculated that maybe someone once used them to hide contraband and now we golfers must forever leave our extras behind.
Southwest and United both operate daily nonstops to Los Cabos that don’t require middle-of-the-night airport runs and are reliably on time. We’re partial to Southwest because we know we won’t get hassled if a snowstorm hits Colorado and we need to change our dates.
For ease of clearing customs on returning to the U.S., consider applying for Global Entry, which allows passengers to sidestep the lines. In Mexico, expect to take about an hour to exit the airport and pick up your ground transportation at one of the numbered stations along the curb. We’ve used Cabo Travel Solutions for direct service to PB Pacifica, and have also enjoyed private limo transport with complimentary chilled Coronas for the 30-to-40-minute ride to the resorts.
There’s really no need to rent a car, which is one of the cool things about Pueblo Bonito. The resorts have shuttle service, and so do some of the attractions that might interest you.
Your challenge will be to determine which of Cabo’s four Pueblo Bonitos suits your style.
The oldest of Cabo’s all-inclusive resorts is Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos, which is right in the middle of the lively vacation town, on safe-swim El Medano Beach, with the stunning view of the famous arch rocks. Adjacent is Pueblo Bonito Rose. Between the two, guests have access to four restaurants, two pool bars, three pools, a spa and workout facilities. These are excellent choices for families and for travelers who like to be in the middle of the action, but safely so.
A second pair of neighboring properties about 10 minutes south of town are the biggest PB, 750-room Sunset Beach, and 201-room Pacifica. Sunset Beach sits high on a cliff, with an infinity pool, fabulous sports bar and Frida’s, perhaps the best restaurant in all of Cabo.
The McMulligan Pueblo Bonito of choice is Pacifica, on a no-swim beach on the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Pacifica, the newer of the four resorts, is adults-only (or, as we say, Marco Polo-free) and even has a quiet-vibe pool (not the one with the swim-up bar). It’s just a shuttle ride to neighboring Quivira; the first time we played there, we walked back to Pacifica along the beach. Pacifica has a spa with such outstanding therapists that I and two other women who had massages at the same time raved equally about our experiences. It also has cool beach beds guests can rent for the day.
Of course, the Pueblo Bonito dress code generally consists of swimsuits and coverups, which makes for pretty easy packing. Our room at Pacifica even had a hanging rack on the balcony where we could dry our swimsuit overnight. Frida’s and other top PB restaurants, however, require that men wear long pants to dinner.
A note about “all-inclusive” here: While all Pueblo Bonito guests have access to all four of these resorts, Frida’s, the steakhouse at Quivira and other restaurants have up charges, sometimes only for guests not staying at the restaurant’s resort. And, while adult beverages are included, some guests choose to pay a premium for a specific liquor.
Also, expect to tip here and there, because the service will blow you away. Pueblo Bonito takes exquisite care of its staff, providing training and mental health benefits. Owner Ernesto Coppel kept everyone employed through COVID. It’s hard to know how much to leave for a meal that you don’t have to pay for, and nothing is expected, so follow your heart.
I like to think I’m an average female golfer, a short hitter aspiring for bogeys and hoping to make up my doubles on the longer holes with pars on the shorter ones. Gorgeous scenery, reachable par-4s, friendly service and a special 19th hole rank a golf course high on my wish list. Quivira has all this, plus well-spaced “comfort stations” with snacks and adult beverages included in the $306-$465 green fees, which might sound exorbitant if this unforgettable golf course weren’t so busy.
I’m also a fan of the way Nicklaus Design sets up courses for the average woman, so that even we have a reachable par-4 or three. But, that’s my story. Mr. M, on
the other hand, isn’t always the biggest fan of Nicklaus courses, but he wouldn’t miss this one. Here’s his perspective on Quivira:
Mr. M: Golfers looking for a memorable experience they can tell their friends about look to places such as Quivira. The wide range of topography, from desert to canyon to ocean cliffside, is as spectacular as any in the world. The shots required to play this always warm weather Nicklaus Signature course are varied, with eight tee boxes to choose from to make fair, enjoyable or spectacularly difficult and daring.
Quivira starts out with an easy desert floor warmup, the first two holes featuring wide fairways and large greens. The gorgeous par-3 third features giant cardon cacti, the emblem of the Baja California peninsula. The cardon is easy to mistake for saguaro, but different in its tree trunk-like base. Flowers and other desert fauna complete a botanical experience that would memorable enough in its own right.
After a short par 4 and twisting par 5, the ascent to the dry cliffs of Quivira begins. But first there’s an ocean view comfort station, this one featuring grilled tacos, burritos and pulled pork sandwiches hot off the grill and manned by an unfailingly pleasant staff. Drinks? Everything you’d want. You might want to skip the cocktails because you’ll need your footing on the cliffside sixth hole. At first glance, the sixth doesn’t seem an appropriate place for a golf hole, but it plays kinder than it looks: A smooth driver or 3-wood bounds down the pitched fairway, leaving a short wedge dropped over a cliff to the green. The back tee is built over the mountain’s edge, tempting long hitters to go for essentially an island green from 260 yards.
It's just part of the cliffside fun that continues on a drop to the par-3 seventh, then back to the top of the ridge for a series of holes that feature the wide fairways, large bunkers and multi-level greens with merciful bailout areas typical of Nicklaus courses.
Another comfort station waits at the 10th. The par-5 13th drops back down to the cliffs, snaking its way through the dunes, offering blind shots galore. The fun, spectacular 14th is another island green type hole with a target that is effectively
doubled by a grass bank hidden behind a ridge on the left. Dramatic, cliffside scenery abounds on these holes.
The course continues in the back canyons, and if you find your way on the hilly, twisting par-5 16thh, the final comfort station – a tropical, perfectly engineered Mai Tai or rum runner? Well, why not? ‒ awaits on 17 tee. A blast down the long, funneled fairway of the par 4 is necessary. Try to miss the rock formation in the middle.
For now, the 18th is just a short par 4 framed by what looks like the world’s largest bunker, but there are plans to bring the finale in line with the natural eye candy that’s filled your camera’s gigabytes. With that, your belly full of good food and your scorecard full of strokes you think you just might be able to get back, you can’t help but think: Let’s book this one again.
If you visit between December 1 and April 15 and you are not a landlubber, please take an early morning or sunset whale-watching cruise. We saw more whales frolicking in the mornings, but if you go at happy hour and don’t see whales you at least get to enjoy a gorgeous sunset. Alternatively, a short ride on glass-bottom boats like the ones from Bonita Tours is a way to explore the rock formations and see close-ups of the smaller fish in the sea.
If you go: Top tips The American dollar is welcome at Cabo resorts, especially in gratuities. … If you stay at the Pueblo Bonitos outside town, take a day to enjoy El Medano Beach at PB Los Cabos or Rose. Shuttles are complimentary and you’ll have the same food and beverage package. … See if you can include Quivira in your booking for best rates – and definitely have PB’s reservation staff secure your tee time in advance, at least until Nicklaus finishes work on a second, members-only Quivira 18. … Quivira is not the only spectacular course in Cabo, but most others down the peninsula are private resort courses accessible for guests of partner resorts. For more golf, you can try Cabo San Lucas Country Club, next door to Quivira, or nearby Cabo del Sol, which has a Weiskopf course up on the cliffs and a Nicklaus course down near the ocean and accepts guests as space allows.
Molly McMulligan, created by golf journalist and CGA member Susan Fornoff, is the CGA’s on-the-course advisor on how to have more fun on the golf course. She answers questions in Dear Molly and will be sharing more of her travels. Mr. McMulligan, Keith DuBay, is also a journalist and a much better golfer than Molly.