Quivira is gifting golfers with an early present this season as it’s just completed a major makeover featuring new enhancements to improve visual framing and strategic options.
Supervised by the Nicklaus Design team, selected turf areas on the three-year-old layout were restored and replanted, notably at the par-4 first and par-4 fifth holes.
Detailing the renovation work performed at No. 5, a dramatic par 4 that traces the edge of sheer granite cliffs 275 feet above the sea, Nicklaus Design team consultants noted that lowering the fairway and eliminating the bunker along the left side has produced a wide plateau on which players can land their tee shots. In addition, a rough cut on all perimeter areas will help collect balls and keep them in play.
As per Jack’s original sketch for the hole, a bunker cut into the hillside at the far end of the fairway now serves as an ideal aiming point from the tee. “From the first time I saw this extraordinary site, I knew this would be an amazing location for a short par 4,” Nicklaus stated. “The restoration maintains the character of the hole as one of most visually stunning par 4’s in the world.”
On Quivira’s back nine, newly turfed areas on the fairways at the 17th and 18th holes have grown in quickly. Both holes were fully operational when the course reopened for play.
The sturdy par-4 17th drops sharply from the tee to a dished-out fairway crossed at the far end of the landing area by an arroyo that was widened by flood waters in early September. “Learning from Mother Nature, we’ve retained the width of the arroyo in the restoration of this golf hole,” Nicklaus explained.
The wider arroyo necessitated a shift of the 17th green to the right, to slightly higher ground. The new putting surface should prove to be more receptive to incoming approach shots and will offer spectacular views of the dunes, beach and ocean that backdrop the green.
Nicklaus noted that the original 486-yard par-4 18th, a very strong closing hole that played into the prevailing Pacific headwinds, was shortened by pulling the green back and adjacent to the dunes on the right. The hole was shortened by a total of 40 yards to allow a cart path crossing to be built on stable ground away from a storm surge area. This new path will permit all-weather access to and from the clubhouse. The restyled green was developed along similar lines as the original putting surface, with the dramatic infinity edge of the nearby sea appearing to lap at the back edge of the green.
Selected as the “Best New International Course” of 2014 by GOLF Magazine, Quivira Golf Club offers more oceanfront exposure than any other course in Los Cabos. Its breathtaking vistas and unforgettable challenges have captivated the attention of golfers worldwide.
For more information, visit: quiviraloscabos.com/golf