An Interview with PGA Great Phil Mickelson

PGA great Phil Mickelson has joined the list of professional golfers who will design a golf course in Los Cabos. Phil Mickelson Design has been chosen to create an 18-hole desert-style course at the exclusive Diamante Cabo San Lucas golf community, currently under construction. The course is scheduled to open in mid 2009.

After opening Phil Mickelson Design last year, what prompted your interest in Los Cabos?
My family and I have enjoyed vacationing in Cabo for years, and I have been intrigued with what the Pacific side has to offer from an overall design standpoint. With the site's views, its topography and soil, and the owner's overall vision for the project, we have a tremendous amount of potential to design and build a great golf course and resort. I'm excited about starting a shift away from Los Cabos being primarily a couples destination to a family destination. For all those reasons, we just see this as a great fit for us.

Had you played any of the courses in Los Cabos prior to this?
I've played several of the courses in the area and I know there's a lot of high-quality golf available there. To be a part of that, and work with a very different piece of land, is another reason I was immediately drawn to the great possibilities at Diamante.

The description for the course you'll be designing at Diamante Cabo says it's a desert-style course. What features does a desert-style course design encompass?
That term is usually associated with cactus and a target style of play, so I'm not sure I would call ours a desert style. As you know, there are two golf courses being built. Davis Love is designing a course that will have a "sand dunes" feel and we will be working with the inland portion of the site. Our intent is to make sure that the property has two very distinct courses, which will give members a wonderful variety during their visits to the resort. To contrast the dunes feel, we will be creating a lush oasis with a more secluded feel and we will not be affected much by the winds off the Pacific other than a cooling breeze. Our current ideas call for a lot of landscaping, waterfalls, color and dramatic features, and of course a wonderful golf course that will have the golf community talking. There is no doubt that Diamante Cabo will be a spectacular golf destination.

When you first saw the area at Diamante Cabo, did you get a visual on what the property could be transformed into?
As mentioned before, the site has wonderful potential, and the combination of our ideas along with the desires of the owner makes it very clear to us that the golf experience will be spectacular. Creating an oasis in the desert demands a lot of imagination, which is going to be extremely fun. We plan on doing a few unique things, and the opportunity to incorporate the lush landscaping into the design will make the golf course even more beautiful. And the fact that we are only going to have 46 exclusive homes in and around the golf course will only enhance the feel of privacy, exclusivity and very high quality.

Why is Cabo so much fun? There is so much to do! Click here for a list of dive, watersports, fishing and tour operators. You'll also find links to Cabo's world class golf courses, spas, adventure tours, horseback riding, wedding coordinators and cruises.