Put another notch in Ernie Els’ design belt.
GolfPass has learned that Els will put the new Oleada Golf Links Los Cabos, the last golf course in Los Cabos, the premier golf and fishing destination at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula.
The first Els course in Mexico has already moved forward and will open in early 2026, allowing public play for the first year before transitioning to a private resort, accessible only to resort owners and guests at Oleada Pacific Living & Golf, a center in development. 860 acre waterfront resort community.
Located 15 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas, this new 7,336-yard links-style course will unfold along a one-mile stretch of golden sand beach along the Pacific Ocean. The winner of 75 professional tournaments worldwide, including four majors, is best known as an architect by design. Albanythe course on New Providence Island in the Bahamas that hosts the Hero World Challenge and The Els Club in dubai
“Our goal in Oleada will be to build a basic golf course that harmonizes with nature,” said Els. “We envision a compact design that blends naturally into the land, treads lightly on nature’s toes, and functions as an environmental steward of the site’s native flora and fauna. With its rolling dunes, the changing “elevation and the majestic desert and ocean setting, I believe we can produce a versatile test that will rank among the best and most beautiful courses we have ever built.”
More information about the Oleada Golf Links Los Cabos
Ernie Els walks across a sand dune that will eventually become the Oleada Golf Links Los Cabos. Courtesy photo
Oleada, which means “waves” in Spanish, will feature 79 acres of irrigated turf good enough to rival Cabo’s top resort courses. Diamond Dunes, Quivira i Solmar Golf Links.
Fifteen holes will be built in or on the oceanfront dunes, according to Federico Gaxiola, project director of Oleada Pacific Living & Golf. Three holes – the par-3 third and a pair of 542-yard par 5s that run in opposite directions (Nos. 6 and 16) – play closer to the beach. The course will be a fun combination of five par 5s and five par 3s.
“Each hole will feature an ocean view spot, providing golfers with a stunning landscape where they can view whales in the Pacific Ocean on their migratory journey,” added Gaxiola.
The Oleada Golf Links Los Cabos will feature five par 5s and five par 3s. Courtesy image
Gaxiola considers the course to be Cabo’s only true “links,” though Els hasn’t chosen the grass yet, which will go a long way in determining whether the course plays similarly to a traditional links. Seashore Paspalum is a popular choice in Cabo, but it is sticky and doesn’t necessarily lend itself to bouncy conditions.
To keep up with the competition in Cabo, all-inclusive comfort stations will be built around the course to provide golfers with all the food and drink they could want. Comprehensive development plans for the resort include real estate deals; three tourist complexes; a nursery, orchard and garden; nature, fitness, hiking and cycling trails; and much more. The three resorts have yet to be named.
Cabo has been a focus of work for gamer-architects for over three decades. It started with Jack Nicklaus in palm in 1992 and The Cove Club in 1994 and has expanded to Tom Weiskopf (Desert Course at The Cove Club in 2001), Davis Love III (Diamond Dunes in 2009), Tiger Woods (El Cardonal at Diamant in 2014), Fred Couples (twin dolphin in 2018) and Greg Norman (Solmar in 2019). Is there room for even more golf? Gaxiola believes so. A second Nicklaus course at Quivira is already under construction.
“Demand is growing and, at the same time, more courses in Cabo are becoming private, so there is room for more new courses,” Gaxiola said.
What is your favorite course in Cabo? Let us know in the comments below.
