The glow is on Diamante Cabo San Lucas, because Golf magazine said the resort community’s links-inspired, Davis Love III-designed Dunes layout was “the best course to open outside the U.S. in 2010.”
The award got me to thinking about Diamante’s Oasis course, a bigger-budget track that’s part of the 1,500-acre community’s master plan. Greg Carrafiello, who oversees the resort’s development, says that Phil Mickelson “is anticipated to be” the designer of the course, which will be “more lush, with more water” than its predecessor. Carrafiello reports that Diamante’s developer, Legacy Properties LLC, hopes to break ground on the track in 2012.
Don't bet your house on it. But the optimist in me is wondering if this could be a signal that Diamante is turning a corner.
The resort, like so many others, has been struggling in recent years. As best I can determine, it’s still trying to sell out the first phase of its housing (about 200 lots and villas), and most of its construction plans have been delayed.
On top of that, the image of Legacy’s president, Ken Jowdy, has been stained by a lawsuit filed in 2009 by some former National Hockey League players who invested in Diamante. In the lawsuit, the players accused Jowdy of blowing their money (said to be $25 million) because he “failed to execute even the most fundamental elements of a business or development plan” and spent foolishly on things like “gratuitous extravagant private air travel,” “luxury home rentals,” and “unlimited food and beverage expenses.”
Jowdy, who’s counter-sued, says that the allegations were fabricated by a former partner in an attempt to get control of Diamante and his other real estate holdings. Those holdings, incidentally, include Boot Ranch Golf Club in Fredericksburg, Texas (Jowdy co-owns it with Hal Sutton) and almost 10,000 acres of land (including four miles of oceanfront) in El Rosario, a town that’s about 800 miles up the Pacific coast from Cabo San Lucas.
Diamante, which is patrolled by what it calls “FBI-trained security guards,” eventually plans to build more houses, a village center, a clubhouse for the Dunes course, a beach club, an equestrian center, a “world-class” spa, and other attractions.
Nowhere does it say when. I hope it's sooner rather than later.
If you're wondering, Mickelson has so far written his “signature” on just one course, at Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale. The architectural heavy lifting was done by Gary Stephenson, a designer based in Celina, Texas.
I inquired to Mickelson Design as I also was pitched that Phil Mickelson will be designing the 3rd course on the property. I was contacted by them immediately saying they pulled their name from the project back in 2007, and do not want to be associated with the property at all.
ReplyDeleteYou should do your research. Ken Jowdy has built an amazing course and it's open and operational. Also, construction on the clubhouse has started. https://www.facebook.com/kenjowdy
ReplyDeleteThe post should be updated. The Dunes Course has been rated #58 in the world and is tremendous. The amenities that are open are first class and will only get better. The practice facility is unrivaled, including the practice areas at great courses like Shadow Creek just to name one. The clubhouse and Dunes Residence Club is ahead of schedule and will be wonderful. The villas and homes that are done are first class. I am not sure what the past may have been like but I have been going to Diamante for three years and been an owner for two. Everything I was promised has occurred.
ReplyDeleteJowdy,
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I just returned from spending a week at Diamante and the course, the condo, the staff and the amenities were first class all the way. I enjoyed it so much I became an owner!
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