The first golf course to come to Baja California Sur's capital of La Paz is Paraiso Del Mar, part of a new ambitious golf resort and residential development on 1,700 acres of sandy, unspoiled peninsula on the Sea of Cortez and Mexico's Bay of La Paz.
Toledo-based Arthur Hills and design partner Brian Yoder oversaw construction of the course, though golfers will see clearly that very little earth was moved here, part of the golf course's attempt to be as natural as possible. Only 70,000 cubic yards of earth were moved during the project, so green sites are very rolling and at times severe. Even tee boxes aren't perfectly level. The result is a links-style course south of the border.
Paraiso Del Mar is seeded with an environmentally sensitive Seashore Paspalum, which requires less water than Bermuda. The course has been certified as an Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.
Another unique design attribute is that there is no rough here, as fairways end where the sandy dunes land starts.
Opened in the spring of 2009, Paraiso Del Mar is currently semi-private, open to the public as the club continues its membership drive. Condo rental units are available, or you can stay across the bay in La Paz.