The final Hooked on Golf Blog world tour stop of 2018 was at TPC Danzante Bay golf course, on property at Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa at the Islands of Loreto, Mexico. TPC Danzante Bay is a Reese Jones design, winding amongst the mountains that surround the beautiful Danzante Bay.
Looking down at Villa del Palmar Resort from near the 18th tee of TPC Danzante Bay
Reese Jones is the son of one of golf’s all time greatest architects Robert Trent Jones Senior. I’ve had the opportunity to play many Rees Jones courses and TPC Danzante Bay is right there amongst the best of them.
Location
TPC Danzante Bay Is located approximately 300 miles northeast of Cabo, Mexico, on the east coast of the Mexican Baja. The nearest town is the quaint and historic seaside town of Loreto, Mexico. Loreto and its airport is approximately 45 minutes away. The course’s home is the rugged desert hills and vistas in the Sierra de la Giganta mountain range, which overlooks the bay.
Course Stats
The golf course plays to a par value of 72, 36 front and 36 back. From the longest set of tees, the blacks, the course stretches to 7,237 yards. There are four other sets of tees for golfers of varying abilities.
I would normally post the course slope and rating but my score card and information I have on the course shows neither. Perhaps it is so new (2016) it has not been rated yet.
Routing
I found the course routing to be quite enjoyable. There is a wide and interesting variance as the course travels through the valley floor, up the side hills, to the tops of the mountains and back down by the sea. Along its journey the course provides stunning visuals and vistas worthy of photography on practically every hole. I nearly spent as much time taking pictures of the golf course as I did playing it.
I felt right at home and enjoyed the elevation changes on many of the holes which reminded me of my home mountain golf. Some of the most entertaining elevation drops are on the par-3 17th and the par-3 9th. The par-4 15th and 16th holes present a fun elevation increase where calculating the proper club on approach is challenging. If the golfer picks a club which is too short or doesn’t make solid contact, the ball could land short and roll all the way back to his position.
Tee
Tee shots are a blast and on this course you’ll love blasting your tee shots to the fairly forgiving and wide fairways. There are some forced carries from many of the tees, as much of the course style is desert target. If the golfer is playing from the appropriate tee, carrying the native areas should not be an issue. I really enjoyed how each different tee not only gave the golfer a different choice in terms of length, but angle and elevation as well.
Fredrik Lindenblom tees off on the par-3 13th hole
There are some extremely fun par-4’s and par-5’s with large elevation changes which make driving the golf ball a hell of a lot of fun. The par-5 fifth, par-4 seventh, and par-4 18th holes come to mind. On the par-4 7th I had one of those blasts. I hit a towering draw which caught the speed slot and traveled all the way down to about 120 yards from the green, some 320+ yards from the tee.
Fairway
As I mentioned the fairways are fairly wide and accessible. Only tee shots which are very errant will miss and find desert areas or natural hazards. There is some minor undulation in the fairways but uneven lies are not much of an issue.
I was very satisfied with the quality and grow-in of the fairways. The turf conditioning was terrific and there were no bad lies to be had.
Fairway bunkering is strategic and well-placed. Most fairway bunkers are navigable and the golfer has a chance to make the green with a well executed shot.
Green
There are a few forced carries to some of the greens like the highly publicized par-3 17th, where carrying the ball all the way to the green is necessary. Most of the par-4’s and par-5’s, however, allow the golfer to choose the option of flying it all the way or hitting a links-style running shot short and bouncing it up onto the surface.
I found the greens at TPC Danzante Bay to be quite enjoyable to putt. Undulations and sloping are manageable. Two-putting from just about any quadrant to another is a fair proposition. Green conditioning was terrific, consistent, and the putts rolled true.
Putting Course
Par three and putting courses have really taken off in the last few years. It all started with the Himalayas, the putting course near the second tee of the old course in St. Andrews, Scotland.
Putting Course
TPC Danzante Bay offers a very fun 9-hole putting course which I enjoyed playing very much. The putting course is a great place for golfers and non-golfers to enjoy aspects of the game, settle bets from the big course, or just enjoy green grass and some frosty beverages in a friendly competition.
Amenities
The practice area is terrific. On the fun driving range golfers hit uphill, similar to the par-4 15th and 16th holes. Near the range is a short-game practice area which gives the golfer the ability to practice every possible chip, pitch, and bunker shot he might encounter playing the course.
Driving Range
The pro shop is small and modest and sits next to a café which serves great food and beverages. From the patio patrons of the café enjoy a lovely view of the resort and bay below.
The Resort
The course is part of the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa at the Islands of Loreto, Mexico. The resort offers luxury suites, beach and water activities, spa, fine dining, hiking, and much more. Check out the Villa del Palmar review here.
Final Thoughts
Before you book a golf trip to Cabo, Mexico I strongly suggest considering Villa del Palmar and TPC Danzante Bay. The golf course is extremely fun and fair to play. It doesn’t beat the golfer up too much like one might expect a TPC course to do. The views and variances one experiences on the course make every hole interesting and keep the golfer’s attention. When not golfing one can enjoy all of the great activities the resort has to offer.
Related
Villa del Palmar Beach Resort and Spa at the Islands of Loreto, Mexico review.
TPC Danzante Bay image gallery
In for review from Dutch company Ekster is their Parliament Wallet and GPS/Bluetooth Tracker Card.
This is a next-generation wallet, featuring a solar powered tracker card (photo below) which helps the owner find the wallet via smart phone app.
An RFID blocker protects credit card info from being stolen. The quick card access mechanism, activated by a simple button, allows easy access to credit cards. All of this comes in a premium fine grain European leather package.
I have just switched over from my old wallet to the Parliament and I’ve got the tracker card soaking in photons from the sun to charge it. I’ll be gaming the unit for a couple of months, then posting my review then. Stay tuned.
The last 4 days have been rough. Here’s a shot of the shoulder and the 5 places the doc went in. They found more damage than they saw on the MRI. Torn rotator, torn bicep tendon, torn labrum, bone spurs. I won’t be playing any bad golf for quite some time.
Photo by Greg Corbo
I’ve been fighting a torn rotator cuff, separated shoulder, and bicep tendon issues for 8 months. Prior to the HOG World Tour trip to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort last summer, I got my first cortisone shot, which allowed me to play golf there. That wore off in October and I got another shot around then, and did shoulder rehab. The cortisone shots wore off and as time rolled on I could do less and less of my rehab exercises. Pain came back and surpassed where it was before. Now I can’t do simple things like wave at someone or reach for my phone without intense pain.
I tried to go the non-surgical route first but that didn’t work. Today I’m getting shoulder surgery. I’ll be having the rotator cuff repaired, bone spurs removed, and getting part of my bicep tendon removed and the remaining end screwed into the bone.
I understand the pain level following this is pretty high, so I’m mentally prepared for the next few weeks to be hell.
The doctor has told me I’ll be in a sling for 6-8 weeks and I won’t be able to swing a club for roughly six months. That puts me through the peak of golf season here, into the fall. That’s a big bummer. I also had to cut my ski season short, and this season is one of the best snow years here in Utah ever.
I still plan to post as much golf blog content as I will be able, but some of my golf equipment reviews will either be delayed or won’t contain my usual “on the course” sections.
It sucked to have to let my regular golf buddies know I won’t be playing with them this season. I did let them know that if they missed me, they could just send me some cash so they could feel like they would if I was there winning bets. For some reason they declined on that. But at least I offered.
I’ve been gaming the Callaway Apparel Men’s Dual Action 1/4 Zip Pullover Sweater on and off the course for a few months now. This is a terrific sweater which is extremely comfortable. Let’s take a look.
Key Features
- 100% Polyester
- Insulated thermal fabric creates a barrier between you and cold weather
- Weather-repellent fabric creates a barrier of lightweight protection to resist wind and water
- UV Block UPF 50 protects you against the sun’s ultraviolet rays
- Callaway Tour Logo on chest
- Callaway Chevron Logo on center back
- Fleece Fabrication Machine Washable Imported
- Available in BIG & TALL
Standard Sizes/Colors
Colors available include Caviar (dark gray), Medium Gray Heather (lighter gray), Peacoat Heather (dark blue), Blue Coral Heather (light blue), Castlerock Heather (medium gray). I’m sure you’ll appreciate my translation on the colors…
Sizes available range from small to XXL. I find the sizing to be accurate. My XL fits as it should.
Retail pricing for standard sizes and colors is $75.
Big and Tall
There sweater is also available in “big and tall” sizes which range from LT to 5XLT. Colors in the B&T line are Caviar, Blue Coral Heather, Castlerock Heather (see color english translations above).
Retail pricing for B&T sizes and colors runs $90.
In Action
I’m a big fan of polyester and spandex in apparel, but not the 80’s metal band kind. The fabrics and technology over the past several years make for super high performance and comfort. On the golf course the sweater helps keep me warm and loose. I’m especially fond of the way the garment moves with me, even though my swing moves might not be terribly… natural. Whether it is cold and/or wind I’m thrilled with the performance and style of the Callaway Apparel Men’s Dual Action 1/4 Zip Pullover Sweater.
I’ve even gamed this sweater in northern Utah weather conditions, as in snow. It’s a great layer to put under my parka, and to wear indoors. I’ve even worn it up on the slopes with great results. Perhaps Callaway should make ski apparel.
Final Thoughts
I’m happy to have put the Callaway Apparel Men’s Dual Action 1/4 Zip Pullover Sweater into my starting lineup. The style, performance, and mostly comfort are terrific. I’m also glad to have finally logged my first Callaway Apparel review in this humble golf blog’s history. It only took 15 years. Hopefully my next Callaway Apparel review will hit sooner than 2034.
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