Cabo Real closes for redesign in Mexico and will reopen as a private golf club

LOS CABOS, MEXICO. Cabo Real's well-known golf course on the Baja California peninsula has closed for a multimillion-dollar renovation. The most consequential change for visiting golfers is not a redesigned bunker or green: after reopening, the 18-hole course will no longer operate as a conventional resort golf destination. It is being converted into a private facility for Cabo Real Surf Club members. The developer announced the transformation on October 20, 2026, after construction began in September. The stated reopening target is late 2027, not a confirmed first tee-time date.

Where it is. Cabo Real sits along the Los Cabos Tourist Corridor at kilometer 19.5 of the Transpeninsular Highway near San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Robert Trent Jones II designed the course, which opened in 1994. For roughly 32 years it operated as a resort layout known for ocean views, desert hills, arroyos and substantial elevation changes.

A genuine architectural overhaul. The project involves much more than fresh turf. Robert Trent Jones II's team is participating in a revised routing that will introduce four newly created holes — Nos. 1, 7, 8 and 9 — while providing a signature finish beside the future members' clubhouse. Greens and bunkers will be rebuilt throughout the 18 holes. The developer also plans complete turf replacement, modernised irrigation infrastructure and improved cart paths. Its stated design aim is to preserve the site's adventurous coastal character while making strategy and shot selection more varied.

New practice and short-course facilities. A two-sided driving range, putting and chipping facilities, and a separate five-hole social short course are planned. The short course is intended to offer Pacific views from every hole. Four new on-course comfort stations and a members-only clubhouse are also part of the proposal. As with any project in progress, the final features remain subject to completion.

What happens to access? The existing course was historically bookable by resort and visiting golfers. The future membership model is different: membership is reserved for Cabo Real real-estate owners, with club facilities available to members and their invited guests. Older guidebooks and booking descriptions may still call the golf course public or resort-accessible; they should not be treated as confirmation of access during renovation or after the private conversion. Golf travellers should make alternative plans rather than assume regular visitor tee times will return.

Part of a broader development. Cabo Real is expanding into a private residential and recreation destination that includes an Endless Surf wave basin, wellness facilities and beach amenities. Its developer says contracted real-estate sales have passed $200 million — a company-reported figure, not an independently audited valuation. The wave basin is targeted to open in December 2026 and the Surf Club in early 2027, on timelines separate from the golf reopening.

What remains uncertain. The October 20 announcement confirms the redesign, location and intended private access model, but it does not specify a final renovation budget, an exact reopening day or general-public booking arrangements. Late 2027 should be understood as the developer's current forecast, not a guarantee.

Sources: Cabo Real's October 20 announcement; official Cabo Real Surf Club golf page; Robert Trent Jones II's course portfolio.

Illustration: archive photograph of a golf course in the Los Cabos region taken in 2014. It has not been verified as a photograph of Cabo Real itself. Jeff Shewan / CC BY 2.0.