The epicenter of Mexican golf lies in Los Cabos—20 miles of shoreline on the tip of the Baja Peninsula—between the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. A four-lane highway joins the two towns, creating "The Corridor" where many upscale resorts are located.

Cabo del Sol Beach & Golf Resort lies midway between the two towns—both of which are worth a visit. The historic Mexican village of San Jose del Cabo is charming, with quaint buildings and a wonderful

The epicenter of Mexican golf lies in Los Cabos—20 miles of shoreline on the tip of the Baja Peninsula—between the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. A four-lane highway joins the two towns, creating "The Corridor" where many upscale resorts are located.

Cabo del Sol Beach & Golf Resort lies midway between the two towns—both of which are worth a visit. The historic Mexican village of San Jose del Cabo is charming, with quaint buildings and a wonderful estuary frequented by dolphins and many species of birds. In contrast, Cabo San Lucas is a popular port of call for cruise ships and recreational sailors, as well as tourists. It has a 350-slip marina, shops, restaurants, and rollicking nightspots. A must-see is the El Arco, where the Sea of Cortez and Pacific meet.

Overlooking two miles of private beach on the Sea of Cortez, Cabo del Sol is an 1,800-acre resort community that is double-gated for privacy and safety. Each condo complex has a freeform, heated swimming pool and a six-person hot tub. Villas have heated plunge pools. Like the hacienda-style golf clubhouse, the 69 individually-owned condos and 14 villas are elegantly decorated with ample use of wrought-iron, terracotta, marble, and fine woods.

Cabo del Sol is home to two courses, one of which has been ranked No. 1 in Mexico and in the world's top 100 since its opening in 1995. That's the Jack Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course, which inspires awe even in its designer. "These are the three finest finishing holes in all of golf," he says, adding, "This was my chance to design a Pebble Beach."

Indeed, the Ocean Course is often called the Pebble Beach of Baja. The layout is a dazzling combination of desert and oceanfront, with seven holes along the Sea of Cortez. There's no argument that the finish is spectacular. Hole 16, a par 4, doglegs down to a green on the beach. The par-3 17th carries over an inlet to a green on a granite outcropping. Hole 18, a par 4, hugs the ocean along its length.

Second only in Cabo to the Ocean Course is the Desert Course by Tom Weiskopf. Located farther inland than the Nicklaus track, it lacks the "sea spray in your face" drama but is still powerful, with ocean views on every hole. The course incorporates lots of native foliage and is laced with arroyos. Added to those challenges are the designer's aggressive bunkering, elevation changes, and rolling greens.

For more than 20 years freelancer Dale Leatherman has specialized in golf and adventure travel. Assignments take her all over the world, but she's always happy to be back home playing mountain courses in West Virginia. She is also president-elect of the Society of American Travel Writers.