TPC Danzante Bay is one of the premier golf courses in Mexico, offering athletes a technically challenging course and breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. Designed by the legendary Rees Jones, the course plays into the natural undulations and curves of the canyons and mountains around Loreto, preserving its natural beauty. If you’re getting ready to play this course for the first time, reading through this guide to the front nine will help you strategize and anticipate what lies ahead, allowing you to start off strong. Just keep in mind, no words can truly capture the excitement and wonder of TPC Danzante Bay.
From the first tee of TPC Danzante Bay, you’ll be immersed in the thrill of the game. This hole moves away from the ocean and into the sweeping canyons. With an inviting par-4 and wide landing area protected by bunkers and falling into a grassy pocket, it’s the ideal first hole for a powerful start. As you begin to focus on the game, be sure to take in the surrounding beauty and your first views of the mountains.
Continue to weave your way deeper into the mountains on Hole 2, past canyons with steep rock faces. You’ll face a long, uphill par-5 hole with a gentle fairway that runs along the base of a 200ft bluff. On this hole, you’ll have time to take in the rugged natural beauty of the landscape that makes this one of the top golf courses in Loreto, Mexico.
At the third hole, the tee juts out alongside a steep drop off, which is an iconic spot at TPC Danzante Bay for snapping a photo before playing across the canyon. With a steep canyon on the right, you’ll want an accurate and powerful drive, but if you overshoot, the green has been built up in the back with a small rocky outcropping and gentle slopes that will release the ball back towards the hole. Use this design to strategize your game.
When designing the course, Rees Jones worked to preserve and replant the vegetation in the mountains, and at hole 4, you’ll be surrounded by cacti as you tee off downhill between an arroyo and rolling mountains towards the green. The green is surrounded by bunkers, and once you sink your ball, you’ll be approaching the first view of the sea.
Now that you’re all warmed up, hole 5 is over 600 yards and will require you to think on every shot. It begins with a dramatic tee off that plays downhill and requires a long drive, typically even two. There are several bunkers on the fairway that you’ll need to plan around as well as a long arroyo that stretches all along the left side. Despite the challenges of hole 5, it has an unforgettable view of the ocean in the distance to reward you in the end.
This dogleg-right hole plays into a box canyon, and the powerful mountains surrounding you will fill you with awe. To play this hole, you’ll want a longer club to get an accurate drive. The right side of the fairway slopes up into the mountains, and the deep and spacious green is bracketed by bunkers, requiring precision as you play.
Subtle yet challenging, hole seven weaves right to left, and for a strong play, you’ll need to avoid the arroyo on the left and bunkers on the right. Once you make it to the open-entry green, you’ll have a clear putting area with dramatic views of the mountains.
Despite the beauty of the long, wide fairway, hole 8 is one of the toughest, but at the end, you’ll be able to see the sparkling waters of the Sea of Cortez. It has a steep downhill slope and a well-defended green. Combine that with a steep mountain covered in cacti on the right, and you’ll need an accurate shot to reach this hole’s picturesque views. It’s this combination of natural architecture, well-designed challenges, and rewarding views that sets TPC Danzante Bay apart from all other golf courses in Loreto, Mexico.
To make it to the halfway point, you’ll tee off on a dramatic drop-shot that heads towards the Danzante Bay Clubhouse. The challenges of this par-3 hole include sand on the left and a dip in the fairway on the right, and once you make it to the green, there are subtle contours in the ground that require your attention. To master this hole, practice some drill on the TPC Danzante Bay putting greens, the perfect spot for honing your game and improving your technique.
