Chip Shots
May Gray and June Gloom have departed! The summer is finally heating up and so are the deals at the Bajamar Golf Resort, also known as the “Mexican Pebble Beach.” Stay-and-play golf packages and the 11th Vendimia Open Tournament highlight the summer action at Bajamar, a spectacular 27-hole seaside resort located just an hour from downtown San Diego.
The 42-year old course, originally designed by Perry Clifford, is offering 18 holes of golf and a night’s lodging at the elegant Hotel Hacienda for just $109 per person weekdays and $135 on weekends. This incredible package also includes a bucket of range balls, a welcome cocktail, Continental breakfast and a Fast Pass (for a short wait at the border).
“You’ll not find a better value or a more picturesque course in this region,” said Rudy Mellado, who played 25 years on the Mexican pro tour and is in his second stint as Bajamar’s head pro.
On August 18, Bajamar will host the Vendimia Open. The tournament celebrates golf, wine, gastronomy and music, coinciding with Fiestas de la Vendimia, a two-and-half week harvest festival held between the first Friday and third Sunday in
August. The $130 entry fee includes green fees, cart, wine tastings, closest to the pin contests, $2,500 in trophies and golf prizes and more than $6,000 in raffle prizes. Those interested in entering the tournament can call Bajamar from the United States at 888311-6076 or email the club at proshop@ golfbajamar.com.
It’s been 24 years since Bajamar opened the Ocean Course, which features four stunning holes along the Pacific Ocean and was designed by Robert Van Hagge. The signature fifth hole, a par-3, 185-yard masterpiece, plays over 200 yards with golfers often facing a stiff ocean breeze as they tee it up and gaze over the rocky cliffs below. Holes 6, 7 and 8 also play into the wind, but offer scoring opportunities and wider fairways than most of the holes on the Lagos and Vista nines.
“Vista is our most difficult nine, especially when the breeze kicks up,” Mellado said. “It’s tight and long and you really have to be hitting it pretty straight to score.”
The course record is 63, set in 1976, long before the Ocean Course opened. The Mexican pro tour stopped in Bajamar earlier this year and the winning score was 5-under par over three days.
Sometimes golfers enjoy their Bajamar experience so much they never leave. Over 1,500 people live in the Bajamar development (80% Americans) of 700 homes and apartments. Single family houses sell for $250,000 to $350,000.
Some of the biggest news at Bajamar this year happened off the course, in the vineyards just off the clubhouse. Barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are aging and will go on sale to the public next spring.
For more information on Bajamar golf packages, events, weddings and residences, visit golfbajamar.com