20 Years and Still Climbing

Two decades after discovering untouched dunes on Cabo’s Pacific coast, Ken Jowdy is building Diamante’s most ambitious chapter yet with the forthcoming opening of Legacy Golf Club.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO: When Ken Jowdy first stood atop the dunes on Cabo’s Pacific side, he wasn’t looking at a master plan; he was looking at sand and lots of it.

He had spent years searching for the right property, traveling extensively and studying what made the world’s great courses endure. Again and again, the common thread was simple: sand. “Whenever there is sand, you have the ability to make a great golf course,” said Jowdy.

On that first visit, he crested a hill and saw nothing but towering dunes stretching toward the Pacific. It reminded him of Scotland and Ireland, but with Cabo’s near-perfect climate. He didn’t yet know exactly what Diamante would become; he knew only that the land was capable of something rare.

That moment, looking out across untouched dunes, set in motion what would become one of golf’s most distinctive destinations. Twenty years later, Diamante is marking its anniversary not with nostalgia, but with momentum.

A Vision Beyond One Course

From the outset, Jowdy understood that pioneering Cabo’s Pacific side required more than residential inventory. “We needed to create something special to bring people over here,” Jowdy explained.

At Diamante, golf was never meant to stand alone; it was intended to anchor a private, owner-exclusive club experience built around the game.

The Dunes Course, designed by Davis Love III, was carved through natural sand formations and immediately established Diamante as a serious golf destination, laying the groundwork for what would follow. Love’s team, including Mark Love and longtime collaborator Paul Cowley, delivered a links-style layout that put Diamante on the map.

But for Jowdy, Dunes Course was never the destination. “I always feel like we’re climbing the mountain,” continued Jowdy. “Even as milestones accumulate—course openings, The Crystal Lagoon, hosting a PGA TOUR event—there isn’t one single defining moment. The work is iterative. The vision evolves.” That philosophy would eventually lead him to Tiger Woods.

Bringing in Tiger

When a mutual friend asked Jowdy whether he would consider having Tiger Woods design his next course, the question was almost rhetorical.

El Cardonal became Woods’ first completed design. It introduced a different personality to Diamante: a strategic, player-friendly course inspired by Southern California and Golden Age architecture rather than pure links play.

For Woods, the objective was clear: create a destination with multiple golf experiences that complement one another. El Cardonal was meant to be enjoyed—built for families, for playability from multiple tees, for movement around the course without intimidation.

With the PGA TOUR’s World Wide Technology Championship hosted at Diamante’s El Cardonal, the property’s golf portfolio has expanded in scope and recognition. Yet Jowdy and Woods were thinking ahead—toward something more ambitious.

The Legacy Chapter

Legacy Golf Club and the Legacy Course represent the most complete expression of Jowdy’s 20-year arc—and Woods’ architectural evolution.

Unlike the dunes or desert corridors that preceded it, Legacy Course began as a blank canvas. That freedom allowed for a different architectural expression—water features, creeks, lakes, and significant earthmoving—to shape a course unlike anything else in Cabo.

Woods describes the Legacy Course as more of a tournament-caliber course, but not one built exclusively for professionals. There will be drivable par fours, long par fives, deep bunkers, and movement in the greens. There will also be multiple teeing options to ensure that players of all skill levels can navigate the course without forced carries.

“I want people to have fun at all levels,” Woods explained. “The back tees will test elite players. The forward options will invite multi-generational play.”

For Woods, his philosophy is to build courses that stand the test of time—ones that can be played by multiple generations: parents, children, and even grandparents in the same group.
That philosophy shapes tee placement, strategy, and flow. The challenge is to test elite players while keeping the experience accessible to everyday golfers.

That philosophy aligns directly with Jowdy’s broader goal for Legacy Golf Club: approximately 250 families, within the owner-exclusive Legacy Club community, creating a private club environment that feels both exclusive and comfortable.

It is not about creating the hardest course in Mexico. It is about creating one that endures.

The Heart of Diamante

While golf anchors the vision at Diamante, culture sustains it.

Its longevity is reflected in its people, not structures. A core team of family and long-time friends has been with Jowdy for decades. Employees who greet members, maintain turf, and staff amenities have shaped Diamante as much as any architect. Many homeowners have been part of the community since 2010 or earlier, drawn to Diamante not only for golf but for the sense of belonging that now defines the Legacy Club ownership experience.

For Ken, that continuity is differentiating. “We’re not just running a business,” said Jowdy. “We’ve invested our lives.”

That investment extends to the employees who have shaped the guest experience. “There are hundreds of people who make it all happen every day,” reflected Jowdy. “The buildings may be visible, but the culture is built by those who greet members at the gate, carry bags, pour coffee, and maintain greens. Legacy Club was designed to create a sense of belonging. We want it to be a laid-back place where families can enjoy themselves,” emphasized Jowdy. This commitment to hospitality is evident in the friendly interactions between employees and owners.

It also reflects Jowdy’s mindset: build the kind of place you would want to spend time in. In that simplicity lies the community’s tone.

Twenty Years and Counting

Anniversaries often invite reflection. For Jowdy, they inspire acceleration.

Dunes Course established the foundation. El Cardonal broadened the appeal. The Oasis Short Course and tournament exposure expanded the reach. The Legacy Course is designed to unify these efforts into a private club structure centered around the vertical membership at Legacy Golf Club and the owner-exclusive Legacy Club residential community. Construction on the Legacy Course has entered its detailed phase: bunker placements have shifted, green contours refined, and irrigation and grassing are underway. The macro vision has given way to micro decisions, the kind that define strategy and playability for decades.

And yet, even as grass is laid and bunkers are refined, Jowdy resists framing Legacy Golf Club as the summit.

“The destination keeps changing,” concluded Jowdy.

That may be the most defining characteristic of Diamante at twenty. It is not a finished statement. It is an evolving expression of an ambitious vision for the land.

Explore Legacy Club’s limited real estate offerings at legacyclubcabo.com/executivegolfer.