The newly completed Danzante Bay Golf Club, the stunning Rees Jones showpiece of Villa del Palmar Resort at The Islands of Loreto, was formally christened December 8, 2017 as part of a gala weekend grand opening celebration on the Sea of Cortez.

Hosted by resort developers Owen Perry and Luz Maria Torres, special guests and dignitaries included Jones, the master golf architect; Carlos Mendoza Davis, Governor, Baja California Sur; Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Mexico’s Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, as well as legendary guitarist Don Felder, from The Eagles, whose performance headlined the weekend entertainment.

“Danzante Bay Golf Club is the result of a special collaboration of creativity and vision,” said Jones, whose first original design in Mexico adds to his illustrious global resume of nearly 230 golf courses. “We have been able to create a golf experience that allows you to see landscape and wildlife that you never would have seen before. It is like no other place.”

Part of a luxury master-planned community adjacent to the coastline of Baja’s inland Pacific marine sanctuary, Danzante Bay Golf Club debuted 11 holes late last year. The new seven holes – Nos. 2 through 8 – cover different terrains, including beach, cliff, and canyon. They combine Jones’s creativity with the natural scenery provided by Mother Nature to charm golfers with views that spread out in virtually every direction.

Torres believes the new golf course has the potential to position Loreto as one of the best and most sought-after vacation destinations in the world, while still maintaining its serene and secluded environment. “We are dedicated to doing our part to preserve the area’s natural beauty and cultural history by minimizing our environmental footprint as much as possible,” Torres said.

The views at Danzante Bay stretch out toward the horizon, amplifying the shimmering waters of the Sea of Cortez. Golfers can enjoy glimpses of migrating whales and other marine life that surfaces below the jutting cliffs.

Now playing between 4,916 and 7,237 yards from five sets of tees, Danzante Bay features wide fairways and greens that must be carefully judged but are never unfair. Most of the entrances to the greens are open — allowing approach shots to run on safely — while the holes along the cliffs feature strategically placed collection areas to keep errant shots from plunging into the blue water below. Along with the changing terrain come winds that can be different day to day as well as hour to hour, conditions that influence shot value and strategy. That, says Jones, makes for a new challenge at Danzante Bay every time.

Guests can experience Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa’s 4,447 acres through a variety of vacation packages. Danzante Bay Golf Club and Villa del Palmar Resort at The Islands of Loreto are a two-hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Alaska Airlines. They also are accessible with non-stop flights from Calgary, and from Tijuana via Calafia Airlines (three times a week year-round). Along with the golf course, the resort boasts stretches of Sea of Cortez shoreline, ocean and mountain views, three restaurants, five swimming pools, the 39,000-square-foot luxurious Sabila Spa, tennis courts, miles of hiking trails, glass-bottomed kayaks, and sport fishing.

Danzante Bay Golf Club, www.danzantebay.com