THE REAL DEL MAR is about an hour north, but Real Del Mar, a seaside golf resort just south of Tijuana, has a lot more going for it than a familiar name. Nestled in a coastal canyon looking out at the Coronado Islands, this lush oasis in Baja California's arid landscape is attracting a growing stream of gringos in search of a half-day golfing adventure or a bargain getaway. As frequent visitors to Mexico, my golfing buddy and I begin our excursion to Real Del Mar with a mixture of cautious curiosity and skepticism. The colorful entry road winds through elaborately landscaped grounds, past the island green of Alcatraz, the course's aptly named signature hole, and up to a handsome tile-roofed clubhouse.
Friendly attendants whisk our clubs onto a waiting golf cart.
Not yet fully appreciating the significance of his question, we confidently assure him we do. At the first tee, we study an imposing tee marker with a large, colorful diagram of the opening par 5, listed at 467 yards from the regulation tees. The dogleg design tempts the aggressive player to cut the corner. However, after observing a maintenance crew harvesting golf balls from the hillside ground cover, I opt for a shot at the narrow fairway. My drive lands dead center and rolls to the right edge of the fairway, a few yards short of the blue 200-yard marker.