Tiger Woods El Cardonal course: 7 facts you need to know about the venue
The Tiger Woods-designed golf course El Cardonal at Diamante will be hosting the upcoming 2023 World Wide Technology Championship. The tournament commences on November 2 and goes on until November 5.
The next PGA Tour event will have a field with multiple golf stars such as European Ryder Cup team member Ludvig Aberg, FedEx St. Jude Championship winner Lucas Glover, Barracuda Championship winner Akshay Bhatia, and many more.
Exploring seven facts about Tiger Woods El Cardonal course
Before the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship kicks off, let's have a look at seven things to know about its venue El Cardonal course at Diamante:
#7 It is part of a further development plan
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal was the second golf course built at Diamante. The first was the Dunes Course designed by Davis Love III and built in 2009. It caught a lot of attention due to its sandy coastal landscape.
Meanwhile, the El Cardonal course was situated farther inland and at a higher elevation. Also, it offers water views in each 18 holes.
#6 Also available for public
Since the Tiger Woods designed course is situated at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula, Mexico, it attracts a lot of visitors from across the globe.
Specifically due to the Hard Rock and Nobu hotels, the course is open to the public and has limited tee times for resort inmates.
#5 It has a unique rhythm
The El Cardonal at Diamante has a Championship golf course that spreads 7,363 yards with a par-72 hole layout. It has a 75.9 rating and 140 slopes. while the back tees face the resort and have very different angles.
The tees, which are lengthier, are aligned to the arroyos. It is noteworthy that the middle tees are harder to play as the golfer has to stick to the away line. The starting and ending tees, meanwhile, are easier to play due to the demography.
#4 The golf course is built on a dramatic location
The Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal is built on a broad landscape. It is surrounded by cacti, palo verde trees, and scrubby desert flora. From the 17th tee to the third fairway, a mile-long strip of land dips 240 feet.
This 225-acre parcel has a consistent 4% gradient and is located in the foothills of the Baja California desert. The view from the Pacific Ocean motivates the players and caddies to do trekking easily.
#3 Tiger Woods to open a club at the venue
While the Tacos and tequila are very famous at El Cardonal, Tiger Woods is also planning a second project in Diamante. He is developing an invitation-only membership club which will be called Diamante: The Legacy. It is slated to start functioning in 2024.
#2 The name of the course is inspired by Woods' alma mater
The name of the golf course at Diamante was inspired by Tiger Woods' alma mater. When the 15-time major champion was at Stanford University, he played as a Cardinal for two years. During that time, he won a school record-tying 11 events. Also, in 1996, he recorded eight wins from the first 13 events he played.
#1 First ever course designed by Woods
The El Cardonal at Diamante was the first-ever course that the legendary 82-time PGA Tour winner designed. It was started in 2014 and Woods himself shot the first ceremonial opening tee shot at the ribbon ceremony.