Golf Inc. has named The Links at Las Palomas Golf Club to receive their International Development of the Year award. The Links course is the centerpiece of the Las Palomas Seaside Golf Community, a 350-acre master-planned resort community in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico. The 18-hole championship golf course is an authentic seaside links golf course designed by Phoenix-based Forrest Richardson and Associates. Golf Inc. has three categories for the Development of the Year award: International, Private Clubs, and Daily Fee courses. The Links at Las Palomas won the International category.
Judges evaluated finalists based on four different criteria: whether the development team achieved its mission; course routing; course aesthetics; and other amenities. The judges represented the developer, course architect and course builder communities to evaluate a truly outstanding group of entries. Judging was done at the Golf Inc. Fall Conference at Amelia Island Resort in Florida.
Carved from seaside dunes beside the Sea of Cortez, a round at The Links meanders over and around hillocks and lagoons in the spirit of authentic links courses along the coast of Scotland and Ireland. Golf Inc. judge Doug Spear said, “The course was built within the land, not on top of it, and it took advantage of native vegetation and topography. It feels like a resort, but yet affordable.” Architect Ron Cutlip gave the course a perfect “10” for its routing.
