Beating the heat, hurricanes for golf in Mexico's Baja Peninsula

I’ve been fielding calls and e-mails from friends and family all day with the same questions …

Where are you? Are you home yet? Did you hear about the hurricane?

Yes, I’m back in the cool, friendly confines of Michigan. Thankfully.

As much as I’d love to stay and play more golf in Mexico’s beautiful Baja Peninsula as long as possible, I flew home Sunday, Aug. 30, just in time. Hurricane Jimena, a dangerous Category 4 storm, is closing in on Los Cabos. According to reports, it could land anywhere from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz, where I spent two days exploring Paraiso del Mar, a developing golf resort/community.

The hurricane was the talk of Los Cabos when I left. One golf pro I met rescheduled his flight out of town for a vacation knowing full well the chaos that a hurricane brings at the airport. Another local said hurricanes come and go all the time, so he didn’t sound too concerned. Hurricane season from June to September just comes with the territory.

But it’s not good for the local golf courses. They can close for a week or more while workers clean up debris.

Even without a hurricane, filling tee sheets in August can be difficult. Most of my rounds were played in heat ranging from 90 to 100 degrees. But if you play early in the morning and drink the free bottled water the courses provide, the rounds can still be enjoyable. The ocean views and dynamic desert settings make sure of that.

Stay tuned for reviews of some of Cabo’s newest golf courses. They have added to what might be the best warm-weather vacation destination outside the U.S.

And for my new friends back in Los Cabos, good luck! I’ll be rooting for you.