My cousin Steven called me and asked if we wanted to join him for a weekend golf trip to Bajamar in Baja California.
At first, we were a little hesitant.
Driving from Los Angeles to Mexico for a weekend golf trip sounded like a lot of work. But then I remembered that I had been to Bajamar about 10 years earlier for Steven's bachelor party. My wife had never been, and since we both love playing golf together, I thought it would be a good chance to show her the place.
So we decided to go.
The Drive to Baja
The drive from Los Angeles to Bajamar was surprisingly smooth. It took us about four hours, and crossing into Mexico was almost effortless. There wasn't much traffic, and we didn't have any trouble getting across the border.
Before entering Mexico, we stopped at a gas station in the U.S. My cousin had warned us that he didn't trust the gas stations in Mexico, so we decided to fill up before crossing.
He also recommended getting Mexican auto insurance before the trip. Since our regular U.S. insurance wasn't something we wanted to rely on in another country, we purchased coverage online for less than $100.
It seemed like one of those things where it was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Once we crossed into Mexico, everything felt different. The roads weren't particularly busy, and there wasn't a lot to see along the way. But eventually, we arrived at Bajamar, and that's when the trip started to feel like a vacation.
Arriving at Bajamar
The weather was a little humid but still comfortable.
Our room turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. We had a huge room with three beds and three bathrooms, and there was even a billiard table in the living room.
We unpacked our golf gear, grabbed our clubs, and headed out.
It was time to play.
Golf With an Ocean View
The golf course was simply picturesque.
A lot of the holes are right next to the ocean, and it seemed like almost anywhere you stopped was a good place to take a picture.
It was also a very relaxed round. We weren't there to take golf too seriously. We had drinks with us, enjoyed the scenery, talked, laughed, and simply enjoyed being outside.
The ocean breeze was strong, though.
Even though it was the end of August, once the sun started getting lower, the temperature dropped enough that the ladies needed jackets to finish the round. For around $80 per person, it was hard to complain too much.
There was one thing I definitely would change: the greens. The fairways were fun to play, but the greens were extremely slow. At times, they were so slow that I almost didn't want to putt.
If Bajamar had faster greens, I think the golf course would be significantly better.
But the scenery more than made up for it.
And Then I Hit Myself With a Golf Ball
Of course, every memorable golf trip needs a story.
Mine involved a wooden staircase and a 9-iron.
At one point, my ball came to rest right in front of a wooden staircase. The fairway was sloped upward, so the resort had built four or five wooden steps for golfers to walk up instead of walking directly up the slope. I looked at my ball and thought I could easily hit it without hitting the stairs.
So I grabbed my 9-iron and took the shot. That was probably the biggest mistake I made during the entire trip. I must not have hit the ball correctly because instead of going toward the green, it hit the wooden staircase and came flying straight back at me.
Right into my shin. And I mean hard.
I could actually feel the impact on my leg. For a moment, it felt like the ball had pushed my bone inward. There was a noticeable half-dome-shaped indentation where the ball hit.
Luckily, it wasn't broken.
It hurt, but I decided to keep playing. By the time we got back, my shin had swollen to a size that looked almost bigger than the golf ball that caused it. I was definitely a little worried. But what was I going to do? I rested, dealt with the throbbing pain, and somehow convinced myself to keep enjoying the trip. We even played again the next day.
Eventually, when I came back home, I went to a doctor's office and had an X-ray taken. Thankfully, everything was fine. So, lesson learned: don't underestimate a wooden staircase.
Lobster in Puerto Nuevo
After golfing, we drove about 20–30 minutes to Puerto Nuevo for dinner.
We ate at Restaurant Puerto Nuevo #1, and this was one of those meals that made the drive completely worthwhile. The restaurant was crowded, with people enjoying all kinds of fried and grilled seafood. We ordered a good amount of lobster and fish and basically ate until we were full. The lobster was much cheaper than what we're used to paying in the States, so we didn't hold back.
We also had margaritas and beer, which made the whole evening even better. The food was great, and the price was didn't go over $300. I would absolutely make the drive back to Puerto Nuevo just for that meal.
The Hard Part: Getting Back to the U.S.
Going to Mexico was easy. Getting back was another story.
We knew the border could get extremely busy, so we originally planned to leave early—around 4 or 5 in the morning—to beat the traffic. But after all the drinking the night before, waking up that early wasn't happening. We eventually left around noon.
As we got closer to the border, the roads became confusing. We came to an intersection with what seemed like five different roads, and I wasn't completely sure which direction we were supposed to take.
Then things got even more interesting.
As I slowed down near the intersection, a Mexican police officer on a motorcycle pulled directly in front of me and told me I was going to receive a traffic violation.
I wasn't sure why.
He said I had crossed a line and interfered with other vehicles, which I didn't believe I had done. I tried to explain my side, but it didn't seem to matter.
Eventually, I paid a small amount under my driver's license, directly to the officer, to resolve the situation. To my surprise, the officer then handed my driver's license back and told me to follow him. He actually escorted us toward the correct road to the border, then waved goodbye and took off.
It was definitely one of those moments where we looked at each other and thought, "Did that really just happen?".
The Long Wait at the Border
Once we got closer to the border, the traffic became extremely heavy. We sat in the car for a couple of hours. While we waited, we watched vendors walking between the cars trying to sell things. Some were selling various goods, and we also saw young children out on the road selling things.
We didn't buy anything, although we did feel bad seeing little kids having to come out and sell things.
Eventually, our turn came. We crossed the border and finally headed home.
One thing we realized afterward was that we hadn't registered our vehicle with Global Entry. We're hoping that might help make the crossing easier next time.
And yes—there will probably be a next time.
Was Bajamar Worth the Drive? Absolutely.
The drive from Los Angeles to Bajamar was worth it.
The drive back? Not so much.
Next time, I'd leave Mexico at 4 or 5 in the morning and try my best to beat the border traffic.
But everything else about the trip was worth it.
The golf course was beautiful. The ocean views were incredible. The food in Puerto Nuevo was fantastic. Our room was much nicer and larger than we expected. And most importantly, my wife enjoyed every moment of it.
For me, it was also special because I had been to Bajamar about 10 years earlier for Steven's bachelor party. Coming back years later with my wife and experiencing the place together made the trip feel completely different.
Would we go back? Definitely.
Would I recommend Bajamar to other golfers? Absolutely.
And would we stay at the same resort again? All the way.
Sometimes the best trips aren't the ones that go perfectly.
Sometimes they're the ones with a four-hour drive, oceanfront golf, cold wind, lobster and margaritas, a swollen shin, a confusing border crossing, and a story you end up telling for years.
Bajamar was definitely one of those trips.
Let's Go!
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