The Interview: Greg Norman

Greg Norman is a person accustomed to risk. He dared to be the best golfer in the world and win championships. He dares to be one of the world’s best entrepreneurs and continue his legacy. Today, he has dared to open the first residential development with his signature in Rancho San Lucas. This is the first time Greg Norman has ventured into the world of real estate in Mexico and he chose Los Cabos as the ideal destination.

The residences are designed by Greg Norman’s wife, Kirsten. Undoubtedly, both are successful people looking to make their mark in Los Cabos, a place he has been visiting for thirty years for the food, culture, nature and, above all, the people who make it unique.

During the interview with the couple, we observed the relationship they have with each other. It comes through in the spacious and comfortable residences. After traveling the world and learning about different cultures, Greg Norman realized that Los Cabos is an exceptional place that combines unique environments such as the desert, dunes and the sea. He and Kirsten hope to return whenever possible.
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What made Greg Norman Real Estate want to partner with Rancho San Lucas in Los Cabos?

That link began just by imagining the golf course. I’ve known Paco for 18 years and we’ve always wanted to work together. When he decided to create Rancho San Lucas, he obviously wanted to have a space for golf. During that process, I fell in love with the land, the richness of the Pacific Ocean, and the beach. I knew that designing a golf course in this place was going to be something amazing.

Over the course of designing the golf course, I spoke with Paco and said, “I would love to do a Norman Estates here.” We started talking and the combination of the two brands, Solmar Hotels & Resorts and mine, merged and here we are in Norman Estates at Rancho San Lucas.

Talk about “exclusive living environments,” what makes Los Cabos an exclusive place to invest in real estate?

I analyzed what has happened in Los Cabos for 20 years. Air travel has grown from six flights a week to 65 a day. It is an attractive tourist destination for many reasons: weather, people, culture, food, architecture, fishing, diving, surfing or if you just want to lie down on the beach for a moment. There are not many places in the world that capture all this in one place. Apart from that, there are incredible golf courses and luxury hotels. Los Cabos is in a magical place that continues to grow and evolve.

Working with a team where each member has a point of view and has a specific role, how does Greg Norman communicate his own vision in order to achieve interior and architectural designs that express his identity?

Kristen: Want to know something? The amazing thing about Greg and me is that we share the same tastes. He has a very strong masculine taste and I understand that. In this particular project, we created a very precise concept together and shared it with the team. I worked with local designers and they helped me interpret what we were looking for with local materials. We were strict and exact about what we wanted to see.

I think we were also very careful to control everything and that the vision we have agreed with what was being done. It is very important for us to deliver an authentic Norman Estates product and this is, really, totally Greg’s style. So the final product is from a lot of interaction, of meetings between designers, and a team that really understood the project.

How do you define high-end luxury?

Maybe because I’m “high-end luxury” (laughs). I appreciate quality in life, but the material things are things that really do not impress me, although the material is something that is necessary to have in your daily life. As I travel a lot and have seen many cultures, I immediately capture what I like about each place. If I go to the Middle East or Australia, or if I am in Vienna, Central America or Los Cabos, I want to capture the essence of the place where I am. I truly respect the luxury because there is a certain mystery to it.

People are shocked when they enter Norman Estates. When we achieve that impact, we comply with what luxury means. It is not that it is very expensive, but to complement the place, and our mantra is, in reality, subtle elegance or bare feet elegance. You can be on a boat, a ranch, or in a residence here in Los Cabos and have elegance.

Kirsten: I think we interpret luxury as elegance with comfort. We want our guests to feel comfortable and to be able to put their feet on the table. Luxury does not represent certain brands or expensive materials; it is understated elegance.

We know you are a fan of the outdoors. How has this inspired you when building a new development?

Kirsten: In fact, this project was very easy because you turn around and you realize how beautiful this place is. When I saw the flora, as well as the natural materials that exist in Mexico, it was easy for me to put it all together because there are many products that you can use here. Even the furniture made in the country is so beautiful because it was inspired by nature. That’s where we started. In turn, the history of this piece of land that is Rancho San Lucas was also an important part of the process because we really wanted to capture that cowboy essence, of life on the ranch. In the end, everything was perfectly reconciled.

Greg: One of the situations that inspired me the most was the quality of the artisans in Mexico. The way in which they can create a piece of furniture and the skill with which they work is magical. But the important thing is the value they give to what they create and that is something that personally catches my attention. When I see what the artisan shows and then delivers, that moment is what impresses me more than anything else. I am impressed with Mexican artisans.
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Do you plan to come to Los Cabos more often because of the property you have here?

Of course! I have been coming to Los Cabos for 30 years. I have spent a lot of time here, fishing or diving, and I plan to continue visiting the destination. It is a very nice place as I mentioned because it offers everything. It also gives us a sense of security that achieves a feeling of well-being.

Kirsten: It’s not far from where we live in Florida, so it’s very accessible. I think that is one of the qualities. So, answering your question, yes, we would love to spend more time in Los Cabos!

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