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Golf Vacations in Mexico - Golfing in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera

Golf is spectacular in Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. Championship golf courses, magical scenery and near-perfect curves, mounds and fairways create the perfect golfing experience. Visitors often find it difficult to tear their eyes from the captivating scenery and focus on the ball as they swing it skywards.

Traditionally, golf in Mexico was a game of the rich. However, in the last 20 years, with was a sudden acceleration in tourism, golf courses became a popular haunt of tourists. This is particularly true in the Cancun and Cozumel area. The terrain, with its vast limestone plateaus, marshy landscape, dazzling waterscape and jungle foliage, makes for stunning golf courses that ooze an unmistakable old-worldly charm.

In the heart of Cancun, resides the Pok-ta-Tok (literal translation ‘game played with a stick’!) Golf club course. Designed by Robert Jones Jr., this 18-hole championship golf course has a par of 73/74. It contains two practice putting greens, a driving range and some excellent tennis courts. The 1,000-year-old Mayan ruins that line the course put up a fair amount of challenge for the newbie. It is probably a good idea to arrive early at the greens and spend some time practicing in the short game area.

While the Pok-ta-Tok is more conventional than interesting, the Golf Club at Moon Palace is as challenging as it is breathtaking. A relatively new addition, this course measures a cool 7,170 yards and contains lush jungles and lots of protective bunkers. There are three nine-hole courses and each of them is set to challenge amateurs and professionals alike. Mind you, some pars like Hole 17 will unglue even the most experienced golfers.

The ‘El Camaleon Mayakoba Club’ in Cancun is an excellent golf course with a number of memorable holes that make for some great golfing experience. This Greg Norman design makes full use of the beauty of the surrounding land. Verdant tropical canopies, beautiful lagoons, cenotes, sinkholes and the unlimited expanse of the sparkling Caribbean are a visual treat for the eyes. Fairways lined with impressive sand dunes and bordered by a thick sweep of mangroves will take your breath away. This club played host to the 2007 PGA Tour event. It is well worth a lookup if you are somewhere in the north of Playa Del Carmen. A word of warning: the clubhouse though nicely appointed is a tad expensive.

A “cascading fairway of dips and peaks”, the Playa Paraiaso Golf Club located in Cancun is challenging, inventive, striking and totally crazy. The undulations here are simply spectacular and this makes it seem almost impossible for a golfer to get into any proper stance. P.B.Dye, the man behind it all reminisces laughingly, “I was in the bulldozer that tore down No.8 so I could get it to look just right”. Intimidating, that’s the word for it! On No.10, watch out for the solitary tree that rests on the sand, bent double almost, as if waiting for salvation. Playa Paraiaso is full of startling touches likes these. Yes, the place lives up to its expensive rates.

The Cozumel Country Club is expensive, well-maintained and fun. It offers a well-rounded golfing experience, with tournaments, attractive discounts and stay-and-play programs. The golf course, which stretches a fair 6,734 yards, has nicely incorporated the luxurious wilderness around it. The fairways wind through thick mangroves, trees and marshy wetlands. Carry an ample supply of balls because in the malicious undergrowth here, a ball lost is lost forever!

Playa Del Carmen is a nice place to relax. Situated away from the teeming crowds of Cancun, you need roughly 45 minutes to get there. The place has a number of quaint hotels and B&Bs. Playa is also the home to a stylish resort and residential community which consists of an 18-hole golf course known as the Golf Club of Playacar.

The Golf Club of Playacar, arguably the toughest course in the Yucatan Peninsula and is rated as one of the top 30 golf courses in the world. The course, carved out from the jungle, is laid out on a plateau made of limestone. With a slope rating of 14.8 and covering roughly 7,202 yards, this course weaves in and around cenotes and dips into the Mayan jungle. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, The Playacar is an excellent addition to any golf enthusiast’s Cancun vacation.

The Puerto Aventuras Golf Course is a fine-looking jungle course designed way back in 1991. You will find the area covered in beautiful Bermuda grass, swaying palm trees, bugambilias and ficus. Don’t be surprised to sight iguanas, different species of tropical birds and deer while you’re on your daily rounds.

Most golf clubs host a number of golf tournaments throughout the year. For instance, the Tenth Annual Elizabethan Norman Sutton Charity Golf Tournament will be held at the Royal Resorts in June, 2008. The beautiful Pok-ta-pok nestled between the Caribbean sea and the Nichupte Lagoon hosts a number of golf tournaments throughout the year.

Most resorts allow online booking and they have special weekly and monthly rates. You may avail of the six or twelve month membership packages available at some places. Looking for free golf? Some resorts like the Playa Azul Golf and Beach Hotel allow you to play on their greens for free provided you are staying with them. Since Cozumel is one of the world’s most popular cruise ship destinations, excellent golf resorts come packaged with tours.

With more than 250 days of sunshine, Cancun is a golfer’s dream come true. Excellent weather, great greens and wonderful people – what more could you possibly want?

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