Cancun golf courses often contain cenotes, like this one on El Camaleon's first hole.
Today, when the PGA Tour follows up it first-ever south-of-the-border visit to Mexico and its Cancun region, players will have to contend with additional hazards that they don’t normally find on courses here in the States: giant sinkholes.
Rare in other parts of the world, but common on some Cancun golf courses, these sinkholes, or cenotes (se-NO-tays), are limestone, cave-like structures similar to underground lava tubes. The exotic, Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course that the Tour is playing is crisscrossed by them, and players will get a glimpse of one on the very first hole, where the Devil’s Mouth, sits smack dab in the middle of the fairway. Read more →
Playa Mujeres is one of the newer (and better) Cancun golf courses you can play.
If you’ve been considering a Cancun Golf Vacation, you’ve probably heard the name Playa Mujeres Golf Club buzzing around. An opulent Greg Norman design that opened in June 2006, it’s one of many new Cancun golf courses that are elevating this area to true “golf destination” status. Here are a few handy tips if you want to make it part of your Cancun, Mexico Golf Vacation: Read more →
The Fairmont Mayakoba
Cancun, which typically conjures images of cookie-cutter beach hotels and sloppy Spring Break shenanigans, used to be a golfing wasteland. No longer. As we saw on our recent visit, new Cancun golf courses, including those located on the stunning Mayan Riviera immediately to the south, are quickly transforming this area into a world-class golf destination.
No place in Mexico — and perhaps in the Western hemisphere — matches the burgeoning construction of Cancun golf courses. Ongoing projects (which began opening in late 2007 and will continue to open through late 2008) include: the Nicklaus Design team’s 36-hole routing at Riviera Cancun, Tom Fazio’s TPC Cancun, a Nick Price 18 at La Roca Country Club, and Tom Weiskopf’s Puerto Cancun. Read more →
Playa Paraiso Golf Club
P.B. Dye, the son of legendary golf architect Pete Dye, built a reputation as being somewhat of a maverick designer, and his 2005 Playa Paraiso Golf Club in the Riviera Maya region only bolsters that image.
Simply put, most Cancun golf courses don’t have anywhere near the amount of elevation change and bold contouring that Playa Paraiso does. To say that Dye was not afraid of moving a lot of earth is an understatement. As a kid, he was as comfortable operating a bulldozer as he was riding a bike. Read more →
Playa Azul
Anyone who has ever taken a Cancun golf vacation has undoubtedly come down with a case of sticker shock over the often exorbitant green fees found at many of the resorts throughout the country. However, if you want to bag the best bargain on your next Mexico golf vacation, our advice is head to the island of Cozumel and the charming Playa Azul resort.
This boutique resort is a departure from the larger, all-inclusive hotels on the island. Playa Azul, which is not otherwise an all-inclusive property (a big buffet breakfast is included, however), stakes its claim as one of the best for Discount Golf Vacations because it is the only hotel in Cozumel that offers unlimited free golf with every room. Read more →
Hilton's improved Cancun resort will not disappoint.
Anyone who has been to Cancun for a Mexico golf vacation has surely seen the Hilton Cancun Golf & Spa Resort. Located on the main road in the area known as the Hotel Zone, it’s the one that looks like a towering, Mayan temple.
In the past, viewing this impressive façade was about all we could recommend for those taking a Mexico golf vacation because, frankly, the property was a Hilton in name only. Following recent and extensive renovations, however, the hotel now more than measures up to the better Hilton hotels around the world. Read more →
The Devil's Mouth cenote on El Camaleon's first hole.
Yesterday, the PGA Tour concluded its first south-of-the-border tournament ever, and it was held at a course that you can play on a Cancun, Mexico golf vacation.
It was no surprise to us that Fred Funk walked away with the hardware based on what we found when we visited the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course at the Fairmont Mayakoba resort, which hosted the event.
As we tipped off readers in the February 2007 issue of Golf Odyssey, our premium, monthly newsletter: Read more →
Beware of burger burglars on a Mexico golf vacation.
One of the biggest thrills of a Mexico golf vacation is the opportunity to commune with the exotic native wildlife, and you don’t even have to spray your ball out-of-bounds to do it.
When playing in the quickly growing golf destination of Cancun and the Mayan Riviera, the on-course foliage, lagoons, and mangrove swamps are full of certain creatures you would normally only see on The Discovery Channel.
During our recent round at the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort, a sign alerted us that we’d likely see some combination of white-tailed deer, Mexican wood turtles, black iguanas, marsh crocodiles, margays (spotted, wild cats) and even boa constrictors while playing golf. Read more →
