Playa Paraiso Golf Club's ninth hole (overlooking the Iberostar Paraiso Maya hotel) shows why this undulating layout is unique among Cancun golf courses.

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.

The game at Playa Paraiso Golf Club, owned by the Iberostar hotel chain, starts easily enough with a straightforward par four, though you immediately encounter the rises and dips that characterize the entire course. Nowhere is the treachery of the terrain more evident than on the par-four 8th hole, a 463-yard monster that heads straight into the wind amid a veritable minefield of swales and alleyways that serve to kick and funnel your ball at will.

Water enters your consciousness on a few holes, it's really the awkward lies, cavernous, grassy hollows, sand bunkers, and elevated, undulating greens that pose the challenges on a routing that stands in utter contrast to all other Cancun golf courses.

Otherwise, (and despite all the undulations), the course is a friendly layout. Dye provides some bailout options, and he also thinned out the jungle a bit to aid recovery shots.

While we often enjoy the uniqueness of this type of game, we'd steer clear of Playa Paraiso Golf Club when its cart-path-only rule is in effect, as this extra encumbrance would probably push us over the edge.

It's also important to know that Playa Paraiso Golf Club is neither as ritzy nor as well run as some other Cancun golf courses, such as El Camaleon or Playa Mujeres. Specifically, an internment camp borders the first fairway, hole four backs up to a power station, and drainage in the low-lying areas can be problematic.

Although the all-inclusive green fee entitles you to food and drinks, on our visit, the beverage cart did not reach us until the 13th hole, and by then it was empty. Besides a bottle of water, we'd advise bringing everything else you think you'll need, too, because the shelves in the "pro shop" were completely bare.

In addition to allowing public play, Playa Paraiso Golf Club serves these Iberostar resorts in the Riviera Maya with special rates for its guests:

• Iberostar Paraiso Lindo
• Iberostar Paraiso del Mar
• Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso
• Iberostar Paraiso Maya
• Iberostar Paraiso Beach
• Iberostar Quetzal
• Iberostar Tucan

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