Mexico’s Best Golf Courses

We’ve got a very special guest blogger! Larry Olmsted, from larrygolfstheworld.com, is one of today’s foremost experts on everything golf! Today, he is sharing with us some of the best golf courses in Mexico. ^Sean

Remember when IBM was the biggest brand of personal computers and Apple, Dell, HP, did not exist? No? I’m not surprised – that’s why sometimes it’s best not to be the first one into an industry.

In a roundabout way, this is why the quality of golf in Mexico is so great. The US had already built thousands of courses, many badly flawed experiments, when Jack Nicklaus put Mexican golf on the map with the legendary Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol in 1993. It’s hard to believe, but before that no one went to Cabo – or Mexico – for golf. Because it was so well received, Mexican developers realized the value of big name designers and quality work. Nicklaus is the Godfather of Mexican golf, and was followed by Tom Doak, Davis Love, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Fazio, and Greg Norman. Mexican developers still do not do golf halfway, and every major Mexican vacation destination has great golf.

So here is my quick rundown of some South of the Border “Must Plays.”

Riviera Maya: Greg Norman’s El Cameleon is so named (The Chameleon) because it changes character so many times, with sections that are oceanfront, in mangrove forest, jungle, canyons, you get the idea. A different look every hole or two. It also hosts the only PGA Tour event in Mexico, the Mayakoba Classic. The Nicklaus Signature 27 at all-inclusive Moon Palace is excellent, as is PB Dye’s course at the Iberostar all-inclusive. The hidden gem is Nicklaus’ Riviera Cancun, operated by the Moon Palace, but without any lodging or real estate, the best daily fee course in Mexico.

Los Cabos: The Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol, the only Mexican course ranked in the world’s top 100, has long been the 800-pound gorilla of Mexican golf, and it packs in seaside drama on an awesome stretch of coastline. But the new course at Diamante by Davis Love III is quickly challenging for the title of best in Mexico – an instant must play. Meanwhile, Nicklaus quality proliferates, with 27-good holes – and air conditioned carts – at the Palmilla luxury resort, and a new nine at Puerto Los Cabos, alongside another new nine by Greg Norman. If you can wrangle your way on, the private Querencia course by Tom Fazio is awesome!

Rivera Nayarit/Puerto Vallarta: Vista Vallarta in Puerto Vallarta is a high-end daily fee facility with two very good courses by Nicklaus and Weiskopf, making it the premier pure public golf facility in Mexico, and for movie buffs, very close to where the downed helicopter scene in Predator was filmed (you can take a tour and see it!). Just up the coast, the twin Nicklaus courses at the luxury Punta Mita resort are excellent, but not for the faint of wallet. The original layout has the only natural island hole on earth, built on an offshore atoll, one of the most memorable tee shots on earth, but if the carry is too long, they built an alternative 19th hole that is shorter. That means you will have to have your celebratory margarita at the 20th hole. Only in Mexico. Salud!

- Larry from larrygolfstheworld.com

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