Golf Mayan Riviera

[Alan Carter]

Any insights from the group on golf in this part of Mexico??  Playacar or others??

I'm in the area over the next month and I'm not sure if the clubs are coming along or is it a trip to sit on the beach with a Corona in hand and nothing more (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Thoughts?

[Marty Bonnar]

Alan,
we played Caesar Park in Cancun. A Jumbo Ozaki design, I believe.

I cannot remember a single thing about it.

Stay on the beach, drink Tequila Sunrises and ogle the sorority girls.

BUT DEFINITELY visit Chichen Itza!!!!!!!!

FBD.

[Billsteele]

Alan-I don't know anything about the golf in that part of Mexico but I would prefer to have a Pacifico in my hand rather than a Corona.

[Alan Carter]

I agree with the Pacifico.  I just stuck with the name everyone would know.

[Greg Tallman]

El Cameleon at Mayakoba Resort near Playa del Carmen (Norman) is supposed to be pretty good. They are hosting the PGA Tour event opposite the match play next week.

Also worth a visit is Moon Palace (Nicklaus) again supposed to be pretty decent.

Playacar is not the worst course in the world and if intent on playing while in the area you may want to play it. The back nine is pretty brutal from the tips... something along the lines of 3900 yards. 18th is the kind of hole most on here would love to hate but in reality a rather fun dual option par 5.

[Steve Pozaric]

We went down in November.  Stayed at the Aventura Spa Palace and played at the Moon Palace Golf Club, a Nicklaus course.  Played the Desert 9 which was really good and the jungle 9 which wasn't bad, but nowhere near as good as the desert.  It was pricey (over $200), which included everything (breakfast, lunch all the drinks you wanted) other than range balls which cost $5.

Would I do it again?  Probably not.  I would have stayed at the hotel and lounged and drank (especially at the price and the 1.5 hr drive from our hotel).

Later in our trip, we went to Cozumel for the day, rented mopeds and rode to one of THE coolest bars I have been to.  It was on the far SE tip of the island, nothing else around and right on the beach.  A little ramshackle, Bob Marley kind of place.  If I were to do it again, maybe jeeps would have been a better call because mopeds and beer aren't the best mixes.

[henrye]

I'll ditto what Greg suggests.  I've played all the ones he mentioned and would have to say that the Moon Palace was actually the best, and as Steve said, the Desert 9 was the best of the 3 nines.

Playacar is fun, but quirky.  When I was there about a month ago, the course only had 9 holes open due to a renovation.

Make sure you get a golf deal prior to booking your trip.  Most of the hotels have a deal with one of the courses.  If you walk off the street the price range is something like $200 to $250.

[Bryan Izatt]

I've played Moon Palace and Playacar.  Moon Palace is a good course, on a par with the better Florida courses (with real jungle rough thrown in).  

Playacar is quirkyand fun as Henry says, especially the front nine.  The back is a long, narrow tough test of golf.  You'd better be on your game on that nine.  It was my first Von Hagge experience, and I must say I liked his style.

If you get across to Cozumel, the Cozumel CC is also a pretty good jungle course.  And there's almost no one there.  It's a little cheaper than the other two.

If you haven't already got a place to stay, Palace Resorts that owns Moon Palace and Playacar has a pretty good golf package.  It runs about $650 CDN a week.  If you play enough it gets it under $100 a round.  They also provide free transportation to the courses if you're not on property.  The courses also have twilight rates that are not quite so egregious as their regular rates.

If you're in the neighbourhood the courses are worth playing.

[Steve Pozaric]

If you haven't already got a place to stay, Palace Resorts that owns Moon Palace and Playacar has a pretty good golf package.  It runs about $650 CDN a week.  If you play enough it gets it under $100 a round.  They also provide free transportation to the courses if you're not on property.  The courses also have twilight rates that are not quite so egregious as their regular rates.

If you're in the neighbourhood the courses are worth playing.

When we went, we stayed at the Aventura Spa Palace.  Accomodations were nice, food good to very good and drinks plentiful.

[Voytek Wilczak]

...and rode to one of THE coolest bars I have been to.  

The one with all the t-shirts?

[Mike_Cirba]

It sounds to me that the golf isn't worth a damn yet nobody gives a sh*t?  

[Steve Pozaric]

...and rode to one of THE coolest bars I have been to.  

The one with all the t-shirts?

That is it.