Good architecture in Mexico?

[Jay Flemma]

When I went to Chichen Itza years ago, the only course I saw was a little resort one in Cancun, that looked over priced and under-designed, so I went to the beach instead.

What are the best courses - architecturally - in Mexico?  In the Cancun area? Is there anything near Tikal in guatamala?  The only Guat. course i know is Antigua. 

[Bill_McBride]

l have only played two good courses in Mexico.  First was the Country Club of Guadalajara, which is a very solid, very private course where Lorena Ochoa grew up.  The other is Forrest Richardson's course in Las Palomas, a resort in Puerto Penasco, on the northern coast of the Sea of Cortez.  Gringos call that town "Rocky Point."  It's 3 hrs from Phoenix and worth the trip. 

I have played courses in Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta and they are generally weak resort courses that are overpriced.

[Wade Whitehead]

The Ocean Course at Cabo is generally very well viewed.

WW

[Jay Flemma]

paging mike young!  anything?? I know you have some in the caribbean...anything in Mex/central america?

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jay,

Take advantage of Courses by Country on this website:

http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/mexico/cabodelsol2

Also in Cabo del Sol is the Desert Course by Weiskopf. Querencia is nearby and the new DL3 course that has been featured here just opened-Dunes at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.

A trip to Cabo beats any place else in Mexico except maybe the isolated Four Seasons Punta Mita with its Nicklaus Course:

http://www.fourseasons.com/puntamita/golf.html

[Jay Flemma]

Yeah, but steve, what if it hasn't been updated in some time?  even ran hasn't played Antigua yet...

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Cabo del Sol Ocean is still very good. So is Querencia:


http://www.golfweek.com/news/2009/nov/12/2010-golfweeks-best-caribbean-courses/

[Tom_Doak]

I think Cabo del Sol and the new Diamante course are both really good.  Eldorado was very good, too, until they sold off most of the oceanfront holes for real estate -- I haven't been back to see the reconfigured course but there is no way it's still as good.

Personally, though, I thought the Fazio course at Querencia was very overrated.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Tom is your new course in mexio open yet? Bay of Dreams is it?

[Tom_Doak]

Jaeger:

It's open, "sort of."  It's playable now and I've heard they are taking tee times.  However they won't do the official grand opening until late in 2010, because they don't see themselves getting much traffic this winter.  With home sales slow to nonexistent, there won't be more than a few people per day coming through the Bay.

[Dale Jackson]

Well I posted a few days ago, asking anyone knew about the Ventanas development in San Miguel de Allende and no one seemed to know anything about it, so maybe I am the "expert" (which I am not).

It is a Nick Faldo project.  His company partnered with Schmidt-Curley, and like most "name" projects, how much Faldo was involved is open to speculation.

From their website Schmidt-Curley seem to be "designers to the stars".  What else do people know about Schmidt-Curley?

We drove by the course today, and from what I could see it appears ready to play.  The land looks very interesting, what appeared to be interesting land forms and some elevation changes, outstanding backdrops on San Miguel.  The few holes I could glimpse made me want to get on the course, which I will not be able to do, we leave tomorrow.

I believe the original opening was supposed to be earlier this Fall, and I suspect the same dynamic is at work as with TD's project that he discusses directly above - no market.

Here is the address to a pretty basic web site for the project.

http://www.ventanasdesanmiguel.net/index.php?lengua=eng&pagina=main&seccion=001_home

Faldo's site and Schmidt-Curley have other bits about the project, including some nice photos.

[Greg Tallman]

The aforementioned Guadalajara CC is a solid old track with the remainder of noteworthy courses limited to the Cabo area.

Of note here are those metioned by Tom Doak and I would throw Chileno Bay in the mix as well. Though not open it is playable and a pretty good Fazio course, probably a little better than Querencia.

Cabo del Sol Ocean (Nicklaus)
The Dunes Course at Diamante (Love III)
Bay of Dreams (Doak)

Just below that group are other Cabo courses Chileno Bay (Fazio), Cabo del Sol Desert, Querencia and the Vista Vallarta courses and Punta Mita courses in/near Puerto Vallarta. All worth playing if in the area.

The courses in the Cancun area are less interesting though pretty decent given the flatish land (think Florida). 

Another area with a couple of courses of some note is Manzanillo with El Tamarindo(Fleming) and Isla Navidad (Von Hagge)... neither great but worth playing if you are in the neighborhood but not at the level of the aforementioned courses IMO.


 

[Kyle Henderson]

I enjoyed the Ocean and Arroyo nines at Palmilla, but they were not quite worth the twilight rate I paid. The Cabo San Lucas CC (aka The Raven) was not to my liking. Cabo Real looked interesting from the clubhouse.

If I ever go back, Cabo Del Sol and the new Diamante will be at the top of the list.