Golf

After years of development, the Riviera Nayarit has earned well deserved recognition as a world class golf destination. Blending championship golf from designers like Jack Nicklaus and Robert von Hagge with the incredible backdrop of tropical forests, mountains, and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean has created a powerful and heady mix. Hosting players like Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir and Vijay Singh has shown the world what kind of golf destination the Riviera Nayarit has become.

With four different courses to play, and three additional projects underway, you are sure to find at least one that is kind to you and rewards you with shots that will keep you coming back again and again. View each course, tee off at one, or all, and enjoy!

El TIGRE CLUB de GOLF, Nuevo Vallarta

www.paradisevillage.com

Opened in March of 2002, the El Tigre is the newest addition to the growing family of excellent golf courses in Riviera Nayarit. This course weighs in at 7,239 yards and par 72 and was created by designer Robert von Hagge, the well known Texas based designer who, with this course, finds himself in the enviable position of being the most prolific designer in Mexico. In the course of carving out his challenging design, von Hagge created 9 bodies of water and used the excavated earth to turn this formerly flat piece of land into a rolling tropical paradise.

The course features what is probably the finest clubhouse of any course in Mexico, an elegant Spanish styled facility of 45,000 square feet which includes a restaurant, lounge, pro-shop, locker room and a European spa.

If you can bring yourself to leave the clubhouse, you will be presented with 18 holes of challenging play. Some highlights are the 6th hole, a 185 yard par-3 which plays over water to a picturesque island green, the 16th, a 421 yard par-4 long dogleg right which will test your long game as you approach the peninsula green. The final two holes will make sure you earned your score. The 17th is a 250 yard par-3 with plenty of sand and water to keep you on your toes and plays into a nice little "par-6" on the 18th, a monster 621 yard par-5 with water all down the left side and the green firmly entrenched in sand.

The Four Seasons Golf Club at Punta Mita

www.fshr.com

About 45 minutes drive from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport is the Four Seasons Golf Club, located at Punta Mita, the northernmost point on the Banderas bay. This Jack Nicklaus signature course was opened in September of 1999 and plays out at par 72 and 7,014 yards of the most breathtaking golf course in Mexico (possibly in the world).

Featuring wide fairways and ample greens, this course sprawls over 200 acres with a view of the ocean from each hole.especially the 3rd, with its unique island green situated in what is perhaps the largest water hazard on the planet - the Pacific Ocean. The Four Seasons Golf Club also features a Pro shop, driving range, putting green and club rentals.

This course is semi-private and was built for club members and guests of the Four Seasons resort and is considerably less traveled than other public courses. And it shows, with immaculate grounds and eight holes on the ocean, this picturesque course will provide a round of golf you'll keep talking about.

FLAMINGOS GOLF CLUB, Nuevo Vallarta

Flamingos-golf.com

Flamingos Golf Club is the oldest golf course in Riviera Nayarit and is located just 20 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport in the Flamingos development. Built in 1978 on a Percy Clifford design, this mature course plays 6982 yards and par-71. Percy Clifford is an English designer well known in Mexico for his work on several of the best courses in Mexico, including the Club de Golf Mexico and Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City, as well as many other courses of note.

Clifford did a masterful job of integrating this course with the natural beauty of the location, preserving lush tropical greenery, over 1800 palm trees and the rolling terrain that makes this course challenging, but eminently playable. As with many classic designs, Flamingos features closely mowed areas around the greens that will have you brushing up on your chipping skills, and a variety of challenges throughout your memorable round will have you using every club in your bag. Flamingos is built in and around a series of natural marshes, lagoons and estuaries, creating not only a visually impressive effect, but also proving habitat for local fauna including deer, raccoon, hares, crocodiles, turtles and over 100 species of birds.

Purchased by new owners in 2000, Flamingoes has just undergone 3 years and 3 million dollars worth of restoration and renovation, leaving the course like new while maintaining the advantages of a mature golf course. Flamingos also features a new club house with a pro shop and restaurant, as well as a driving range, instruction and a free shuttle service. Shuttle service is by reservation only.

The Mayan Palace Golf Club

www.mayanresortsgolf.com

as the name implies, is located on the Mayan Palace property in Nuevo Vallarta, nestled snugly between the Pacific Ocean and the Rio Ameca, this golf course is only 15 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. Opened in 2001, this Jim Lipe design features a par of 71 and 7000 yards of challenging play with impressive views of the Pacific Ocean, the Rio Ameca, and the surrounding Sierra Madre Mountains. Jim Lipe is Jack Nicklaus' head designer and this course reflects that great heritage. The Wide fairways are kind to less experienced players, but strategic pin placements mean experienced players will also find the course formidable. Of special interest are the ocean views from several holes, especially the signature 14th, a 153 yard par-3 with the Pacific Ocean all down the left side as well as a small lake and a pair of well placed bunkers protecting the approach. Because of its ocean front location and flat terrain, winds will add another layer of consideration to your game, but the resulting panoramas more than make up for any added difficulty. Amenities include a great restaurant, snack bar, full service pro-shop, driving range and putting green.