The best golf courses in Mexico

Moon Palace Cancun Resort is located on the east coast of Mexico 15 minutes from the Cancun International Airport and is home to three nine-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses. The hardest of the three courses is aptly named the Dunes course and is characterized by tight fairways, long forced carries and sprawling waste areas with seven holes featuring water off the tee or around the greens. The signature hole at the Dunes, which opened in 2004, is the 210-yard par-3 third protected by deep bunkering and a steep canyon short of the green. The Jungle course opened two years prior and is less challenging but equally as interesting visually as the Dunes. The course is notable for seven hazards shaped in the form of sprawling wetlands as well as tight fairways lined by tropical jungle with little rough protecting them. The Lakes course is similar to the Jungle and requires accuracy to deal with tight fairways, intimidating hazards and almost 40 bunkers. Known for their well-manicured conditions and emphasis on environmentalism, a round at Moon Palace feels like a balance of phenomenal golf with a bonus nature safari.

PGA Riviera Maya Golf Club by Bahia Principe was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 2010 and is set on a former limestone quarry in dense jungle with natural occurring cenotes. The front nine at PGA Riviera Maya is lined by tropical jungle and thick mangrove roots, as well as rock formations that jut out and protect many of the holes. The 432-yard par-4 sixth demonstrates these challenges as an elevated putting surface appears to dangle over a cenote protecting the green. Seven water-lined holes await players on the back nine, highlighted by the par-5 14th with limestone rock outcroppings guarding the green as well as the 245-yard par-3 15th with water surrounded by mangrove trees running the entire right-side of the hole. The course is a partner of the PGA of America and is conveniently located 30 minutes from Playa del Carmen International Airport and 60 minutes from Tulum.

Cabo Real Golf Club, located 30 minutes from the international airport, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1994 as part of a major makeover to the 2,800-acre resort. The target-style course gives players the illusion that the sculpted fairways had always existed in the natural landscape. Cabo Real is known for elevated tees and greens that climb from the edge of the sea up to the feet of the mountains and show off meandering bunkers, wide landing zones and panoramic views of the ocean below. The course's nines were reversed several years ago—the front nine plays at base of the mountains across jagged terrain and features the breathtaking downhill par-4 fifth, which forces players to cross a steep arroyo before hitting an approach toward the sandy beaches in the background. The highlight of the second nine is the par-4 18th whose putting surface reveals expansive views of the sharp rock faces and undulating fairway that mimic the rolling mountains surrounding the course.

Jack Nicklaus unveiled his first golf course in Latin America in 1992 at the One & Only Palmilla in San Jose del Cabo, 30 minutes from the airport. The resort sit on Pelican Beach and features 27 holes of championship golf. The courses are aptly named Mountain, Ocean and Arroyo after the intense changes in terrain, featuring diverse fauna, dramatic elevation changes and breathtaking views of the Sea of Cortez. The Arroyo course is known for the long par-5 seventh with a steep boulder-filled canyon running the entire length of the hole and offering views of the bay below. Elsewhere on the property, rocky hills covered in dense cacti frame the sweeping fairways of the Mountain Course, highlighted by the par-4 fifth running alongside a vast arroyo, forcing players to carry hazards off the tee and into the green. Finished in 1999, the Ocean course forces players to contend with 600 feet of elevation change in their first six holes while also playing within a few footsteps of the crashing sea on holes three through seven. The course and facilities at the One & Only were completely renovated in 2014 following Hurricane Odile.

Vista Vallarta is located on the west coast of Mexico, 20 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta airport in Jalisco. The property, which opened in 2001 features two spectacular and contrasting signature designs by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf. The Nicklaus course is situated on the resort's highest elevation and follows the natural topography of the land passing through undulating grassy mounds and dense forests of ficus and palm trees all while offering far-reaching views of Puerto Vallarta and the surrounding bay. The front side is highlighted by the par-5 third playing increasingly uphill with each shot and revealing views of the shimmering sea below, as well as the par-4 sixth, which also plays uphill and is dissected twice by creeks and rocky canyons. A daunting finishing stretch greets the golfers on the back-nine, including the difficult par-3 15th with forced carry over water, and also the 445-yard par-4 18th with a creek running the entire left side of the hole. In classic Nicklaus fashion the Vista Vallarta course forces players to contend with difficult club selection off the tee as well as steep and undulating breaks in the greens.

The Weiskopf course at Vista Vallarta opened in 2001 and provides a stark contrast to its partner Nicklaus course. Routed into dense jungle, the course offers tight manicured fairways, deep arroyos and a plethora of difficult bunkering. The front side at the Weiskopf course features the par-5 eighth playing under 500 yards and provides a perfect risk-reward opportunity with creeks and arroyos dissecting the fairway short of the layup zone. The back nine features the par-3 15th playing uphill and over intimidating canyons to a narrow green. Also famous is the closing hole at the Weiskopf course, where longer hitters can challenge the front of the green on the downhill 346-yard par 4. The two resort courses at Vista Vallarta provide wonderful playing conditions throughout while still offering brilliant contrast between the courses.

The Rees Jones-designed golf course at TPC Danzante Bay opened in 2017 to great anticipation. Golfers begin their round by descending into canyons before reaching holes surrounded by dry river beds and desert arroyos. The back nine transforms into an ascent of mountainous ridges that culminates with the signature 17th hole dangling over the Sea of Cortez. The generous and well-manicured fairways makes the golf course appealing to players of all levels, while windy conditions, slick greens and 250 feet of elevation change are enough to make even the experienced player back off their ball more than once. Situated 30 minutes from Loreto International airport and 300 miles north of San Jose del Cabo, the golf course provides players with the feel of playing on a different planet as the course balances pristine resort golf with rugged off-the-beaten path terrain and landscapes.

The Four Seasons Resort at Punta Mita sits on a 1,700-acre peninsula framed by the Sierra Madre Mountains on one side and the Bahia de Banderas on the other. Located 40 minutes from Puerto Vallarta's international airport the resort is home to two Jack Nicklaus-designed courses. The more difficult Bahia course opened in 2008 and features stark elevation changes and jagged rocky outcroppings that add a feeling of proximity to the ocean as five holes run adjacent to the Pacific. The standout hole on the front-nine is the par-5 second, a scorable hole framed by the sprawling ocean in the backdrop. The second nine is known for its dramatic and intimidating views of the ocean, as the green on 15th appears to fall over into the sea behind it, as does the entire left side of the par-4 17th, which is flanked by the ocean and rocky beaches. Jim Lipe was tasked with undertaking a five-year renovation beginning in 2021 to both courses including replacing fairways with Trinity Zoysia grass.

The PGA Tour debuted a new tournament venue last year, now serving as the host of the World Wide Technology Championship. El Cardonal usually plays backup to the Mexican resort’s other course, the Dunes, ranked 47th in the Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Courses. Though El Cardonal lacks the sensational seaside setting and prolific sand dunes that border the holes of the Dunes course (designed by Mark and Davis Love III, with associate Paul Cowley, in 2010), it has a notable caché of its own as the first course that Tiger Woods and his TGR Design studio built. Opened in 2014, El Cardonal sits in the desert uplands above the sister course with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and holes that run primarily north-south, meaning the prevailing coastal winds are typically crossing. Completed early in Woods' architectural career, El Cardonal strikes chords that the 15-time major champion has continued to use in his subsequent designs at Bluejack National in Texas and Payne’s Valley at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri (Beau Welling was Woods’ lead designer at all three projects). The common theme at each course is playability, as Woods generally gives golfers plenty of space off the tee to find different routes to the hole and forgiving short-grass areas to miss shots coming into the greens. Woods' courses are far from the early Jack Nicklaus-style designs conceived with PGA Tour-player shot-making in mind. The generous fairways, many set diagonally to the tee shot, will entice drives to cut corners of sandy arroyos and fly bunkers. The greens are varied in size, shape and orientation—some are curved or heart-shaped, others long and narrow—with small contours and ripples that can provide challenging hole locations and multi-break lag putts, an underrated facet of the game where Woods excelled. Players who miss greens will have a variety of recovery options off the fairway-cut surrounds, though most may choose to hit a higher, spinning pitch off the sticky seaside paspalum grass. The cascading nature of the property, falling more than 200 feet from high to low, will generate exciting play. Seven holes run downhill, but these are usually longer yardages while the shorter par 4s play uphill. All the par 5s should be easily reachable for the pros, even the 601-yard uphill sixth, and players may have short irons into the pair that slide downhill. The final five holes should provide a spectacle, starting with a short par 5 going up and over an arroyo, a stout par 4 that’s likely to play into the wind and a wedge par 3 to a slender “island” green propped above desert. The scenic par-4 17th plays dramatically off the site’s highest point followed by another steeply downhill par-5 finishing hole. Similar in playability to the 18th at Kapalua's Plantation course (site of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii), it’s possible that long second shots that bound onto the putting surface off the contours short-right of the green will result in a potentially winning eagle putt.

The Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón at Mayakoba opened in 2006 and hosted the Mayakoba Golf Classic on the PGA Tour from 2007 through 2022 until the tour moved to Diamante. (LIV now hosts its LIV Mexico event at Mayakoba.) The golf course is routed through diverse ecosystems, including tropic jungles with natural cenotes, mangrove lined man-made salt canals and beachside greens within steps of the ocean. The track is challenging off the tee with fairways lined by native grasses that are guaranteed to swallow any offline shots. The standout hole on the front side is the difficult-to-reach uphill par-5 seventh featuring a cenote in the center of the fairway and a green protected by tall grass and thick brush. The back nine at Mayakoba begins in the jungle with the par-3 10th flanked by an immense cenote before turning towards the ocean for the stunning beachside green of the par-3 15th. The course is 20 minutes from the Playa del Carmen airport and is beautifully married into the local ecosystems around it.

Formerly known as Rancho San Lucas, Solmar Golf Links is part of an 800-acre resort located on the southern tip of Baja California, 20 minutes from the Cabo San Lucas Airport. The course, designed by Greg Norman in 2020, spans three distinct landscapes as players navigate colossal links-style sand dunes, dense cacti forests and close proximity to the crashing waves of the Pacific as many holes play directly toward the beach. The front nine at Solmar Golf Links begins in the sandy hills above the Ocean before winding toward the water, highlighted by the par-4 second, which plays straight toward the Pacific Ocean in the background and is framed by dense cacti and towering sand dunes. The second nine positions players firmly on the water's edge, while also displaying elevated tee boxes that reveal the vast landscapes and plush fairways below. The back nine is known for the par-3 17th, a 191-yard forced carry over a lagoon into a green protected by cacti and intimidating bunkering.

El Dorado Golf and Beach Club sits on a two-mile stretch of secluded coastline halfway between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. The course opened in 1999 as a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, sitting on rugged coastline and traversing canyons dotted with native cacti and towering rock formations that jut out of the foothills surrounding the property. The oceanside holes garner much of the attention at El Dorado and include the par-5 ninth with an exposed beachside green as well as the signature par-3 16th routed across part of the resort beach to a rocky-edged green sprayed by sea breeze. A blend of desert golf and oceanside relief holes is wonderfully balanced at the member-invite only El Dorado Golf and Beach Club.

The Pacifico Golf Course at Punta Mita is one of four Jack Nicklaus designs in the Puerto Vallarta region and has 19 holes—the renowned Tail of the Whale is an optional par-3 third. It features an actual island green set in the ocean and requires a carry of at least 170 yards. The green is accessible only via an amphibious vehicle, surf permitting. Too choppy, you play the landlocked third. Nicklaus described the location for his Punta Mita Pacifico Course as some of the prettiest he had ever seen for golf when it made its debut in 1999. The back nine at the Pacifico course showcases those aesthetics with the seaside closing stretch, featuring the beachside green on the par-3 17th as well as the oceanside 18th with water and sharp rocks running the entire right side of the hole.

Quivira questions a foundational premise in golf architecture: that golf courses can only be as good as their routings. To be more exact, can a course be considered great if it possesses sensational individual holes but a layout that’s disjointed or lacks rhythm and continuity? The holes at Quivira are strung out across extreme lengths over Cabo’s stark high desert landscape requiring lengthy cart rides to access the disparate sections. But holes like the short par-4 sixth and the jaw-dropping par 3s at seven and 14 that plummet sharply from rocky headlands down to greens notched onto the edges of cliffs 80 feet above the Pacific Ocean make the extended journeys worthwhile. When it comes to the importance of cohesive routings, enough of our panelists have determined there are exceptions to every rule.

Located on the site of the iconic Hotel Twin Dolphin, a 1,400-acre master-planned community now sits along the Golden Corridor in Los Cabos. Fred Couples and Todd Eckenrode were given a great piece of property, featuring sweeping views of the water and naturally undulating terrain to route their design. The layout weaves around three major arroyos and rock outcroppings, delivering an invigorating course that you would never grow tired of playing.

The Tom Fazio-designed course at Chileno Bay Golf and Beach Club opened in 2016 and quickly became one of the most sought-after tee times in the region. Members and their guests are met with an aura of tranquility at Chileno Bay and empowered to enjoy themselves to the fullest at Chileno Bay, as the Discovery Land property offers the typical comfort station and may even see golfers playing barefoot during their trek toward the Sauzal Mountains with the Sea of Cortez in the backdrop. Chileno Bay has little to no rough and the generous fairways are lined with snaking rugged waste bunkers. The front nine features the par-5 sixth, a long meandering hole that moves downhill toward the ocean. Players begin a climb to higher elevation on the back nine, offering ocean views from almost every hole before finishing at the 512-yard par-4 18th with an intimidating infinity green seeming to disappear into the ocean behind it. Conveniently located 30 minutes from Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo airport, the Chileno Bay Club offers secluded championship-level golf with a laidback resort atmosphere.

The routing of this Tom Fazio design, one of only two in Mexico, wanders the rugged terrain and low-growth vegetation of a high desert plateau above the Sea of Cortez. Holes jump across or sidle up to the edges of rocky canyons and arroyos, with rippling, humpbacked fairways and a number of greens tucked behind stone outcroppings. The club recently brought Fazio back to design three new holes on land it had acquired to the west of the existing course. Those holes, the current 13th through 15th, replace the old ninth and 10th holes. The fairway of the par-4 seventh was also shifted, and the former 11th and 12th have been combined into the new par-5 ninth.

When Jack Nicklaus first saw this Baja Peninsula site, what can best be described as Scottsdale-meets-the-Sea of Cortez, he told reporters, “This is my chance to design a Pebble Beach.” He took advantage of that chance, routing an exciting 18 that plays from highlands of desert cacti over dry washes and down to the sea on both nines. When the layout opened in 1994, Nicklaus said it had the three finest finishing holes in golf, running along rocks above the crashing surf of Whale Bay. That’s not true anymore. In 2020 the 17th and 18th holes were demolished and replaced by two inland holes to make oceanfront space for expanded resort development. Still, panelists find the remainder of the design is compelling enough to keep it comfortably inside the World's top 100.

Mexico's first true links, fashioned by Davis Love III and his design team (which included his brother Mark Love and designer Paul Cowley) from a fantastic set of white sand dunes along the Pacific Ocean, huge portions of which are without vegetation and seem like enormous snow drifts. Holes hug the flowing terrain with little artificiality. Two holes on the back nine once played past around a long lagoon, but have been replaced by new 12th and 13th holes on the beach. Now all of the second nine is adjacent to the ocean, amidst the tallest dunes. No other links in the world sports cactus.