Golf Travellers Warm Up to Riviera Nayarit’s Magnificent Courses

What makes golf such a suitable complement to travel is the sport’s innate ability to turn natural features into immersive attractions. The designers of the most scenic golf courses take full advantage of the landscape and topographical changes in elevation to offer breathtaking views that make the tee shots and putts a secondary reason for being there.

There may be no better representation of that aesthetic than what Jack Nicklaus has done with an alternative 19th (or bonus) hole at Pacifico, one of two circuits at the Four Seasons Resort: Punta Mita. Officially hole 3b, or the acronymic “TOW” on the scorecard, the little marvel is known as the Tail of the Whale because of the shape of the rocks that form it. Dubbed “the world’s only natural island green,” TOW is more like a fairground attraction than a physical test.

Nicklaus, the golf legend and esteemed course designer, challenges players to send the ball over to the islet in the Pacific Ocean. After teeing off from 184 yards (or 199 from the pro-level black tips), golfers then use a cart to cross the rocky sea-level path that cuts between the water at low tide. (See below to learn about what happens at high tide.)

The water has claimed countless balls, so the drop zone off the putting area is a popular spot for shot No. 2. If yours does clear the water (mine barely did after taking a fortuitous bounce off the cart path), the green is easy to play. Once safely on the speck of land on the other side, players can park their cart, gather their breath, along with a putter or pitching wedge to finish the hole and luxuriate in the scenery. The TOW islet is home to shore birds, frigates, and a well-manicured green. From there, golfers can look back at the white-sand beach and glimpse more of the course and resort, and take a moment to remind themselves of their good fortune to lead a life that brings them there.

Golf and travel, when at their best, foster an appreciation for the environment, which makes the Pacifico course a destination that stands out for the scenery and its layout that reveres its surroundings. Aside from TOW, there are four other spectacular holes running along the ocean and a number that pass by the luxury suites and villas at the Four Seasons. While the signature hole is hard, even if amusingly so, the overall course isn’t difficult, making it inviting for both mediocre and accomplished golfers.

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Globally recognized as one of the top places to play in the world, Pacifico helped to elevate the stature of golf in Riviera Nayarit, and several other locations have benefitted. So much so, in fact, that the region has hosted the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open for three consecutive years and the area’s golf industry has attracted investment, most notably at Higuera Golf Club. Located along the ocean, and only a 12-minute drive north of Punta Mita Golf Club, Higuera was recently rebranded and gained a $1 million investment from its new owners to improve its irrigation system. It’s currently undergoing a renovation of its front nine holes, and another $5 million is scheduled to be invested to upgrade its equipment and further address the dry grass surrounding its fairways and greens.

Former NHL player Martin Côté  of Montreal is Higuera’s director of golf, and its pro, and he believes the course has a bright future as well as some notable legacy features. The highlight is the No. 4 par-3 signature hole that is emblematic of Pebble Beach’s famed No. 16, with views of the ocean from the tee box, which looks down onto the green, about 115 yards away. A stand serving tacos and tequilas, with a tie-dyed Volkswagen bug next to it, adds to the playful quality of the hole.

Designed by PGA Hall of Famer Greg Norman, Higuera has a number of other gems that are a mix of challenging and picturesque. On No. 13, players must shoot uphill between palm trees to reach the fairway where they can continue to the green. Until its renovations are complete, Higuera for now is a good option for an add-on experience for golfers drawn to the area, but it holds the promise to be a shining star for the region in the near future.

At present, The Lakes at sprawling Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit Resort is the most eccentric of the experiences in the area. It’s a walkable 10-hole par-3 course that lights up at night, making for a breathtaking round with the moon in the distance and the white-faced Vidanta buildings gleaming when graced by the light. The course is a ball-eating monster because all of its holes feature so many water hazards that there is more splashing to be heard than in a kid’s pool. Still, the glimmer of the manmade “lakes” is alluringly when the bulbs are on, making it a round that you won’t regret. Even if you leave the course frustrated, you can quickly put it behind you at one of the many restaurants at Vidanta.

A fourth course, Flamingo’s, is a favourite for its challenging play that includes tight fairways and strategic water features. It also has an excellent restaurant for a pleasant 19th-hole experience, where there are numerous taco selections and a variety of margaritas.

Not far away is El Tigre Golf Club, where many young locals train on the long driving range and attractive putting zone. Like Flamingo’s, the course is a tough test, in part because it is set against homes that run up against the edges of the fairways. But it, too, has a charming restaurant and cheerful staff, making a difficult round fade away fast, which I found to be a trait of the golf outings in Nayarit.

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In Canada and the United States, golf comes across too often as serious business as staff shepherd players along to enforce a strict pace and members snicker at the less advanced visitors who aren’t familiar with an individual course’s nuances. Mexico never forgets that golf is about play. At the courses I visited in Riviera Nayarit, the staff were quick with chuckles and readily laugh along at a duffer’s self-deprecating humour. The stands that serve tacos and tequila quickly put you back into vacay mode even if you’re having a round where you literally and figuratively pound sand.

As Côté points out, the region is also distinct from the nation’s most famous golf destination, Cabo San Lucas, located across the Gulf of California and northwest from Riviera Nayarit. “There are more golf courses here that are accessible because most of them in the Cabo area are private courses,” he says. In Cabo, courses are limited to members or hotel guests staying at an affiliated property. Not so in Nayarit.

Except for Punta Mita Golf Club, which is only playable by Four Seasons guests, golfers can book tee times at any course even if they’re not a hotel patron. There are more than 20 Riviera Nayarit hotels that are participating in a program that encourages golfers to explore the region.

Recognition for the area’s golf industry has attracted travellers as well as professionals. In 2023, Riviera Nayarit received 876,079 foreign tourists, of which 118,025 (13.5%) played golf during their stay, according to the Association of Hotels and Motels for the Bay of Banderas (AHMBB). Of those, 11,434 were from Canada (and were among the total 231,439 Canadians who visited Nayarit last year). Notably, the Canadian golfer spends on average $5,384 USD per visit, $686 more than a U.S. counterpart. Among all travellers from those two nations, the average spend in Nayarit is even, at about $4,200 USD per visitor. 

While you can fill your time in Nayarit entirely with golf, it also is an attractive destination for families and culture enthusiasts who want to stop at places like Sayulita or those luxury travellers who like to indulge in the opulence of the Four Seasons or Vidanta. So even if golf isn’t at the heart of your Nayarit trip, it can be your gateway into a region with some of the best features of Mexico.

MORE ABOUT VISITING RIVIERA NAYARIT

 

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Where to Stay: Iberostar Selection Playa Mita has beautiful amenities, including a gorgeous sunset bar and a large pool area that is set back from the beach and the Bay of Banderas. An all-inclusive family-friendly spot, with kid’s pools and programming, it includes numerous on-site dining experiences. Room Rates: A minimum stay of between two and four nights is mandatory and varies depending on the season. The best time to travel to Riviera Nayarit is between November and April. Based on a recent search of the Iberostar Selection Playa Mita booking engine, a three-night stay for two adults during a weekend in November costs $1,200 CAD (or $400 CAD per night), which is a bargain.

Getting There: The resort is a one-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta International Airport. Depending on the season, Air Canada, Westjet, and Flair offer non-stop flights to Puerto Vallarta from Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

 

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More About the Tail of the Whale (TOW) Hole: At high tide, the TOW green is unreachable. Punta Mita Golf Club allows players to still tee off if they simply want the experience, but with the understanding they won’t be able to venture out to retrieve their ball.

PGA Tour Mexico Open Golf Specials: Special deals for the tournament take place throughout the event, which will next be held in February 2025 at the Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit Resort.

Vacay.ca occasionally publishes content from destinations outside of Canada that our editors believe will interest our audience.

Editorial Disclosure: Riviera Nayarit Tourism and Development Board supported Vacay.ca Managing Editor Adrian Brijbassi’s trip with flights, accommodations, green fees, and meals. No organization reviewed the article before it was published.