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Vallarta Golf Expands Its Horizons

It wasn't long ago that Puerto Vallarta was serviced by just two golf courses: Flamingos, the area's oldest course, and Marina Vallarta, which opened in 1989. However, it did not take real estate developers or government officials too long to realize what golf has meant to the Los Cabos area at the end of the Baja Peninsula. Los Cabos no longer is known for just fishing and diving; golf has taken first place, as it attracts people from all over and has brought a number of first-class international tournaments.

Taking a lesson from the Los Cabos area, developers have added five new golf courses to the region surrounding Vallarta, with another three in the planning stage. The quality and variety of golf now available has caught the attention of golfers worldwide, enough so that the PGA held the World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup 2002 in Vallarta. The publicity generated through this event has been compared to what the filming of "Night of the Iguana" did for Vallarta 40 years ago.
To be classified as a golf destination, a location needs a number of courses for golfers to choose from. With seven courses now available within a half-hour of one another, and two more a few hours away, Vallarta has finally reached the point where it could be classified as a world-class resort golf destination. Here's a short description of the courses now available
for play.

Punta Mita is a very exclusive resort community located on the northerly point of Banderas Bay. The existing course there, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is the Four Seasons' private golf and country club for resident owners, which has a membership cap of 400, and for guests of the Four Seasons Hotel. Currently, by way of invitation only, outside play is available either through the developer, a Punta Mita Ambassador or Coldwell Banker Previews. Their second, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course, is open to the public, as well as residents of Punta Mita. And the third, an 18-hole Greg Norman course, will be open-play and located next to their Los Ranchos subdivision.
The Flamingos Golf Club is located within the Flamingos development next to Nuevo Vallarta. It offers 18 holes designed by Percy J. Clifford and the most economical rates for golfers.

The Marina Vallarta Club de Golf, designed by Joe Fingers, is owned and operated by Club Corp and is situated right in the middle of the Marina Vallarta development, with a couple of holes next to the ocean. Club Corp owns and operates many golf courses in the United States and has been making strong moves into Mexico, beginning with this course over 10 years ago.
Vista Vallarta Club de Golf, which opened in 2000, is also owned and operated by Club Corp. It consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf, and is located a few miles behind Vallarta in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The hillside not only creates a wonderful rolling landscape for the fairways, but also spectacular views of the mountains, the bay and the city of Puerto Vallarta.

El Tigre, the Paradise Village golf course was designed by Robert Von Hagge. Von Hagge has also designed three other well-known courses in Mexico: Acapulco's Tres Vidas, Playa del Carmen's Playacar and Isla Navidad's 27-hole course. It features seven artificial lakes, with two holes set on small islands.
And finally there is the Mayan Island with their 18-hole course designed by Jim Lipe of Jack Nicklaus & Associates.

There are also two fine golf courses located just a few hours south of Vallarta that can also be included as part of the destination's list of potential courses to play while visiting the area. Isla Navidad is three hours away and offers 27 holes within this world-class residential development. You can drive down for the day, but it is much better to stay a night or two at the development's Grand
Bay hotel.

The second is within the very exclusive development of Tamarindo, a 2,040-acre ecological reserve just a little north of Navidad. The course was built to cater to the many valleys and lush jungle that cover this private peninsula. The jungle is so thick in some parts that it creates a natural canopy, offering cover from the afternoon sun. The Tamarindo hotel is the place to stay if you wish to overnight it, offering 26 individual casitas in a small cove surrounded by lush jungle.