Puerto Vallarta Emerging as One of
Mexico's Top Golf Destinations

The Puerto Vallarta area is now home to seven golf courses. Some of the world's greatest golf course architects have crafted courses amid this tropical backdrop, including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Robert von Hagge, who with 11 layouts south of the border is Mexico's most prolific designer.

Myrtle Beach it's not, but with a handful of world class courses and even more first-class resorts,Puerto Vallarta can now lay claim to being a great golf destination!

GOLF in Vallarta

You get the feeling John Wayne and Richard Burton would have relished the chance to chase the little white ball around here. After all, the two actors spent countless hours in this unique fusion of Mexican fishing village meets glitzy resort town filming movies and imbibing spirits. If Puerto Vallarta had as many golf offerings as it has today, the contingent of actors that once called this coastal city home would have ballooned like a tourist's belly after a few too many carne asada tacos

"PV" as savvy travelers have taken to calling it, is now home to seven golf courses. Some of the world's greatest golf course architects have crafted courses amid this tropical backdrop, including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf and Robert von Hagge, who with 11 layouts south of the border is Mexico's most prolific designer. Myrtle Beach it's not, but with a handful of world class courses and resorts, PV can now lay claim to being a tried and true golf destination. PV resort owners and tourism officials make no bones about it – they want to go head to head with Los Cabos/Cabo San Lucas as Mexico's leading golf destination.

Graziano Sovernigo, founder and director of Paradise Village Beach Resort and Spa, just minutes away in Nuevo Vallarta, has done his part bringing golf here. "I'm happy to say Puerto Vallarta is finally arriving as a golf destination. It took too long, but now we have seven courses."

For years, Hawaii has been the industry leader in attracting American golfer from the mainland. But the Mexican government has unabashedly declared its intent to become the top golf destination worldwide for traveling American golfers. PV's core group of lush, jungle-rich layouts is leading Mexico in its charge to the top.

The newest offering is von Hagge's El Tigre at Paradise Village. Framed in all directions by the Sierra Madre Mountains, El Tigre is 7,239 yards, par 72, of manufactured golf course. It was built on a flat piece of land and the von Hagge layout called for a lot of dirt movement and nine separate bodies of water, just a minute away from the Pacific Ocean and Paradise Village Beach Resort and Spa.

"Create the most exciting championship golf course in Mexico", was the challenge given to the team of Von Hagge, Smelek and Baril, designers of over 200 of the world's finest golf courses. At 7,239 yards from the tips and featuring an 18th hole that players chide as a "nice par 6", El Tigre has certainly answered the call. Mexican architect Ernesto del Castillo designed the beautiful Spanish-styled 45,000-square foot clubhouse, which includes a restaurant, lounge, locker rooms, golf shop and European Spa.

Ten minutes from the PV marina and wedged in the region's breathtaking foothills are the two championship courses of Vista Vallarta. Both the Nicklaus and Weiskopf courses opened in 2001 and have met with almost universal critical acclaim. The dynamic duo was selected as the site for the 2002 Anderson Consulting Match Play Championships, and players from around the world will not be disappointed.

The Nicklaus course measures 7,057 yards and features long par-5 holes. Weiskopf's layout has more native jungle growth, is tighter, and has a signature par 3 that appears to be carved out of the jungle hillside. Weiskopf has done a masterful job of blending the elevations and natural features into an incredibly playable experience from the first tee to the green of the "drivable" 18th.

The Golden Bear's best offering may be the Punta Mita where Pebble Beach scenery mixes with turquoise-colored Pacific Ocean golf holes and perfect winter temperatures. Punta Mita is uncrowded and has one of the most spectacular holes in the world, a par 3 of 190 yards, that plays to a natural black, lava-rock island. Your only entry to the green comes at low tide, tip-toeing across a sandbar, unless you have an amphibious vehicle or boat. You will need a low, boring shot nailed into a tough head wind or cross wind to par this one. Eight holes border the ocean with a photo op at every turn.

Marina Vallarta Golf Club is Puerto Vallarta golf at its finest, replete with jungle foliage, lagoons, iguanas, tropical birds, and a pretty strong golf course designed by Joe Finger. The course winds its way through countless palm trees and a number of holes feature views of Banderas Bay.

Nicklaus' senior designer, Jim Lipe, authored the 6,700-yard Mayan Palace Golf Club, just next door to El Tigre. Mayan Palace is a fun, less-challenging course with a hefty 580-yard, dogleg-left par-5 No. 13. Another scenic hole is a 180-yard par 3 that plays over a lake to an oceanfront green with a view of the Pacific. Just three minutes from Paradise Village is Los Flamingos Country Club. This 18-hole course is located in the countryside with lakes, jungle and countless birds. It was designed by architect Percy J. Clifford and offers tennis, too.

About a 2 hour drive from Puerto Vallarta, El Tamarindo Golf Course has been rated "The Best Hidden Link in the World" by many golf publications. Rivaling some of the greatest golf courses in the world, El Tamarindo features fairways that wander through the jungle, 3 breathtaking oceanfront holes, and 9 holes with spectacular views of beautiful beaches.

A little further south, the Isla Navidad Golf Course is one of the most lush golf resorts in the world, with twenty seven holes that offer spectacular ocean, lagoon and mountain views. In Manzanillo, you'll find La Mantarraya Golf Course at Las Hadas, which is considered one the best golf resorts in Latin America, featuring wide fairways and 11 water holes including #18, an Island green built on the ocean. courtesy of WorldGolf.com

NEWS:PGA's Champions Tour to include Puerto Vallarta,Spring '06

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico and PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour and ClubCorp today announced that the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Vista Vallarta Golf Club in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico will be the site of a new Champions Tour event next spring.

The Puerto Vallarta Championship will be played March 27 – April 2, 2006.
The 54-hole stroke-play tournament will feature a 78-player field and official prize money of $1.6 million, with the winner collecting $240,000. The official competition will be preceded by two days of pro-am play sponsored by First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), a global leader in electronic commerce and payment services. The Golf Channel will air all three rounds in the United States.

Vista Vallarta Golf Club is managed by ClubCorp. It opened for play in 2001 and was the host site of the 2002 World Golf Championships/EMC World Cup, which was won by the Japanese team of Shigeki Murayama and Toshi Izawa. “We are excited that Vista Vallarta has been chosen as a site for a Champions Tour event,” said ClubCorp CEO and president John Beckert. “Vista Vallarta is a beautiful course and this event should only further ClubCorp’s efforts to establish Puerto Vallarta as an international golf destination.”

In addition to the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, Vista Vallarta has an 18-hole Tom Weiskopf-designed course. ClubCorp owns two other properties in Puerto Vallarta, including Marina Vallarta Club de Golf and The Owners Club at Puerto Vallarta.
“Vista Vallarta is the perfect venue for a Champions Tour stop,” said Billy Sitton, managing director of Latin America for ClubCorp. “Not only will the course provide challenging golf for the players, but the surroundings will enhance the viewer experience.”

“The selection of Vallarta Golf Club for a new Champions Tour event is another significant milestone for Mexico,” said Charlie Fote, chairman and CEO of First Data. “We have a long history of doing business in Mexico. The tournament has the potential to attract other companies to the country and prove that Mexico has the right business environment to accomplish great things for commerce and consumers.”

“The Champions Tour continues to have good news to share regarding the 2006 season,” said Champions Tour president Rick George. “This is our seventh announcement since January about a new tournament or a title sponsor extension. Puerto Vallarta is one of the great destinations in Mexico. Our players look forward to spending the week at the Puerto Vallarta Championship where they’ll compete on a terrific Jack Nicklaus design and enjoy the wonderful hospitality the facility and area have to offer.”