Cancun Playa del Carmen buddies Golf Trip: Mayakoba Chameleon
The Chameleon golf course at Mayakoba is a serious golf course designed by none other than Greg Norman. Greg has a talent for making targets look wide and inviting from the tee box to tempt the golfer into stretching beyond themselves. Be it vineyard, fescue, or some other hazard, Greg Norman courses tend to be a test of golf. Mayakoba is no exception to this Greg Norman rule– which makes it an ideal annual destination for one of the two Mexican spots the PGA Tour visits.
In this case the fairways look very generous and lull the golfer into making shots lacking a defined purpose. And these shots are death on this golf course. In this case the hazard of choice is the jungle, and a shot hit into the jungle is a shot gone. There is no hitting alternate fairways, or going into the jungle to find your ball and take a recovery. So if you want to play this course well, take that note.
Golf courses in the Cancun area tend to be fairly flat. This course is no exception. Greg does not even raise the tee boxes, so be sure you pay careful attention to the layout of the hole on the GPS on the cart. There is danger out there you can’t necessarily see. Beyond jungle, water, sand, and out of bounds generally line these fairways… also spelling trouble.
The course is a very nice walk featuring many things that make this area of Mexico beautiful. Yellow birds, frigates, barramundi all frolic around to distract the golfer. Additionally one amazing feature is the many cenotes on the property, the most dramatic of them on number 1 fairway smack in the middle. This gaping jaw bares its teeth in a way that Norman wanted to warn you that this is not just another resort hit and giggle. A shot into this cenote is a assured penalty stroke- and a permanent offering to the gods of the Mayan people that cherish them as a spiritual place.
So keep an eye out for the views. To the right of number 10 green there is another cenote with beautiful blue water that looks so refreshing you may be tempted to jump in. Additionally, the number 16 par 3 is along the beach and is a true spectacle. Depending on the wind it can be a tame par, or in our case it was bordering on a Scottish sideways wind event.
Enjoy Mayakoba and remember, If your motto is “a layup pretty much takes eagle out of play” you will be lucky to break 100 on this golf course.
- Spectacle/ visual: 5
- History: 3 maybe I’m being harsh, after all a pga event is played here
- New/ancient: Modern
- Playability : 6
- Memorability : 4
- Buddy-a-bility : NA
- Service/etc: 8
- Value: ?
- Shopping: The pro shop is nothing to write home about. It’s a Fairmont property so the prices are high, and as such the selection is anemic. Although I think you can live life fully without having a Mayakoba golf shirt in your closet.
- Warm up facilities/Range: Full grass range with putting and chipping area, there is no lack of a chance to warm up here, and therefore no excuses either. Be sure to calibrate your flat stick to the Bermuda on the practice.
- Food & Drink: Very helpful and attentive cart girls with a good selection of snacks and comprehensive selection of alcohol.
