Riviera Cancun

The course at the Riviera Cancun Golf Club sits close to the International airport, south of the residential Hotel Zone, with fairways carved out from a dense, mangrove-clad coastal property. It’s a tough track which is characterised by narrow fairways, sandy waste areas and water hazards that come into play at almost half the holes on the scorecard.

Set out by Jack Nicklaus and unveiled in 2008, the course lies close to another Golden Bear design at the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort but the big difference between the two layouts is the heavy contours of the Rivera Cancun greens compared to the older set of putting surfaces that were constructed next door.

Best holes on the front nine include the short par four 6th and the narrow, 529-yard 9th leading back to the clubhouse. The inward half actually touches the beach at the par five 14th, where the green sits behind a small lagoon, before the routing heads inland at the water-protected par three 15th for a very strong finish over the final three holes.