San José - Mexico

The best way to play a course is not to do it after a long haul plus another 2hr flight, but it was my only option to play it on arrival day and thought it was worth to make the effort. We landed 12pm and went straight to the course: a short bath and directly to play on my own. 2h30mins was enough to complete the round including a big Club Sandwich at half way bar located in the Club House. The course has Seashore Paspalum coast to coast and believe me it was kept in pristine shape with greens rolling at a speed that looked like dwarf Bermuda. Although you have a view of the sea from every spot of the course, it is not near. The piece of land is a typical one from this part of México and architect Jack Nicklaus made a fantastic job around greens where precision is needed to the limit, being on the wrong side will raise difficulty of the chipping and putting. It is not an impossible course, it is tough but fair and from the tees you need to be sometimes clever and others brave to take your chances of going for those heroic carries. Some holes are really good: uphill short par 4 fifth hole has a very tough green, if short you may end 40 yds away from the pin position, then par 3 sixth is the signature hole and island green par 5 seventh is maybe the best hole on the course. Par 3 fifteenth is one of the highlights on the back 9, par 5 17th is not reachable and approach shot is very demanding, before very nice 18th where you have a split fairway and if you go on the left side the carry from the tips is almost 270yds. A great layout, extremely high quality of service, close to the Airport, this course is maybe the best option for arrival and departure days. Do not miss the chance to experience a course kept as the private ones in Florida.