Play a round refreshed by balmy ocean breezes and the sounds of the exotic rainforest

It’s not every day you get to putt along the Caribbean Ocean. Or tee off by a mangrove forest filled with monkeys and macaws. Or battle a giant sinkhole sandtrap of epic proportions. Our Greg Norman-designed course is 18 drop-dead-gorgeous holes of challenging play set on our spectacular private property where jungle meets sea.

the course

It’s called “the chameleon” (el camaleón) because of the course’s ever-changing (superb) vistas. And the championship course made history in 2007 when it became the home of the first PGA TOUR event outside the U.S. and Canada, the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Aussie golfing legend Greg Norman designed El Camaleón Golf Course in 2006 to show off the spectacular oceanfront landscape, incorporating subterranean cenotes, or sinkholes, plenty of bunkers, sand dune-lined fairways, and the area’s fresh-water canals. Play is clever and balanced, attractive to all levels of golfers. The Audubon-certified eco-sensitive course meanders through three diverse ecosystems: the tropical Yucatan jungle, dense mangrove wetlands, and Mexico’s celebrated Caribbean coastline. Learn more.

THE SPecs

Situated along miles of clear fresh-water canals, mangrove forest, and limestone walls, critics consider El Camaleón a masterpiece. Its two ocean-view holes looking out onto vast stretches of sand, the sparkling turquoise ocean and Cozumel Island in the distance make golf fans giddy. Learn more.

Course details:

• 18 holes
• 7,024 yards
• Par 72
• Rating 74.8
• Slope 139
• Paspalum grass
• First tee time: 7 am
• Twilight starts at 12 pm (1 pm in summer)
• Open year-round
• Golf carts equipped with GPS; range balls prior to the round included in the green fee
• Rates in U.S. dollars, taxes included
• Complimentary bag storage
• On-course beverage cart service

jim mclean golf school

This is Mexico’s premier golf school. Take advantage of state-of-the-art golf swing analysis technology at one of North America’s top-ranked teaching centers. Guru Jim McLean himself chooses and trains all instructors. The oceanfront school at Playa del Carmen has a two-bay Super Station where students benefit from the latest computer software, as well as custom instruction programs crafted by certified Jim McLean Master Instructors. There’s also a 350-yard double-sided tee, 40-yard-wide putting green, and short game facility. Sign up for a private lesson, golf school, or junior golf for the kids. Learn more.