golf
A perfect par IBEROSTAR CANCUN GOLF CLUB
Immaculate fairways and breathtaking scenery draw golfers of all abilities to Cancún and the Riviera Maya. Will Tidey meets a Royal Resorts member and golf aficionado who has discovered how to have the perfect vacation here, combining time on the greens with relaxing with his family
EL PAR PERFECTO Fairways impecables y espectaculares paisajes atraen a golfistas de todos los niveles de Cancún y la Riviera Maya. Will Tidey se encuentra con un aficionado al golf y miembro de Royal Resorts que ha descubierto la manera de tener aquí las vacaciones perfectas, combinando tiempo en los greens y relajándose con su familia
When you consider its stunning scenery and tropical climate, the Mexican Caribbean was always a luxury golf destination waiting to happen. State-of-the art-courses have been developed to meet demand and golf tourists have flocked here in evergreater numbers. Thirty-five years later, the Mexican Caribbean now boasts an impressive choice of world-class golf resorts, with layouts designed by revered industry names such as Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Nick Price and Pete Dye, and a full PGA Tour event visiting every year. The area has become a thriving hub for golfers from all over the world and there’s no better way to experience it than with Royal Resorts, as members and guests are entitled to special rates at several prestigious courses in the area. Nicholas Lau has been a Royal Resorts member since 2007. Hailing from the Philippines but now a native of Calgary, Canada, the 52-year-old only picked up the game seven years ago. Now Nicholas plays four times a week at his local club and loves the sport so much that he wouldn’t dream of going on vacation without packing his clubs. Thanks to Royal Resorts, he’s found the perfect place to take them. “I came to Cancún a few years ago and just loved the location,” he says. “The scenery is fantastic, the weather is great, the courses are well-maintained and it is affordable, too. It’s also really convenient. A lot of times you get picked up from the hotel and taken to the first tee. This year I’ve visited Cancún three times—in January, April and August.” Nicholas usually travels with a group of family and friends—mixing golf with time on the beach with his children, and trips to soak up everything old-world Mexico has to offer. They get out and play one of the local courses
most days and he’s come to relish a very different challenge to that he usually faces on the courses of Calgary. “If the Mexican coastal breeze picks up it can make things really tricky and you have to think carefully about club selection,” he says. “And then there’s the altitude change. We’re 3,000 feet above sea level in Calgary, so the balls travel much further than they do in Mexico. You have to make adjustments for that.” Some things are harder when you golf in the Mexican Caribbean—not least the prominence of water and plentiful bunkers on many of the courses—but unless your local club is Augusta National, there’s a good chance the putting will be easier. Nicholas says the greens are mostly true and fast, and that can only help get back those shots you might lose when the wind picks up. It’s also worth mentioning that Royal Resorts offers a full club rental service through the sports desk if you don’t have room for your clubs. On his next visit, Nicholas plans to enter one of Royal Resorts’ popular tournament days, which bring together golfers of all abilities to compete on some of Mexico’s best courses. The current itinerary takes in TPC on Monday, Playa Mujeres on Tuesday, Iberostar Cancún on Wednesday and Iberostar Playa Paraíso on Thursday. Each course offers special tournament rates on the day, and you can choose to play on one or as many of the days you like. When you consider what each has to offer, you might decide to play on all four. Grand Coral was the first course designed by Nick Price in Mexico and is no more than a pitching wedge away from the Caribbean Sea. Playa Mujeres is only 20 minutes from the Cancún hotels and is a seriously testing course at the mercy of the wind. Iberostar Cancún is a championship
Si tenemos en cuenta sus impresionantes paisajes y el clima tropical, el Caribe mexicano fue siempre un destino en potencia de golf en gestión. Se han desarrollado campos fuera de serie para satisfacer la demanda de los turistas de golf que se reúnen aquí cada más tarde en mayor número. Treinta y cinco años más tarde, el Caribe mexicano ahora cuenta con una impresionante selección de campos de golf de clase mundial, con diseños creados por nombres reconocidos de la industria como Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Nick Price y Pete Dye, y un evento completo del PGA Tour completo cada año. La zona se ha convertido en un próspero centro para los golfistas de todo el mundo y no hay mejor manera de experimentarlo que con Royal Resorts, ya que los miembros y huéspedes pueden disfrutar de tarifas especiales en varios campos de la zona. Nicholas Lau ha sido miembro de Royal Resorts desde el 2007. Proveniente de Filipinas, pero ahora nativo de Calgary, Canadá, con 52 años de edad, empezó a jugar hace siete años. Ahora Nicholas juega cuatro veces a la semana en su club local y ama el deporte
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