El Camaleon Mayakoba....try it once, but not a repeat.

jcjmw2 · July 2, 2016

I am down here in Playa Del Carmen, so I thought I squeeze in a few rounds. I heard so much about this golf course and how the PGA comes here. In short, if you are from Florida, SC or NC, this course will be no big deal for you. If you are from Nevada and the west coast, this course will be a change of pace from the desert.

I was met at the entrance by great friendly staff. I was immediately put in a good golfing mood.

I went to the pro shop and saw a line, no biggie. I went to the bar and grabbed a few cold ones. The bar/dining area is what you expect from a higher end place. Good selection of hard liquor. But, beer selection was limited. The bar staff was very attentive and friendly.

Went back to the pro shop, which was small with limited selection. No biggie, I was going to buy something...until I was met by someone behind the counter that was not so friendly. The rate was $219 on golfnow, which included a service fee. He asked where I was from and once I told him I was from the states he gave me the $219 rate. I asked was it not lower by a few bucks since I did not go thru golfnow....you think I killed his mother or something by his reaction. I asked if I could pay in pesos, which he grabbed a calculator and said it would be the same equivalent rate for that day in pesos.

The putting, chipping, sand and drivIng range area were in good condition and of quality as you would expect for a place hosting a PGA tourney.

The course staff were very attentive.

The cart girl and cart staff were likewise very friendly.

I guess tipping is not common there, so if you do the staff will definitely appreciate it and will be very attentive.

The greens rolled true, in good condition but slow. They were very receptive to spin shots.

If you are a true 10 or better, then play from the black. You will have fun bending it off the tee, which you have to do to hit the fairway / green.

If you are a zig-zagger, this course will take its toll on you. You are golfing in the jungle/marsh areas after all.

The fairways were in good condition and kept tight. But, the rough was velcro like. A lot of great views of the ocean, waterways and local surroundings from all over the course. They had alligator warning signs, but I did not see any. Bring insect repellant. I did and glad I did!

I played by myself. The pace of play was a little under 5 hours. I was in no rush. The starter warned me it would be slow since there was 3 groups of 4 in front of me. The 4 some in front of me offered to let me pass. I told them I was in no rush, as I was enjoying the views and my drinks.

After my round, I was greeted with a refreshing cold towel. I had a few more cold ones from the bar before I left, while the staff called a taxi for me.

Before I left, I asked the grumpy guy in the pro shop what was the replay rate for the same day. To my surprise, he said it was the same $219. I asked if I could pay a lower rate next time I played since I was going to golf 3 more times in the next 6 days. Again, he said it would be $219. I guess he did not know how much I spent on drinks and food. Oh well, taking my drunk a** and money elsewhere.

In the end, the course was worth the $219 rate......but just once so you can say you did it. As for a repeat, there are other courses down here.

P.S. I shot an 84 from the blacks and all the beers handed to me were ice cold!

Joselo · August 11, 2016

sounds like you had a great time.... i'm of the same opinion as you, although i have not played there yet, i would like to do it once and thats it... since this is one of the best high-end places in playa they would be pretty narrow minded in terms of the fees.

ice cold beverages, friendly staff, amazing views... i;m in

robrey85 · August 11, 2016

I'm in the same boat with you OP. I played there last year and I liked the course, definitely not that hardest course in that area but I'm from Vegas as well and it's a great change of pace. I'm actually going up to Playa Mujeres in November and I plan to just play that course up there three or four times. I might go to Iberostar or another course in that area that I forgot what the name of it was but we'll see.

Mayakoba is great, service was great and I played with the editor of Links Magazine and some other dude from NY when I went down there. Pace was great, but the greens were pretty bad. They were sandy as hell and slow as can be. I love those two par threes on the edge of the ocean, great views and great times!