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Vidanta Riviera Maya
Rating Snapshot
About
Located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Vidanta Riviera Maya (formerly known as El Manglar Golf Club at Vidanta Riviera Maya and Nicklaus Par Three Experience at Vidanta Riviera Maya) is a par 3 Jack Nicklaus masterpiece. The contrast that exists with the colors of this course gives it a natural Caribbean beauty - its bunkers with radiating white sand, the lakes surrounded by natural stones, area part of the game, and the type of green used on this course’s greens blend your target with the outlying weeds, making it a challenge to make par.
The beauty, the nature and the timelessness of this golf course will not only challenge, but inspire you. Lakes accompany you throughout twelve of the course’s holes, the native vegetation of the Mayan Jungle is your natural enemy and spectator and will distract you. This is all part of the challenge to win and determines the time you spend in the game. Also the design of the greens reflects history since it is constructed with styles found half of century ago.
Donut hole description. The spectacular 17th hole is characterized by its great degree of difficulty. Besides having two bunkers, one at each end, it also has a bunker in the center of the green which makes it unique to its kind. Additionally, the green is in the middle of the lake which makes it very difficult to make the covered par.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 54 | 2923 yards | ||
| Blue | 54 | 2438 yards | ||
| Red (W) | 54 | 2141 yards |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 53.0/102 | 121 | 174 | 142 | 223 | 158 | 145 | 146 | 116 | 177 | 1402 | 160 | 129 | 103 | 276 | 195 | 175 | 156 | 132 | 195 | 1521 | 2923 |
| Blue M: 52.3/101 | 98 | 148 | 131 | 190 | 137 | 116 | 130 | 106 | 152 | 1208 | 145 | 104 | 77 | 214 | 158 | 141 | 124 | 108 | 159 | 1230 | 2438 |
| Red W: 54.1/104 | 93 | 137 | 105 | 163 | 132 | 106 | 119 | 85 | 145 | 1085 | 132 | 95 | 69 | 181 | 129 | 129 | 115 | 103 | 112 | 1065 | 2150 |
| Handicap | 17 | 11 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 4 | |||
| Par | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 54 |
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Course Details
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Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities, Showers, Lockers
Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by gybuynew on 04/12/2026
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Photo submitted by gybuynew on 04/12/2026
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Photo submitted by u314163626548 on 08/13/2025
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Photo submitted by Nightwalker on 01/18/2024
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Photo submitted by u000007421160 on 05/16/2022
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Photo submitted by u3424511 on 11/10/2021
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Photo submitted by Kurt4399554 on 07/04/2021
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Photo submitted by Kurt4399554 on 07/04/2021
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Photo submitted by Kurt4399554 on 07/04/2021
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Photo submitted by Kurt4399554 on 07/04/2021
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Photo submitted by Kurt4399554 on 07/04/2021
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Photo submitted by vasbinderd on 12/06/2020
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Biggest lizard I’ve ever seen! Photo submitted by Darbyd0g on 12/25/2019
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Photo submitted by u000007421160 on 05/20/2019
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17 green. Don't get on the wrong side of bunker Photo submitted by u000004034511 on 03/18/2017
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14 green. Tough hole, great view. Good luck. Photo submitted by u000004034511 on 03/18/2017
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#5 ...watch the wind Photo submitted by u000004034511 on 03/18/2017
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#13...276 yards! Why you need driver on a par 3 course Photo submitted by u000004034511 on 03/18/2017
Terrible greens!! The rest is fine
They have lost most greens and it will take a long time to get them back to par. The rest of the course is fine. Kind of sad in a way because it’s no fun putting on terrible non playable greens. The person checking us in said something about the unusual weather affecting the greens. We played Cancún Country Club today and their greens were great. Don’t waste your money coming to Vidanta to play!!
Terrible greens!!
They have lost most of the greens. It’s going to take a very long time to get the greens back. Not worth the rack rate. If you can get it at $50 or less play it…maybe; ).
Lost the greens
Course would be great to play but the greens were REALLY bad....no grass growing at all. They said they would come back in 2 weeks....will be a miracle if they do.
Very tough par 3 course
Fun course. Lots of water and tight landing zones so bring extra golfballs. Greens were thick with sand so the ball didn’t break as expected. For the price it’s a good deal.
Great course
Vcery nice and well kept course. Pretty pricy but had a great time
Play it again.
We played this course a few years ago and enjoyed it then. Thought a replay was in order.
Great course to elevate your short game. Some of the par 3’s are long and challenging. Great way to spend a few hours.
Food offering in restaurant very good post game.
Nice Par 3 course
Challenging par 3 course, tucked pins on every other hole.
Excellent Round
All was great for this round. No sixsomes in front of us like last time.
Sixsome
Well, my wife and I love this course and really enjoy playing it again and again.
Unfortunately, this visit was not the best as we ran into a sixsome on the 7th hole. Unknown to us, the twosome in front of didn't want to play through, so we were left waiting on each tee box not understanding what was taking so long.
We ended up skipping holes 9 and 10 to get past this mess. The bad part is that the course marshalls were letting this happen and not doing anything about it.
THIS WAS A CRYING SHAME THAT THE MARSHALLS ALLOWED THIS TO GO ON!
Staff is terrible
Since I’m staying at a different hotel close by I requested shuttle service to and from which cost 750 peso for both ways so 375 each way. I did the mistake of paying the driver half and we agreed I would pay the other half on departure. He then later first claimed I never paid him, then claimed he never drove me once I called him out on his lies, then claimed to not speak any English. All 4 staff members where all in on it and I caught them since I claimed I never spoke Spanish..which I do. I brought this to the attention of upper management at the front entrance lobby. I don’t know if anything was done about it. I doubt it. 375 pesos is mere change but the staff will try to squeeze every penny outta ya any way they can. Liars and thieves. The hotel from what I know is separate from the golf course so not much can be done. Bargain to the lowest dollar with the staff to get the best rate is all I can say and ask for receipts n don’t pay a dime till you get one. Nice course. Mediocre conditions at best. Lots of potential but with staff like this it’s no wonder this course has been in decline for so long
Fun to Play
Great course. Interesting holes. Used most of my clubs including my driver.
Excellent
As usual the course was very nice to play!
The only thing I would change is nicer sand in the bunkers as it can get fairly gravely and heavy.
Fun Par 3
very fun Par 3 with some challenging holes. A few over 225 yards which allows you to hit some woods too. rack rate pricing for tourists is ridiculous so find a deal on GolfNow otherwise not worth it
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