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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 |
Hot Deals at The Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Riviera Maya
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Reviews
Reviewer Photos
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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
Misleading.
No where on this site does it tell you this is a small par 3 course. It is very short with every hole being a par 3. Had we known this ahead, we never would have booked. It is very misleading.
Another good day on Jack’s course!
Played from the black tees for the first time … it was a fun challenge compared to our usual blue tees!
Mostly Good
We are fans of this course, although this time out the greens had been aerated and were covered with sand. This is fine except that we were never made aware of the conditions.
The traps were more wet than not and were very coarse in nature. This could be improved.
The restaraunt is a bit pricey but it is what it is.
Bottom line is that this is a nice course and well worth playing if you can get the right deal like we did. It plays more like a regular course than the usual "executive" par 3's.
First Time at course
Very nice course. Don’t kid yourself, hard par 3. Lots of hazards and iguanas.
If you’re not staying at Vidanta employees no help. Poor directions. Poor reception after arriving via taxi.
Great golf course
We’ve played this course about 10 times and have never been disappointed. Great staff, well maintained course and excellent restaurant.
We’ll be back again and again and again.
Preis Leistung
Für Anfänger mit dicker Geldbörse geeignet.Ein reiner par 3 Platz. Für weniger Geld gibt es in Richtung Cancon bessere Plätze. Service Mangelhaft,mein Driver ist beim Transport gebrochen. Auf bitte eines Leihschlägers wollte der gute Mann 75€ haben.dazu noch.20 Euro für 30 bälle auf der Drivingrange..Transver wie bei den Anderen Golfplätzen nicht incl..usw.....
Ich empfehle hier Golplätze zu spielen,die keiner Hotelkette angehören
Challenging par 3 course
Quick round while on vacation 2 hrs. Course is challenging especially with coastal winds. Hard to tell which way the wind is going because the jungle protects the course but your ball gets into the wind. Lots of water hazards. Greens in good shape.
Hidden gem
This course was fun to play and a good way to spend a couple hours. Staff was friendly and rental clubs were top notch.
Bunkers were filled with water, muddy rough
Was told that the course was playable, however it was way to wet. Parts of the rough was like mud, the bunkers were filled with water so all the balls that went there were lost. Other than that many good layouts.
Great intro round
This course is a great intro Mexico area... can help iron in those short iron distances...
Solid for 50$ in winter condition, but not a whole lot more
The current condition is very damaged including tons of winter kill dead grass and poorly repaired greens.Patchy areas in the Fairway.
Course design is incredible and the scenery is beautiful
In the current condition for the winter I would not pay more than $75 us. At the hot deal $50 US it was a good value and I think you get what you pay for and then some.
Make sure you arrive early as you need to take a shuttle from the main lobby which can take some time.
Apparently if you're looking for the better amazing incredible conditions you see on the website you need to come in the summer.
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