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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 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
Challenging Par 3 Course like No Other
Put aside your preconceptions of what a Par 3 course is. Having 3 holes of PGA length, and plenty of hazards to avoid, this course will test more than your wedges. Well run, with the best crew around, Hola Josue !
Wet
The course was a nice Par 3 course. It was wet and lots of puddles. It was challenging but playable.
Friendly El Manglar
The crew anywhere in the Riviera Maya. Welcoming, friendly, efficient. Josue is the best
Mr B
I didn’t enjoy a par 3 course. If I knew it was a par 3 before I paid I would not have played. Them find out it was cart path only which I didn’t enjoy
Challenging course
Really fun from the black tees. A real challenge when the wind swirls - water on almost every hole.
Par 3 delight
This is a fabulous, challenging par 3 layout. It doesn't feel like you are playing a par 3 course.
The course was in beautiful shape. For a par 3, it was very challenging and very well maintained.
Best par 3 course you will ever play
Have played this course since 2016. Conditions vary depending on time of year, but generally very good. Some sand traps are a little pr boy but most are in great shape. From the black tees the course is a great challenge. The layout is beautiful. Lots of water and traps. Excellent landing areas to practice your short game. Staff Are very friendly. Book on golf now to get a good rate.
Drawbacks - you may run in to non-golfer tourists in flip flops - it’s a resort course.
Extremely fun course
Not very often you will find a par 3 that challenges a regular golfer. This course was a real surprise. It is like a full size course shrunk down, all the challenges remain. A great layout, lots of water and wildlife. I’d recommend this course to any one at any skill level
Par three but very tough
Jack Nicklaus created a wonderful course. There is major water on 3/4 of the course with little relaxation between the toughness. Bogies are very doable pars less so and birdies few. For a par three there were several drivable holes with lots of wind in the face. Risk/Reward is present in much of the course. I played after a day of hard rain which made the sand traps eroded and packed. They should have been racked. Overall it was a very enjoyable 18.
Beautiful course layout
Wife and I just played this 3 par. Very fun and relaxing. Don't be fooled by a 3 par. This course is challenging, with a lot of water hazards and traps. Hint, bring plenty of balls...
Beautiful and challenging 54 par
I didn’t notice when booking tee time it was all par 3, 54 par course anyway it is beautiful and challenging so we had a good time the course have a good layout, friendly staff and good installations
Don’t be fooled
Don’t be fooled when you see par three course. This thing is anything but easy. Requires that you come off the box straight. Your judgment of distance is thrown off by the multilevel greens and the ominous bunkers. Water covered many of the holes and threatens your shot. Course is well-maintained and the low-lying jungle Rob’s or #BAL if you happen to go in it. Definitely on my list to come back
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