Mayakoba and Playa del Carmen is the site for the first Mexico golf course to host a major PGA tournament.This is the third PGA tournament to be held here in Playa del Carmen so I thought it would be a good idea to share what activities and events you can undertake if you are thinking of living or retiring in Mexico We also thought it would be fun to hang out with the Mexico Banyon Tree team as we enjoyed an afternoon of pro golf play
The PGA staff had prepared the grounds in top shape A beautiful day, sun was out, few clouds, a nice Playa del Carmen afternoon The wind was a little stronger than normal giving the pros an extra challenge to overcome in their afternoon of battling the scorecard
We immediately came upon hole 18 to see a few pros finish off their first bout of nine We strolled backwards going to hole 17, then 16 The canal hugs the fairway and green on 17 The Banyon Tree villas are also hidden on the other side of the canal with a view that reminds me of the Wrigley Field rooftops back in Chicago The differences are that these villas are extra luxurious, they have a roof top private pool, and they have an incredible view onto the golf course and wildlife.
At 15, the Caribbean beach was the backdrop, probably the toughest hole for the players to swing given the incredible blues of the ocean most likely makes it hard to concentrate Several stands and bleachers were lined up along this fairway, and there was a crowd of people in bathing suits watching from the beach That was a unique photo Too bad I did not have my camera with me as they made us check in all of our electronics at the front gate, cell phone, cameras, video cameras Nothing was allowed to go in
We took a walk back to the other side of the course, and caught three players on hole 4 One of them was a young looking kid called Mauricio Azcue There were only 3 Mexican players in this tournament of 130 some pros so we thought we would follow Azcue to cheer him on On hole 4 which was a par 4, right off the tee, Mauricio went into the rough As we got closer to his ball, a couple of smaller trees were blocking a straight shot, but more difficult for him was a very large tree about 80 yards out sitting between the green and his position Andy and I figured he would need to fade the ball to get into better position onto the green BUT NO!Azcue went straight, went straight through the tree, and landed onto the green about 10 yards from the hole! There were so many branches on that tree I don't have a clue how he made it through, but he did A cheer went up with the Mexican followers applauding their countryman
On hole 5, another par 4, 428 yards, ooops back into the mangroves for our young star As the second player came up to Tee off, another obstacle appeared running out of the swamp Iguana! This was a grand daddy of an iguana Some people might mistake this one for a young crocodile, but it caused some distraction and had everyone chuckling Bet this was something that is not common on a normal tour for some of the pros.Coming back to the young amateur golfer, Azcue, he maintained focused and got up onto the green After couple of shots he finished with a bogey Lets see how he shoots on the next hole
As we walked towards the next tee, hole 6, we chatted a little with the other fans of this young Mexican player Turns out his parents, some family, and family friends were amongst the groupies Chatting with Azcue's father, I learnt that he was the only Amateur invited to participate in this tournament Mauricio is currently attending college at UCLA and is on their golf team and if I understood correctly, he is the team captain as a sophomore Hole 6 had another canal that needed crossing All the players dropped their balls about 50 yards back from the water to prepare for their final shot onto the green As we crossed the bridge, another side attraction The Pros started pointing out into the water, so when we got close enough, we saw what was causing all the commotion A crocodile in the canal! The Mayakoba golf course and resort area were designed to blend into the nature The mangroves were respected and were not torn down only to the least amount necessary And even then, the mangroves were transplanted Over 50 biologists were hired when the close gated development was introduced and constructed There are only a handful of villas or condos that are located on the beach, and the majority of the villas and dwellings are scattered and hidden back into the jungle and on the land side of the mangroves When people wish to go to the ocean, they have access through little golf cart taxis, electric boats that weave through the canals, or via bicycles A new benchmark standard for design in high luxury and for respecting and preserving nature
Hole 7! Par 3 with 116 yards Another hole with the Mexico Beaches as a backdrop With only 100 yards, a nine iron or wedge are the recommended choices available for golfers and the wind off of the beach creates the need for high concentration Our young Mexican dropped the ball amazingly within 3 meters I think we might have seen a glimpse of a future golf tournament leader and PGA favorite After this hole, Andy and I had to part We strolled on down to the club house to grab a bite, watch some finishes on hole 18, and called it a day And what a day it was, what excitement, and how lucky we are to be living here in Mexico in this great weather, with great views of the Caribbean, and to be able to enjoy these types of sports less than 10 minutes away from Playa del Carmen
I have many people call and write me to chat about the options and feasibility to come down to Mexico to retire, or to live full time One question that I hear quite often, “what activities and special events exist in Mexico or in Playa del Carmen” What I tell the people is that there are not enough days in the year with all the activities available Jazz festivals, Julio Iglesis concerts, Placido Domingo concert, PGA golf tournaments, fishing, golfing, visiting nearby Colonial cities, learning of Mayan culture and history, deep sea fishing, scuba diving………. the list goes on and on
Thomas Lloyd graduated from Purdue University Krannert School of Management with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investments. He has been living, investing, and working professionally in Mexico for over 15 years. With a Mexican Real Estate Certifications and various diplomas he is the current president of TOPmexicorealestate, you can contact him at (512) 879-6546 or through the company`s web site www.TOPmexicorealestate.com
“Where TOP real estate experts from ALL regions of Mexico come together to share their Tips & Knowledge to help you buy safely !”
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