MAGNÍFICOMAYAKOBA’S MEXICAN BEACHFRONT BEAUTY WELCOMES PGA TOUR TO CARIBBEAN COAST
PLUSBY THE NUMBERS
LPGA SEASON-ENDERSTENSON IN CONTROLPAMPLING REBOUNDS
PERSPECTIVENOVEMBER 14, 2016
D I G I T A L E X C L U S I V E
Playa del Carmen, MexicoCertain golf holes capture the imagination. For my buddy Jerry, it was the 15th hole here at Mayakoba’s El Camaleón course. He had mentioned it several times during our round there last month.
When we finally arrived at the short, uphill par 3, we were greeted by a stiff wind coming off the Caribbean Sea, directly behind the green. Jerry
jumped out of the cart and onto the tee, busted a wedge toward the right side of the green, watched it hit a wall of wind, make a U-turn, float back toward the front edge and trickle down the slope a few yards. The shot was perfect – until it wasn’t.
Let that be a lesson to the PGA Tour players returning to the region known as Riviera Maya next week for the OHL Classic at Mayakoba: When the wind
GO
LF L
IFE
22
MAYA, OH MAYA
GOLFWEEK.COM • NOVEMBER 14, 2016
The OHL Classic showcases one of Mexico’s most distinctive resorts
By Martin KaufmannMAYA, OH MAYA
23+ FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT FACEBOOK.COM/GOLFWEEK
CO
URTESY O
F FAIRM
ON
T
The beach club and cabanas are framed by the 15th green, far left, and the seventh green.
is up, take one extra club on 15. And upon reaching the green, allow a moment to enjoy the ocean panorama, including Cozumel in the distance. You’ll be in a better state of mind to tackle the closing holes.
Mayakoba, a 1,600-acre resort, is just 45 minutes, yet worlds away, from Cancun to the north. Cancun, with generous government backing, rose from the ground 40 years ago, its beachfront now lined with high-rise hotels.
It’s a heavy dose of South Beach, with a little Cabo San Lucas on the side. Party all night, crash on the beach all day. Rinse, repeat. Which is fine if that’s your thing.
Whereas the government and developers reshaped Riviera Maya’s northern coastline around Cancun, OHL Desarrollos took the opposite approach two decades ago when it began developing Mayakoba. From the outset, the design philosophy was: “Let the site be what
GO
LF L
IFE
24 GOLFWEEK.COM • NOVEMBER 14, 2016
it wants.” The resort’s three hotels (a fourth will open in December) dot the jungle and line the canals that are used to transport guests around the property. Rather than cluttering the beach with condos and high-rises, each hotel simply has a beach club for its guests.
What OHL arrived at is a design solution that is simple yet elegant, functional without sacrificing the exotic landscape.
The lodging options are appropriately top-shelf. On this visit I was enjoying the Fairmont Mayakoba and its beach club, which is bracketed by El Camaleón’s seventh green and, just a short walk away, Jerry’s beloved 15th.
El Camaleón is home to a Jim McLean Golf School, where David López Monar, the director of instruction, offered me a quick diagnosis, a compliment that seemed genuine, if a bit generous, and a simple swing drill that can be used on course and is wildly effective. (And don’t
for a second think I’m going to share it with you.) At No. 18 on Golfweek’s Best Courses of the
Caribbean and Mexico list, El Camaleón, a Greg Norman design, is the highest-ranked course along Riviera Maya.
El Camaleón makes an impression from the opening tee shot, where the target line is a large cenote smack dab in the middle of the fairway. It was a clever design decision by Norman, signaling that the course, like everything else at Mayakoba, will embrace rather than fight the natural landscape.
Norman’s design at various times plays along canals and through the jungle and dense mangrove. Players ease into the round with a comfortable par 5, and a mild Biarritz on the short second. (No. 1 will play as the fourth hole during the OHL Classic; the fourth hole for resort play will become the opening hole for the tournament.)
El Camaleón starts to bite back on par-4 5th, which
25+ FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT FACEBOOK.COM/GOLFWEEK
bends right around the mangroves. A playing partner called it “the second-hardest hole on the course,” and our collective troubles there seemed to confirm that. The Tour players probably will find the best birdie opportunities coming home on two short 4s, the 11th and 17th.
This week’s tournament will be the 10th annual OHL Classic, and Agustin Sarasola, managing director of Mayakoba, said early discussions are underway to extend the contract with the PGA Tour.
“There is no reason not to continue,” Sarasola said.
The tournament falls perfectly on the calendar, showcasing the resort and course on Golf Channel as Mayakoba begins its peak season. Sarasola views the tournament as integral to Mayakoba’s future, comparing it to the canals and the environmental approach to development.
“It’s a long-term initiative,” Sarasola said. “We cannot look at this as a year-to-year event to see how we impact the market. We are creating a destination.” Gwk
Guests can use boats to get around the Fairmont Mayakoba, left. The canals run through the resort and alongside several of the golf holes, top.
PHO
TO C
OU
RTESY OF FA
IRMO
NT A
ND
MIC
HA
EL PATRIC
K SH
IELS
Following an afternoon spent touring the Mayan ruins in Tulum, a 30-minute drive south of Playa del Carmen, I had several options when I returned to the Fairmont Mayakoba. I could go to the beach for a swim, spoil myself at the spa, or eat insects.
In retrospect, this was a no-brainer. How many chances would I get to eat bugs prepared by a chef at a Five Diamond resort?
These are no ordinary insects. Erika Montesinos, the chef at Fairmont’s La Laguna Restaurant and Lounge, told me that workers might spend a full day collecting just a handful of the worms she prepares. The escamoles, or larvae from the chicatana ant, that she sautéed in epazote, garlic and butter, are a delicacy harvested from central Mexico.
“Like Mexican caviar?” I asked.“That’s a good name for it,” Montesinos said.All of this comes with a caviar-like price. The appetizer
sampling of ants, worms, chapulines (grasshoppers) and acociles (a crayfish species) costs $40.
The insects were made more enjoyable – and yes, I did enjoy them for the most part – thanks to sommelier Luisa Maria Salgado’s pairings with Calavera, a Mexican craft brewer. Calavera’s Dubbel nicely complemented the salty chapulines, served in a tortilla with guacamole. (Doesn’t everything taste better with guacamole?) The Witbier brought out the rich, buttery flavor of the escamoles, which Salgada assured me are high in protein and vitamins.
They’re not just tasty, but guilt-free. You can’t say that about chicken wings.
THESE TREATS MIGHT BUG YOU
