El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Course Review: El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa del Carmen, Mexico

This weekend the PGA Tour travels to Mexico for the OHM Classic, hosted by the El Camaleon Golf Club. This course has a great deal to offer professionals and amateur golfers alike - here is a brief overview of the golf offering at this idyllic coastal course.

Located on the coastline near Quintana Roo, El Camaleon GC forms part of the Mayakoba resort. The course is a magnet for golf tourism in the area, with thousands of players from North America and beyond visiting Mayakoba each year – and it's not hard to see why:

The combination of coastline, mangrove, and tropical forest gives the area an exotic island feel, and the Greg Norman-designed course winds its way through these three different environments on its eighteen-hole journey.

At just over 7000 yards, El Camaleon is a lengthy and varied course, with generous broad fairways and challenging bunkers. The course design makes the most of the changing natural landscape in the area, with one fairway containing a cenote, or underground cavern – a natural occurrence in the region. Here are some features of this scenic coastal course:

• The first hole is a gentle welcome for most golfers, with no bunkers whatsoever. Nonetheless, players will need to plan their shots on this par 4 to avoid two strategically placed fig trees.

• The fourth hole is a miniature par-3, measuring just 116 yards. This seaside hole is challenging, with the coastal breeze that may cause shots to astray.

• Hole number seven is a lengthy par-5, featuring a cenote on the fairway. This natural cave should provide a useful target for players who wish to land their shot in a good position to lay up.

• The par-4 sixteenth hole provides a rare birdie opportunity, with a dogleg fairway and large bunkers which could be avoided with a careful approach shot.

The course at El Camaleon can be enjoyed by guests of the Mayakoba Resort – golfers may visit the club's website for further details.

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