Acapulco -- Playing Golf While on Your Vacation

If you come to Acapulco with a yen to play golf, you have five options nearby. In Acapulco’s “Golden Zone” the Acapulco Club de Golf welcomes members of the public. The course is nine holes, all of which are well-kept and some of which can be quite challenging. Greens fees are about US$35 for 9, US$50 for 18.

The other four options are all 18-hole courses in Acapulco’s “Diamond Zone” – up and over the Escénica highway from the bayside. All are championship grade and meticulously tended.

Two courses are almost end-to-end, next to the Fairmont Pierre Marques Hotel and the Fairmont Acapulco Princess Hotel. Fees are approximately US$140 (less for hotel guests). One was designed by Ted Robinson and the other by Robert Trent Jones. Fees are lower after 12:00 p.m. and in low season.

Nearby you can try out the 18-hole course at the Mayan Palace Hotel, which offers some beautiful sea-side vistas. Fees are around US$75 for players registered in the hotel or condo units. For others it is about US$125. (The exact amount in dollars depends, of course on the exchange rate.)

Finally, if you are registered at either Fairmont Hotel or at Las Brisas, you have the option of playing Tres Vidas, a private golf club that offers a beautiful 18-hole championship course, set in lush vegetation on the road from Playa Diamante to Barra Vieja. Many of the holes provide breathtaking views of the ocean and the rocks above. Before 2 p.m. the fees are $180. They are $150 after that.

It is essential to reserve a tee-time as far in advance as possible. Well before you leave for Acapulco, speak to the concierge at the hotel where you will be staying and tell him or her the days and hours you would like to go out. Give alternatives. If you already have a foursome, advance notice is even more critical. Waiting too long may mean you won’t be able to play together.

While you have the golf concierge on the phone, discuss club rentals. With air travel becoming trickier every day, it may just be too much hassle to bring all your clubs. The clubs available for rental are usually top quality and will probably work out just fine for you. If you are very tall, very short or left-handed, ask them to check for availability before deciding to leave your golf bag at home. Women’s clubs are also in good supply, but it’s always a good idea to check to be sure they can give you what you want and expect. You may decide to bring your putter with you, and your current golf glove. Don’t forget to pack your shoes. If you really like a certain ball, bring a dozen with you. Though they probably have your brand at the club house, they will be more expensive in Acapulco than back home, particularly if the exchange rate has been moving against the peso.

Required attire at the clubs is the same as at good golf clubs everywhere: Slacks or Bermuda shorts, or skirt for the women, a shirt with a collar, and golf shoes with short, plastic cleats. (No long metal spikes, please!). If you plan to play between December 1 and May 1, there’s little need for rain gear or an umbrella. From May through November, you might find both to be very useful.

You may find yourself paired up with someone who does not speak your language. Usually this is not a catastrophe, but it might be a good idea to know some of the terms we use in Mexico on the golf course. For a quick course in “golf Spanish,” look for Part II of this Article, “Golf Spanish for Gringo Golfers.”