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| THE "NASTY 9"
THE TOUGHEST NINE GOLF HOLES
IN VALLARTA | | Published in Homes
& Living Magazine - Year1 No. 3 Summer 2002. |
Have you ever stood on the tee, gazed down the fairway,
and thought to yourself - "I can't play this hole!", Well, here in paradise,
even warm and friendly architects like Nicklaus and Weiskopf have created monsters
that can turn nerves an knees to putty. Not to mention, convert a good score into
nightmare proportion. So, where are these "Nasty 9"? And why limit it
to nine? Are not all golf holes by definition diabolical creations? Well, we've
made our picks based on our own unforgettable (forgettable?) experiences, and
limited our chices to nine because the editor wouldn't allow more space. But don't
get us wrong. We love the world-class golf with which we're blessed in Bahia de
Banderas. The golf courses of Vallarta are resplendent with natural beauty and
world-class design, and can be enjoyed by every level of player. But, like all
great golf courses, there must be "holes from hell" to complement the
"gifts from God" as sculpted by the hands of the architect. So, here
goes. Our nine choices are listed in no particular order. Evil hath no choice.
1.- Hole No. 12, Nicklaus
- Vista
Vallarta Par 5, 580 and 538 respectively from the
gold and white tees. This dogleg right over 2 ravines features an ample driving
area that slopes from left to right and flows perfectly into two large bunkers
that protect the right side of the fairway. Even with a perfectly placed drive
in the right center of the fairway the player is faced with a second shot from
a slopping lie that not only is below his feet but diagonal to the line of flight.
From this lie you must clear the second ravine, avoid the rough on the left and
make sure you are not behind the large tree guarding the green on the right. The
green is two tiered and heavily bunkered. There are no breathing points on this
hole. Consider par a gift and move on to the next hole! 2.-
Hole No. 16, Weiskopf - Vista
Vallarta Par 4, 466 and 432 yards from the gold and
white tees respectively. Two long, straight shots are required to reach this monster.
The drive is particularly tough, with a narrow, uphill driving area guarded by
unplayable ravines and rough on both sides. Survive the drive and you're faced
with a long iron or fairway metal to the green. Two putts for par is a rarity,
except perhaps for Weiskopf himself.
 |
La Vista
Vallarta Golf Club I & II Desiged by Jack
Nicklaus & Tom Weiskopf. I - 18 holes par 72 -
7,050 yards
II - 18 holes par 72 - 6,976 yards. |
3.- Hole No. 18, Nicklaus
- Vista
Vallarta Par 4, 445 and 367 yards from the gold and
white tees respectively. A great finishing hole for a championship course! The
view from these tees is beautiful and inviting, the fairway drops severely and
has a sharp dogleg left. Long straight drives can roll through the fairway into
heavy rough. A little draw will follow the slope of the land and could run into
a deep ravine and creek. The daring long hitters have the choice to cut the corner,
leaving them a short pitch shot, but face the risk of a lost ball or unplayable
lie on any errant shot to the left. The two-tiered green slopes from left to right
on the first tier then drops off drastically from right to left on lower back
level. On a lightening fast green a putt from front to back could run off the
green into the creek that was avoided on the drive. This one will be fun to watch
at next December's EMC World Cup Championship. 4.- Hole No.
5, Marina Vallarta Par 4, 439 and 400 yards from the gold
and white tees respectively. A lake follows the contour on the left of this hole
from tee to green. Those impenetrable palm trees protect the right side, 1% air
99% tree. The landing area on this hole is only 25 yards wide, so close your eyes,
stiffen your nerves, aim down the middle and pray! Now that you have made it past
the drive, or taken a drop from the lateral water hazard, you are far from done.
This green is long, narrow and undulating, with water short and on the left. Any
shot coming up short will run off the right and any errand shot that is long will
run into a large trap. Hopefully you've built up a cushion on the first 4 holes
coming into this "nasty of nasties".
 |
Marina Vallarta Golf Club Desiged
by Joe Finger. 18 holes par 71 - 6,701 yards. |
5.- Hole No. 3b, Punta Mita Par
3, 194 and 184 yards from the gold and blue tees respectively. This is the signature
hole of hack Nicklaus's masterpiece at the exclusive Four Seasons Resort. An alternative
to the more conventional 3A hole, it features a full carry over water to an offshore
island green, the only such ocean hole in the world! If you're fortunate enough
to reach this green, you can walk our to the island at low tide to putt and enjoy
a great view back to the mainlad. At high tide, the hole is closed to putting,
but you can still hit a tee shot and imagine what might have been. You may want
to play both No. 3 holes (if No. 3B is open), to have a score in the event your
playing partners refuse to grant a mulligan or two on this most intimidating of
holes. 6.- Holes No. 3 Flamingos Par
5,608 and 568 yards from back and white tees respectively. This very long hole
is made even tougher by the uphill driving area and the traps in the landing area
which are penalizing but protect the ball from finding the mango trees further
to the right and the out-of-bounds to the left. The green is small and nestled
on a mound, thereby rejecting most attempts to pitch and run. This hole requires
both strength and accuracy to score well. Keep it in the short stuff!
 |
Flamingo Golf Club Desiged by Percy
Clifford. 18 holes par 71 - 6,982 yards | 7.-
Hole No. 12, Marina Vallarta Par 4, 431 and 382 yards
from the blue and white tees respectively. A prevailing on-shore wind makes this
hole play even longer. While straightaway, the tee shot is narrow and must avoid
a mangrove swamp (with crocodiles) to the left and thick ficus trees to the right.
The approach shot to the green can be particularly effected by the wind, and any
wayward shot will flirt with water to the left, right and rear of the green. For
those counting, that leaves only the front open for miss hit shots! And, did we
mention the green is unusually undulating? Hopefully, you're on top of your game
by the time you reach this one. 8.- Hole No. 10, Weiskopf
- Vista
Vallarta Par 5, 624 and 497 yards from the gold and
white tees respectively. This hole gets our vote mainly for its length, which
brings into play a large lake that runs down the left side on the 2nd and 3rd
shots. Bundkers on the right side narrow these shots even further. A good score
here, and you have a few breathers before you reach holes # 15 and #16.
9.- Hole No.5, Punta Mita Par 4, 424 and 416 yards from
the gold and blue tees respectively. Last, but far from least, is this demanding
and long Par 4. A prevailing left to right wind makes hitting the split fairway,
with a creek running down the middle, all that more difficult. Long knockers can
leave the driver in the bag or take a gamble that they can clear the creek. The
second shot is uphill to a well-bunkered green. Par is a great score on this #1
handicap hole.
 |
Punta Mita Four Seasons Golf Club
Desiged by Jack
Nicklaus. 18 holes par 72 - 7,001 yards |
So, there you have it, our choices for the toughest
tests of golf in the Bahia de Banderas area. In a future issue, we'll extend the
"torture test" to a full 18 holes, to include not only the Nuevo Vallarta
courses, but your choices as well. So, drop us a line with your comments on the
nine toughest holes we've included in our initial rating and your own "private
hells", as an old British friend would say. We want to hear where your little
pieces of Hades are located so our final listing can better represent " the
peoples' choices". Note: Because of their recent
openings we have excluded the two new courses at paradise Village and Mayan Island
in Nuevo Vallarta, but you can be assured that they have their "holes from
hell" and we will expound on their features in future articles. Editor's
Note: The EMC World Cup will be held on the Nicklaus course at Vista Vallarta
December 10 - 15, 2002. The two leading money winners of the World's top 24 countries
will be here to compete against defending champions, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen
from the Republic of South Africa. If you are interested in helping us make this
a success, colunteer to help by sending an email to Joe Johnston at: jjohnston@pvnet.com.mx
| | |
|
| The Tiger Paradise Village Golf Club
Desiged by Robert Van Hagge 18 holes par 72 - 7,239 yards | |
Mayan Palace Nvo. Vallarta Golf & Tennis Club
Desiged by Jack
Nicklaus & Associates. 18 holes par 71 - 6,446
yards |
| | |
|
| Joe Johnston
Moved to Vallarta 7 years ago, he is now Master Professional golf teacher. All
of the proceeds from his teaching are donated to the "Make a Wish" Foundation | |
Jerry Lafferty Retired
to Mexico 3 years ago, following a 30 years career in corporate finance. Currently
President of the Navy League, and an avid golfer. | Archives
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