An early tee time in the pro-am of the Mexico Senior Open at Pacifico Course last November afforded me some of the most gorgeous views of Punta Mita Golf Club as the ocean holes flooded with morning light. The beautiful calm was broken only by my ball being launched into one of the generous Jack Nicklaus fairways. And that’s before I ever stepped foot on hole No. 3B, the Tail of the Whale, a par-3 that is the world’s only golf hole with a natural island green. Welcome to the gateway to Paradise.
Between mountains and the endless Pacific and situated on a crescent of pristine beach is Punta Mita. “Punta” means point and “Mita” is an ancient Aztec word from the native people of the area that roughly translates into the “Door of Paradise.” So in other words, the Four Seasons Punta Mita is not just a geographical location but also carries a spiritual and cultural significance, with its name reflecting the area's beautiful landscape and historical importance as a sacred site – the point at the door of paradise.
This former fishing village on a private peninsula at the southernmost point of the Riviera Nayarit, is a palm-shaded oasis of warm breezes, oceanfront holes and guaranteed good times located 30 miles northwest of the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.
A little more than 20 years ago, Punta Mita was nothing more than an off-the-grid spot for hardcore surfers. No one could have imagined that two championship golf courses, multimillion-dollar villas and luxurious resorts would be carved out of 1,500 acres of jungle on Banderas Bay.
Tourists, who pack their golf clubs and participate in activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing and fishing, tend to fall hard for the intoxicating beauty of Punta Mita, especially at the Four Seasons Resort, where guests are welcomed at its thatched-roof – what the locals call a palapas – and open-air lounge and descend to a sparkling infinity pool at its center.
The St. Regis, the other resort option, is every bit the equal of the Four Seasons for living in the lap of luxury, including a personal butler at your beck and call and a champagne toast for guests every Friday at sunset to ring in the weekend. There are two more five-star resorts – offerings from Montage and Pendry – scheduled to be built as part of a next phase in the development.
I’ve also stayed in a gorgeous rental property at the Tau Residences, which could sleep two foursomes and includes a terrace pool and a view of Bahia’s 17th green that could even be seen from the shower in the master bath. In effect the decision is a choose-your-own-version of paradise – stay at one of the resorts and enjoy its amenities or choose from the many rental properties and receive access to the five beach clubs that dot the property and be treated as if you are the member-owner. It’s a bit like choosing between filet mignon and lobster tail for dinner. As someone who has done them both – the equivalent of surf and turf – I promise you can’t go wrong either way.
Set on the northern tip of Banderas Bay, Punta Mita is a spear-shaped peninsula, bordered on three sides by more than nine miles of white-sugary shoreline. My wife and I made the rounds exploring the various beach clubs, beginning with Sufi. This was not by accident. Not long after my first trip to Punta Mita, a member at my home club that I had never met before stopped me when he recognized the Punta Mita logo on my shirt and raved about the food there. He called dinner at Sufito Restaurant the best meal of his life and waited for me to agree. Only problem was that I hadn’t had a chance to eat there on my first trip. I intended to rectify that omission on our first night and it lived up to the hype, combining the flavors of Mexico and the Mediterranean, and gets a perfect 10 for its to-die-for setting overlooking Banderas Bay. But is it my favorite restaurant in the world? I’m not even sure it was my favorite meal of the week.
The black cod at Asai, a fresh take on Japanese-Asian cuisine at Kupuri Beach Club in one of the loveliest corners of the peninsula, had my wife and me battling over the final bites. Or was it our meal at El Surf Club, a long ride away so make sure your golf cart, which is the chief mode of transportation, is fully charged. Al fresco lunch is served beachside with captivating views of the Marietas Islands, the La Lancha beach and surf break and across Banderas Bay, and the menu – described as “sophisticated surf shack” – is written in chalk appropriately enough on a longboard.
Don’t miss the sunset at Pacifico Beach Club or the Michelada, a Mexican concoction of beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices and chili peppers (and occasionally Clamato juice) in a salt-rimmed glass on the golf course or the complimentary smoothie served at the turn by Andres that tasted a lot like a mojito. At Kupuri, we dined under a shaded, beach-front pergola and sampled a Mitarita, another favorite local cocktail in which the soursop and mango are meant to remind you of the tropical flavors of Punta Mita, the agave syrup of the sweetness that represents the community, the dry pepper of Mexico and its flavors, all while the tequila gives warmth to the cocktail.
This was followed by the inevitable snooze in the sun, lulled by the sound of gentle waves in Litibu Bay. Afterward we drifted over to the bar and its poolside swings, and sipped a Coco Loco out of coconuts. Nothing says you’re on vacation in a tropical paradise like fresh coconut.
Had this been the sum of our experience – lounging by the beach and pools, delicious meals and massages, rinse and repeat – we would have departed with smiles on our sun-tanned faces. But the golf is top notch too, with Punta Mita Golf Club featuring two Jack Nicklaus Signature Designs that rank in the top 10 of Golfweek’s Best list of top courses in Mexico, the Caribbean, the Atlantic Islands and Central America. In an era when developers reserve nearly all significant coastal lands for residential development – to be enjoyed by only a lucky few – the developers here assured that some of the most exclusive views and experiences would be enjoyed by all golfers. It remains true today that the Pacifico course boasts eight oceanside holes, while Bahia presents nearly an impressive a number at five coastal holes.
Pacifico, dating from 1999, reopened in November 2021 after a six-month closure to restore the greens, bunkers and surrounds with TifEagle Bermuda grass.
“Pacifico has very strong bones, just like we knew in the beginning,” says Jim Lipe, lead design associate for both the original build and the renovation, who was given license to add some complexity to the greens, which had shrunk by 35 percent and were flat and benign by Nicklaus’ standards.
There’s nothing ordinary about the hole nicknamed “Tail of the Whale” or Cola de la Ballena. The rocky cart path to the black-lava island green is submerged by several feet of water from the Pacific Ocean whenever the tide is up.
Nicklaus calls the photogenic 194-yard carry over the agua “probably the best par 3 I’ve ever designed,” and he’ll get no argument here. I’m quite jealous of my brother-in-law, who once won a closest-to-the-pin contest there. After all, it’s the type of hole that makes you want to do cartwheels and brag to your friends when your ball lands safely. Unfortunately, mine ended in a splash, but my wife lifted her arms in triumph. Surely someone fetched our balls when the tide rolled out. On previous visits, I did just that, stumbling across the jagged rocks on my way to the green to retrieve a few stray shots.
Too much of the discussion of Punta Mita’s golf typically revolves around this iconic hole – and I get it. But with those eight holes directly facing or playing alongside the Pacific Ocean, Pacifico is no one-trick pony.
Bahía, Nicklaus’ second course at Punta Mita is every bit as good if not better. (My vote is for better.) Bahia’s opening stretch plays along the coast and bay, highlighted by the par-5 second, which faces Banderas Bay. Framed by early sun and offering views of still waters and the occasional standup paddleboard enthusiast paddling gently towards Sufi’s pier, this too could be my personal gateway to paradise. The soundtrack of waves as you putt combined with the view across the bay at the mountains rising to 6,000 feet give you a sense of place that is tough to beat. From December to March, you may see humpback whales breach in the distance. Holes 5-14 play through the center of the property, which then returns to the coast at 15. The short par-4 17th hugs the coastline, with surfers catching some of the area’s best breaks a chip shot away from where you might be chipping. Bahia’s greens are more challenging and there’s enough undulation that to run them at more than 11 on the Stimpmeter would be unfair.
After the round, we retired to The Deck, everyone’s new favorite place to hang. Initially conceived as a construction-related alternative to enjoying breakfast or lunch at Tail of the Whale restaurant during loud, dusty construction days, this new outlet with gorgeous views towards the 16th green and 17th hole of Pacifico with the Pacific framing the entire setting features an outdoor grille, semi-circle bar area and large covered patio is here to stay. The Deck has become a popular location for post-round drinks and snacks, movie nights and even private parties.
My version of paradise was sitting on a comfy couch with a cold cerveza, munching on guacamole and tortilla chips with new friends and reliving our birdies and bogeys. The doorway to paradise awaits south of the border and I can’t wait to return again.
