How Can I Play El Camaleon Golf Club?
The Greg Norman-designed course near Cancun offers three distinct landscapes to challenge players of any ability
If you're on the lookout for variety to truly test your ability, El Camaleon at Mayakoba resort in Mexico has an abundance. Located 35 minutes from Cancun airport, the Greg Norman-designed course has three distinct landscapes, each as spectacular and challenging as the other.
There is tropical jungle to navigate, dense mangroves and long stretches of oceanfront sand through holes with limestone canals over its 7,039 yards, making it one of the more varied courses you're likely to find. You may have guessed, but that is how it got its name - The Chameleon.
Norman's courses are typified by their "least disturbance" philosophy, which identifies the most desirable and attractive natural features on the terrain and then finds a way to incorporate them into the routing, and El Camaleon is no different. As well as the stunning natural landscapes used through the course, Norman even included a cenote, an ancient underground cavern common to the Mayan region, in the fairway of the first hole.
The course, which is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Sanctuary, has several standout holes. Two par 3 holes, the fourth and 15th, benefit from spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Between them, another par 3, the 10th, has a green resembling a figure eight, which is guarded by bunkers and has limestone cliffs to the right. Meanwhile, perhaps the most diverse hole is the 13th, which begins in the jungle and ends in the mangroves.
The course opened in 2006 and it wasn't long before the PGA Tour took notice. It began hosting one of its tournaments, the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, in 2007. Now named the World Wide Technology Championship, the tournament has had some big-name winners including Victor Hovland, who won in 2021 and Graeme McDowell, who won in 2015 when it was named the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. It left the PGA Tour to become the first of the LIV Golf League schedule for its 2023 season.
If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of the professionals and experience a round at El Camaleon, the good news is that it is open to the public. There are four resort hotels to choose between - the Andaz, Banyan Tree, Fairmont and Rosewood. Hotel rates vary depending on which one you choose, the type of accommodation you select and the time of year you travel. There is more information and the option to book on the Mayakoba official website,
For anyone staying at the resort, green fees are $199 to play at twilight and $259 to play at other times. Meanwhile, it's $129 for juniors,.
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How Much Is It To Play Golf At Mayakoba?
Green fees for resort guests are $199 to play at twilight and $259 to play at other times in the day. It's $129 for juniors. Anyone wishing to stay at the resort can choose between four hotels - the Andaz, Banyan Tree, Fairmont and Rosewood.
Does Mayakoba Have Caddies?
There are caddies at El Camaleon Golf Club, and if you'd like book one, you can do so in advance when you arrange your tee time. However, using a caddie is not mandatory.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
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