Punta Mita golf means two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses on the peninsula at the northern tip of Banderas Bay: Pacífico (1999) and Bahía (2009). Pacífico is home to hole 3B, the “Tail of the Whale”, a par 3 played to a natural island green in the ocean. Both are reserved mainly for guests of the Punta Mita resorts and for members. Ten minutes away is Higuera Golf Club (formerly Litibú), a Greg Norman design that takes outside play, and further south in Nuevo Vallarta you’ll find Vidanta, El Tigre and Flamingos, which round out golf in the Riviera Nayarit.
Below you’ll find each course with its designer, hole count and who can play it, a comparison table with approximate 2026 green fees (only where the club publishes them), how to book a tee time, the best months to play and answers to the questions golfers ask most. For a statewide overview, see our article on Nayarit’s nine golf courses.
Punta Mita golf: two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses
Punta Mita is a gated, roughly 2,700-acre resort community on the peninsula that closes off Banderas Bay to the north, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas. It is home to the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, The St. Regis Punta Mita and several residential enclaves, all set around the two courses of Punta Mita Golf Club. Both carry the Jack Nicklaus Signature label, meaning Nicklaus designed them personally, for a total of 36 holes plus Pacífico’s bonus hole. To get your bearings before you book, read our Punta de Mita travel guide.
Pacífico and hole 3B, the “Tail of the Whale”
Pacífico opened in 1999, and eight of its holes run right along the ocean over volcanic rock and sand. Its signature is hole 3B, “Tail of the Whale”: an optional par 3 of about 200 yards to a green on a natural rock island just offshore. It was Mexico’s first “19th hole,” played as an alternative to 3A, and whether it is open depends on the tide and the swell, so ask the day before your round. Since 2021 the course has been going through a phased renovation of greens, bunkers and tees.
Bahía
Bahía opened in 2009, ten years after Pacífico. It has more elevation change, lakes and lateral water hazards, and stretches past 7,000 yards from the back tees. The hole people remember is the 387-yard 17th, which curls around a cove to a green steps from El Faro beach, a well-known local surf break.
Who can play at Punta Mita?
Neither course operates as a public course with walk-up rates. Play is open to:
- Guests of the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and The St. Regis Punta Mita, who book tee times through the concierge (The St. Regis lists golf hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
- Club members and homeowners inside Punta Mita, plus their guests under club rules.
Green fees are not published and vary by access type and season, so check rates with your hotel when you book. If you’re not staying inside Punta Mita, the closest alternative is Higuera Golf Club.
Golf in the Riviera Nayarit beyond Punta Mita
Outside the peninsula, Riviera Nayarit golf clusters in two areas: Higuera Blanca–Litibú, a few minutes up the coast, and Nuevo Vallarta–Flamingos, 15 to 25 minutes from Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR). All of these courses are in the state of Nayarit, even though the airport sits just across the line in Jalisco.
Higuera Golf Club (formerly Litibú Golf Club)
If you searched for “Higuera golf club,” this is the former Litibú course. Designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2009, it is an 18-hole, par-72 layout on paspalum grass between native scrub forest and a long stretch of beach, off the Punta de Mita–Sayulita road in Litibú (Higuera Blanca). Standouts are the 8th, a peninsula green surrounded by water on three sides, and the par-5 18th, which drops to a green framed by the ocean. It takes outside bookings on its website; public rates are not posted, so check rates before you go.
Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta: The Nayar Course, Vidanta Vallarta (Norman) and The Lakes
The Vidanta resort at the southern end of Nuevo Vallarta has three courses:
- The Nayar Course (Nicklaus Design): the resort’s original 18, par 70 and 6,668 yards, with seven lakes, 49 bunkers and a steady crosswind off the Pacific.
- Vidanta Vallarta (Greg Norman Signature): 18 holes, par 73, 7,287 yards, opened in 2016 across the Ameca River. You reach it over the Ameca Bridge, a 560-foot suspension bridge for golf carts. It hosts Mexico’s PGA TOUR event, the VidantaWorld Mexico Open.
- The Lakes Course: 10 par-3 holes and the only lit course in the area, with play until 10 p.m. A good fit for beginners or a quick evening loop.
Tee times are booked through the resort’s pro shop or concierge, and Vidanta Golf also takes reservations by phone and email. Rates aren’t published; check rates and ask whether non-guests can play.
El Tigre (Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta)
El Tigre, inside Paradise Village, was designed by Robert von Hagge and Rick Baril: 18 holes, par 72, 7,239 yards, with water on 12 holes, sandy “beach bunkers” and an island-green par 3 at the 6th. It does publish rates: approx. 5,330 MXN (about $295 USD) from November through April and 4,640 MXN (about $260 USD) from May through October, including a shared cart, range balls and water. Full prepayment is required to confirm a tee time.
Flamingos Golf (Nuevo Vallarta–Bucerías)
Flamingos is the most affordable public course on the bay, between Nuevo Vallarta and Bucerías. It plays 18 holes, par 72 and 6,853 yards over gently rolling ground, with Bermuda grass, 9 water hazards and 43 bunkers. For May 1 to October 31, 2026 it lists 2,520 MXN (about $140 USD) for a daytime round, 1,470 MXN for twilight (1:00–2:52 p.m.), 1,155 MXN after 3 p.m. and 999 MXN for 9 holes after 4 p.m., with a shared cart and taxes included. Outside that window, check rates. You can book online; collared shirts are required and denim isn’t allowed.
Club Campestre de Tepic
Inland, in the Las Delicias area on the west side of Tepic, the state capital, the Club Campestre (country club) has a compact golf course of about 50 acres. It is private, for members and their guests. Don’t confuse it with Vidanta’s Nayar Course on the coast.
Punta Mita and Riviera Nayarit golf courses compared
| Course | Designer | Holes | Access | Approx. green fee 2026 | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Mita Pacífico | Jack Nicklaus (1999) | 18 + hole 3B | Four Seasons / St. Regis guests and members | Check rates | Punta Mita |
| Punta Mita Bahía | Jack Nicklaus (2009) | 18 | Four Seasons / St. Regis guests and members | Check rates | Punta Mita |
| Higuera Golf Club (Litibú) | Greg Norman (2009) | 18, par 72 | Public, by reservation | Check rates | Higuera Blanca–Litibú |
| Vidanta – The Nayar Course | Nicklaus Design | 18, par 70 | Vidanta guests (ask about others) | Check rates | Nuevo Vallarta |
| Vidanta Vallarta (Norman) | Greg Norman (2016) | 18, par 73 | Vidanta guests (ask about others) | Check rates | Nuevo Vallarta |
| Vidanta – The Lakes | Vidanta | 10, par 3 (lit) | Vidanta guests | Check rates | Nuevo Vallarta |
| El Tigre | Robert von Hagge and Rick Baril | 18, par 72 | Public, prepaid | Approx. 4,640–5,330 MXN ($260–295 USD) | Nuevo Vallarta |
| Flamingos Golf | Not published | 18, par 72 | Public | Approx. 999 MXN (9 holes) to 2,520 MXN ($140 USD), May–Oct | Nuevo Vallarta–Bucerías |
| Club Campestre de Tepic | Not published | Short course | Members and guests | N/A | Tepic |
Conversions use roughly 18 MXN to the U.S. dollar. Always confirm the rate with the club.
How to book a tee time
- Choose where to stay first. If Punta Mita is the goal, book the Four Seasons or The St. Regis; it’s the most direct way onto Pacífico and Bahía. The same logic applies to Vidanta’s three courses.
- Book early in high season. From December through March the best morning slots (7 to 10 a.m.) fill up, so request your tee time when you confirm your room. For hole 3B, ask about that day’s tide.
- Book public courses directly. El Tigre requires prepayment; Flamingos takes online bookings and charges a no-show fee unless you cancel 24 hours ahead.
- Plan the transfer. From PVR it’s about 15 to 25 minutes to Nuevo Vallarta and Flamingos and about 55 minutes to Punta Mita. See how to get to Nayarit for options, and our Visit Nayarit directory for hotels and restaurants near each course.
Best time to play golf in the Riviera Nayarit
Peak golf season runs from November through April: almost no rain, lower humidity and warm, dry afternoons. It’s also humpback whale season (December to March), and you can often spot them from Pacífico’s oceanfront holes; read more in our guide to whale-watching season in Nayarit.
From June through October it rains most afternoons and the heat is humid, but rates drop: El Tigre and Flamingos apply low-season pricing from May through October. To weigh every factor month by month, see the best time to visit Nayarit.
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are in Punta Mita?
Two, both by Jack Nicklaus: Pacífico (1999), home of hole 3B “Tail of the Whale”, and Bahía (2009). Higuera Golf Club (formerly Litibú), a Greg Norman design, is a few minutes away.
Can non-guests play golf at Punta Mita?
Generally no. The Pacífico and Bahía courses are for guests of the Four Seasons and The St. Regis Punta Mita, plus members and homeowners with their guests. Non-guests usually play Higuera, El Tigre or Flamingos instead.
What is the “Tail of the Whale” hole?
It’s hole 3B on the Pacífico course: an optional par 3 of about 200 yards to a natural rock-island green just offshore. Whether it’s playable depends on the tide and the swell.
Where is Higuera Golf Club?
In Litibú, Higuera Blanca, off the Punta de Mita–Sayulita road, a few minutes from Punta Mita. It’s the former Litibú Golf Club, an 18-hole, par-72 Greg Norman design.
How many golf courses does Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta have?
Three: The Nayar Course (Nicklaus Design, 18 holes, par 70), Greg Norman’s Vidanta Vallarta (18 holes, par 73, host of the PGA TOUR’s Mexico Open) and The Lakes, a lit 10-hole par-3 course.
How much does golf cost in the Riviera Nayarit in 2026?
At public courses, from approx. 999 MXN for 9 holes at Flamingos up to 5,330 MXN (about $295 USD) at El Tigre in high season. Punta Mita, Higuera and Vidanta don’t publish rates, so check when you book.
Area map
- 1Punta Mita Golf Club (Pacífico and Bahía) Two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses (1999 and 2009) plus hole 3B, Tail of the Whale. Guests and members.20.76898, -105.53059 · Open in Google Maps
- 2Higuera Golf Club (formerly Litibú) Greg Norman, 2009. 18 holes, par 72, in Litibú, Higuera Blanca.20.79401, -105.48414 · Open in Google Maps
- 3Vidanta Golf Nuevo Vallarta The Nayar (par 70), Greg Norman's Vidanta Vallarta (par 73) and The Lakes (lit 10-hole par 3).20.6816, -105.28254 · Open in Google Maps
- 4El Tigre Golf (Paradise Village) Von Hagge and Baril. 18 holes, par 72, 7,239 yards. Public, prepaid.20.6925, -105.29495 · Open in Google Maps
- 5Flamingos Golf 18 holes, par 72, 6,853 yards. Public; from approx. 999 MXN (9 holes) in 2026.20.73975, -105.30648 · Open in Google Maps
- 6Club Campestre de Tepic (country club) Private country club with a golf course in Las Delicias, Tepic. Members and guests.21.5167, -104.93372 · Open in Google Maps