Cancun, Mexico has been a popular tourist destination for many years. Cancun is located in the eastern Mexico state of Quintana Roo. I recently had to opportunity to take my first vacation to this tropical paradise. On this vacation I decided to stay at an all-inclusive resort located in the northern part of the hotel district. The Flamingo Hotel and Plaza looked very nice and the price was right. I was very surprised that my total cost for the hotel, food, drinks and airfare was less than $1000. Granted, I was going during the month of June, but this was a very reasonable price.

Traveling has never been one of my favorite activities but in the end the reward is well worth the trouble. If you have not been through the airports in recent years there are a few things to know before traveling. First be sure that you dress very comfortably, I would recommend you wear a shoe you can take off very easy. As you are passing through the security checkpoints you will need to remove your shoes.

Anything that has metal on it should be packed into your checked luggage. The more things you have to remove will only slow down this already slow process. Be sure to check the airline requirements for carrying liquids and gels as the standards for them are quite strict. There is very little tolerance for anything that falls outside of these guidlines and you will not be able to keep them.

If you are traveling internationally you will need to arrive at the airport a little earlier to go through the additional checkpoints this type of travel requires. What I have found is that the wait time to come back into the United States is much longer than any wait time to get into a foreign country.

As I arrived at my hotel I was already impressed by the level of customer service. The employees were always willing to help you out in any way possible. Before heading out on a vacation to an all-inclusive resort I would take along about $100 in one dollar bills. You should use these for tips for the staff. You will be surprised at how this little extra will dramatically increase the attention you get.

The views of the Gulf of Mexico are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The ocean is several shades of blue, the ocean gets darker blue as it moves away from the shore. I asked several times why the ocean water changes color but I got several different answer, so to me it is still a mystery.

When I got to my room I was pleasantly surprised - for the price this was a very nice room. This room had a view of a several restaurants located across the street, but I was on the 5th floor and was able to see the lagoon on the other side of the buildings. If you have the opportunity I would request an ocean-view room.

I decided I was going to play golf twice during my 5-day stay. The first golf course I played was the Cancun Golf Club at Pok-Ta-Pok. This golf course was designed in 1976 by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and has many holes that border the lagoon and ocean. This is a great designed golf course but I was a disappointed with the condition of the course. Many of the golf courses are still trying to recover from the devasting effects of Hurricane Wilma.

One of the most dramatic holes on the front nine is the par-3 5th hole. This hole measures 210 yards from the back tee. The left side of the hole is guarded by bunkers that run across the front and the lagoon borders the right. It was very difficult to hold this green as the greens were very hard and there was wind blowing behind us. I managed to hit it into a bunker behind the green.

There is not a lot of space in this area so most of the holes on the front nine are short par-4's. These holes are made tough by the high humidity which limits the distance the ball will travel.

The back nine of this golf course has some great holes. The first of these holes is the 10th hole. This long par-4 is one hole you will be happy to make par on - it measures 438 yards from the back tee. You will need to avoid the bunker on the left to have a shot at this green. The green on this hole is sloped from back to front. If the pin is in the back, take extra club to reach the pin.

The 14th hole is a par-3 that sits up against the ocean. From the tee box you see the gorgeous ocean behind the green. This hole is not very long, only 134 yards, but there are several deep bunkers that you need to avoid in order to make par. Take a moment when you finish this hole to take a picture.

This golf course had a great layout but the condition was below standards. There were many places on the golf course that hadn't seen a mower in weeks. Even many of the tees were long and one tee had a spot on it that looked like US Open rough. If you are not concerned about condition, then the veiws on this golf course are worth the drive to the golf course. Don't expect to play a good round but you will be treated to great scenary.

After playing this golf course I was hoping the other course I was going to play would be better. I had a tee time at the Hilton Cancun Golf Club. This golf course was only located a few minutes from my hotel and the price was very reasonable. I decided to play early in the morning and got a 6:32 am tee time.

When I arrived at the golf course I could already tell the golf course was in much better condition. I was looking forward to this round of golf and the more cool temperatures in the morning. I was playing alone during this round and was the second group off the tee.

I would recommend that you leave the driver in the bag and hit a lot of three woods off of these holes. Many of these holes have dog-legs which are bordered by water on either side. The second hole is a great example. This hole is not very long and a well hit 3-wood will leave you with only 130 yards to the hole.

The third hole is where I saw the resident crocodile, Panco, resting near the water hazard. His mouth was open and he was obviously cooling himself off for the days activities. This animals are not aggressive as long as you view them from a distance. They will only attack if they feel threatened.

The remainder of the front nine is fairly straight-forward. The greens and fairways on the course are bermuda grass, which is very common in the southeastern portion of the United States. This grass can be very grainy and, if you are not familiar with it, it can be tough to putt on. The greens at the Hilton Cancun Golf Club were in very good condition but were very tricky to putt.

The 10th hole is one of the most demanding holes on the golf course. This long par-4 is a very difficult driving hole. The prevailing wind is blowing toward the lagoon that is all the way down the right side of the hole. There is also a large bunker on the left-hand side in the landing area. If you can find the fairway you will have a long approach shot into a small green.

The finishing hole at the Hilton Cancun Golf Club is a short par-4. Water comes into play on this hole down the right-hand side. I hit a 3-wood off the tee and was left with only 140 yards into the green. The water runs directly in front of the green and you must carry the water in order to reach the green. It is a great way to finish a round on a great golf course.

Overall I was very impressed with the condition and layout of this golf course. They have done a terrific job of bringing this golf course back into shape after the hurricane. I would reccommend this golf course if you are taking a trip to Cancun.

I really enjoyed my first experience in Mexico. The food was great, the people were very friendly and I played one really great golf course. There are many other great golf courses located in this area but are a slightly farther drive from the main Cancun area. The PGA Tour played an event in this area for the first time this year.  

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