Jack Nicklaus Looks Back: The 25-year-young Punta Mita Golf Experience

As we prepared to celebrate Punta Mitas 25th Anniversary I reached out to Mr Nicklaus’s team to request a message from the Legend himself on his recolections of designing both Pacifico and Bahia Courses here in Punta Mita.

«It’s not often you get a chance to create something truly spectacular and memorable that will be enjoyed for decades to come. It’s extraordinary to get two chances to do so! That is what I was fortunate to have at Punta Mita.

We often hear about venerable golf courses around the world that stand the test of time. With Punta Mita, you have a golf experience that is now 25 years young, but from the day it was conceived, was destined to stand the test of time for all those fortunate to play it.

I played the grand opening round on the Pacifico course in December 1999, and we opened Bahia 10 years later. Combined, it’s 36 holes of which I an incredibly proud.

It all starts with the property on which the Pacifico and Bahia courses sit, which was a very, very unique site. Punta Mita is set on a peninsula with almost 10 miles of beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Banderas Bay. It’s very rare to find a peninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean that not only fits itself ideally for golf, but one that the ownership group who developed it, desired to have good golf there, rather than to put everything else on the ocean. With this beautiful canvas, the ownership group allowed us the opportunity to put some excellent golf on the ocean. I think if you combine the two courses, there are some 13 holes that play along the ocean and countless more with views to the ocean.

Yes, there is some very good housing and accommodations on the ocean, but I would liken it to the Pebble Beach concept, where, from the houses, you view across the golf course to the ocean. The owners realized the value in that, and they had the elevation at Punta Mita to accomplish this. The end result was an offering made up of a number of very good things to appeal to just about everyone who comes there, especially golfers.
Punta Mita is simply a very unique, exciting piece of property, and one that for me was a great deal of fun to do!

On The Tail of The Whale

I am not a designer who likes to designate one golf hole as a “signature” hole—after all, I was brought in to design 18 signature holes, and in the case of Punta Mita, 36 signature holes—but it’s no secret that the most talked-about and visually stunning is the par-3 third hole on Pacifico. It’s a spectacular island par 3! I don’t think there is another island par 3 in the Pacific Ocean, at least not that I have any knowledge of existing. It’s must-see and must-play.
The hole is an optional par-3 third for golfers, and we designed another par-3 third hole that is enjoyable and challenging on its own. But it is tough to top the aesthetics, the inspiring natural aspect, and the fun challenge of the par-3 hole known as the “Tail of The Whale”. It doesn’t just play along the ocean, it literally sits in the ocean, and features an island green sitting on a rock formation in the Pacific.

During one of our early site visits, we noticed the island or rock outcropping just sitting in the water some 160 yards offshore. Then, after we discovered you could walk out there at low tide, we immediately realized and envisioned the rock formation’s potential as a golf hole. With something so unique, we first prioritized the environment. Keeping that in mind the entire time, we were able to design and create a golf hole that stands as a great example of a developer’s and course designer’s unwavering sensitivity toward all environmental issues, and how course designers in general make every effort to not only protect but enhance the natural surroundings.

We made certain to create a hole that was safe and one that would not contaminate the ocean. So, we constructed a small estuary on the island, which not in play and sits out of sight and hidden behind rocks. This estuary ensures there is no direct irrigation spray into the ocean and is all done internally. Before any drainage water returns to the ocean, it goes through a natural filter process. We then created a green that was large enough to make sure the hole was not only unique and challenging, but also very playable. If I remember correctly, we ended up with a 6,000-square-foot green, two large bunkers and a small fairway pad, all within the rock formation.

Lastly, we took great care to make sure the green was protected from potential damage caused by ocean spray. Two of the rocks on the back of the formation were connected by a very natural looking, man-made formation, which, as a result, formed a wall to protect the green from crashing waves. Further protecting the green is a natural tidal flow and the mountains. In essence, it is a calm ocean cove.

With a variety of tees, the hole can play from about 120 yards to a little over 180 yards, with most of that being carry over the ocean. There is a little bailout area right, so it could play a tad shorter, and there are the bunkers back and left of the green, so it protects your ball from getting in the rocks.

The first time I played the hole during the December 1999 grand opening, I played it from 194 yards, and with a slight, 10- to 12-mile-per-hour wind, I played a 3-iron. Today, at age 84, I might need to take out the driver. Regardless, on that day I was fortunate to hit it to 3 feet. As fate would have it, I missed the putt, but I was excited and very pleased about how the hole played, which was fantastic! «

Jack Nicklaus