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HIT THE LINKS AT RIVIERA NAYARIT’S WORLD CLASS GOLF COURSES

Riviera Nayarit, MEXICO - Golf in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico’s Pacific vacation destination, is a fabulous attraction for both golf aficionados and the general public. Already there are eight championship courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Robert Von Hagge and Percy Clifford.

Riviera Nayarit has two additional courses underway, one being designed by Fleming Golf in Nahui in Destiladeras, one of Banderas Bay’s most beautiful beaches. Robert Trent Jones Jr. is designing the second course in Punta Raza.

Nayarit’s appeal to leading designers and golf aficionados? Ideal year-round weather, breathtaking views of ocean, bays and coves, a backdrop of tropical forests and rugged mountains, and plentiful varying landscapes ready to be molded into fairways and greens of exceptional challenge and beauty. Golfers of all playing abilities are assured of having the time of their golfing lives at six signature courses, in addition to three championship courses in nearby Puerto Vallarta.

The following are brief descriptions of Riviera Nayarit’s golf courses. Litibu Course, LitibuOperated by Fonatur Operadora Portuaria with Luis Iriarte as club pro, Norman’s newly designed 18-hole Litibu Course is open to the public seven days a week and offers full golf services including a pro shop. Litibu’s beautiful course is routed over rolling terrain offering dramatic uphill and downhill holes along the Pacific Ocean. The Litibu resort area, adjacent to Punta Mita, is one of Riviera Nayarit’s fastest growing resort destinations.

Nayar Course, Mayan ResortsJack Nicklaus’s Nayar Course in Nuevo Vallarta opened in 2011, operated by Grupo Vidanta Golf. Originally designed by Jim Lipe, Nicklaus has completely redesigned the 18-hole (par 72), 6,936 yard course, creating an entirely new golf experience. Nayar looks out on Banderas Bay as well as the Sierra Madre mountains and features a 129 slope rating and the latest technology, including GPS systems in golf carts. The top hole to play is Hole #14, a signature par 3, 153-yard hole between the beach and a lake.

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Pacifico Course, Punta Mita The 7,014-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature course, with its renowned 3B green on a natural ocean island, has made Punta Mita a veritable paradise for world-class golfing. Accolades include Condé Nast Traveler's 2006 Reader's Choice of the Best Golf Resort in the World.

The Nicklaus-designed course is spread over 200 acres and takes full advantage of its location on the Punta Mita peninsula. Eight holes border either the Pacific Ocean or Banderas Bay, and all holes offer ocean views. Along with the vistas across white coral sand beaches and of the surrounding Sierra Madre Mountains, Punta Mita's tropical landscape of palm trees and flowering trees add to the pleasure of playing this challenging course.

Among the distinctive features of the course is the signature island hole, 3B, the world's only natural island green situated 194 yards from the shore. Driving the ball across the Pacific Ocean is a unique experience, as is getting over to the green to putt. At low tide, there is a connecting pathway over shallow waters or as the tide moves in, a staff member shuttles golfers in an amphibious version of a golf cart. The hole is known as the "Tail of the Whale," because when seen from the air, it resembles the shape of the tail of the Humpbacked whales that frequent the offshore waters of Punta Mita during winter months. When asked to name his "best" hole, Nicklaus responded, "3B at Punta Mita."

Bahia Course, Punta Mita Already having achieved accolades for his Pacifico Punta Mita Golf Course, Nicklaus opened this course in November 2008 with a much anticipated championship caliber design stretching over 7,035 yards. Among the highlights of the course are:

The Bay of Banderas and Pacific Ocean are visible from all holes; five holes play along the water

Two of the top holes to play are:o Hole #15, 462 yards, approach shot gives stunning views of the Bahia de

Banderas o Hole #17, 387 yards, plays along the water with the Pacific Ocean as the lateral

water hazard

El Tigre Club De Golf, Nuevo Vallarta (www.eltigregolf.com)Opened in March of 2002, El Tigre is a par-72 course with 7,239 yards, designed by Robert von Hagge, the well known Texas-based designer who is the most prolific designer in Mexico. Nine bodies of water and rolling hills make it a special gem. The course also features what may be the finest clubhouse in Mexico, elegantly Spanish in style, with 45,000 square feet that include a restaurant, lounge, pro-shop, locker room and a European spa.  The course has water in 12 of the 18 holes and a total of 144 sand traps in the entire terrain. Among the highlights of the course:

The 185-yard, par-3 6th hole, which plays over water to a picturesque island green, considered the most beautiful par 3 in Mexico

The 421-yard, par-4 16th hole, a long dogleg right with a peninsula green The 17th: a 250-yard, par-3 with plenty of sand and water The daunting par-5 18th, a monster at 621 yards with water along the left side and the

green firmly entrenched in sand – the longest hole in Mexico, and one of the most difficult par-3 in the country.

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Flamingos Golf Club, Nuevo Vallarta (www.flamingosgolf.com)Only 20 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Flamingos Golf Club is the oldest golf course in Riviera Nayarit. Built in 1978 and playing 6,982 yards with a par-71, it was designed by Percy Clifford, an English designer well known in Mexico. The course recently completed a 3-year, $3 million renovation, with a new club house, pro shop and restaurant, and a driving range.

Masterfully integrating the natural beauty of the location, the course preserves the tropical greenery, over 1800 palm trees, and a rolling terrain that makes it challenging but enjoyable. Built in and around a series of natural marshes, lagoons and estuaries that are a habitat for local fauna such as deer, hares, crocodiles, turtles and over 100 species of birds, Flamingos is a test of chipping skills and every other aspect of the game.

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About Riviera NayaritMexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, bird watching, international cuisine, and the local artwork from the traditional Huichol tribe. Riviera Nayarit is recognized as a “Virtuoso Preferred Destination.” The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. For more information, visit www.RivieraNayarit.com or follow Riviera Nayarit's Fan Page on Facebook.