Playacar Spa & Golf Club

Playacar Spa & Golf Club occupies a distinctive stretch of the Riviera Maya coastline in Playa del Carmen, designed by Robert von Hagge and opened in the mid-1990s during the region's emergence as an international resort destination. Von Hagge, known for his bold architectural style and willingness to work dramatic landforms into tropical settings, routed the course through a combination of dense Yucatan jungle, natural cenotes, and coastal mangroves. The layout incorporates the region's characteristic limestone substrate and native vegetation, with several holes playing alongside or over water features fed by the area's underground river systems. The course presents a relatively compact routing that weaves through the Playacar residential development, integrating the natural jungle canopy and occasional Mayan archaeological remnants that dot the property. Von Hagge's design emphasizes strategic water hazards and uses the tropical landscape to frame playing corridors, creating a resort experience that balances challenge with the visual drama of the Caribbean setting. The flat terrain typical of the Yucatan Peninsula means elevation change comes primarily from constructed mounding and the occasional dip toward cenote formations. As part of a resort community adjacent to Playa del Carmen's hotel zone, Playacar serves both resort guests and local members, functioning as one of the established golf options along this section of the Riviera Maya. The course operates within the broader context of Mexican Caribbean golf, where the combination of jungle, water, and coastal proximity defines the regional character.