Iberostar Playa Paraiso Resort

July 19, 2015

In the Riviera Maya, south of Cancun, Mexico, there is the Iberostar Resort.  A wonderful place if you like beach and sand, Caribbean blue waters, and vacations in general.  They also have a golf club, a course designed by P.B. Dye, but I feel pretentious even mentioning that.  I have very little clue identifying designers of golf courses, but I certainly can identify a good time golfing.

A 'good time' golfing implies fun with friends, which would make this experience off the charts for me, but that wasn't the case back in July, 2015, when I played a round alone.  I had called on the first full day we were there to find out the scoop on golfing and I went from maybe golfing sometime that week, to getting ready to be there for a 3pm tee time that day.  Turns out getting out at 3 would be easy, and a hundred dollars cheaper than a morning tee time, so it was like making money.

The only downside was the heat.  It was around ninety degrees, and humid in that part of Mexico.  It is jungle all around the Yucatan Peninsula, and there were lizards and tropical plants all around the course.  I got there a bit before 3pm, and was shown my cart and clubs instantly.  I played alone from start to finish, and didn't do any waiting.  I did take close to four hours, which is a little long for being alone and having no one in front of you.  But I took my time in the heat, and spent a good amount of time looking for balls, since I only had about five with me.

1st Tee, Iberostar Golf Club Solidaridad, Mexico 7/19/15

They gave me a set of Pings but I couldn't tell you the model.  I can tell you the driver was the size of my head, much bigger than the 1999 Taylor Made that I use at home.  But I couldn't not use it, not with that view staring at me.  It is a Par 4, 354 yards from the whites.  I did my best to swing nice and easy with the giant driver.  It wasn't a very good drive, but better than a shank or drizzle.  I finished with a six here.

I should paint the scene a little better too.  I had a cart with a cooler full of ice and a few waters.  It was blazing hot.  I imagine it would be better super early, but from 10 thru 5 it was tropical hot.  I don't recall any good shots on this first hole, but I was trying to get a good start so no one would catch me, and I kind of rushed through it.

2nd hole, Par 3 155 yards

     The second hole is a Par 3 155 yards, and I hit an eight iron that carried long and left.  But it was  a decent shot, not a flub and I tapped on for a par attempt:

2nd Green

 My ball is on the green, thirty-five or forty feet away from the pin.  If you look at the tallest tree in the picture, the ball is on the green right in front of its trunk as it appears in the photo.  I missed that par putt, however, and tapped in for four.

The third hole is a Par 4, 312 yarder, but with a severe dog leg right.  In fact, it was a ninety degree turn, and I had no real idea of the yardage of the turn, but I tried the driver anyway.

3rd hole Playa Paraiso, 7/19/15

That fat-headed driver!  It was my fault as much as hers.  I hit my Titleist DT Solo to the right, a major slice, and I watched it hopefully head for the turn, but I heard the ripping of branch and leaf as the ball sailed over the bunker you see above, the bunker straight ahead if you follow the line of the cart path.  I hit a provisional at this point and this one started ok as well, but then began drifting right.  It was less of a slice and landed in that same bunker.  So I am now down to four balls, with one in my pocket, one in that bunker, one in the woods, and two in the bag.  So I had to give it a good scout search, and here was my first encounter with the lizards.  As I searched through the lush jungle, I heard something scamper and I saw a nice sized lizard, over a foot long.  Startled me, and I became concerned about what other wild animals might be lurking about.  I discovered it was the small ones I needed to worry about, because after a minute or two in those trees, I was attacked by some major bugs, mosquitoes in particular.  I quickly thought of the Spanish explorers who found themselves trekking through those jungles, and the bugs and such they must have encountered, without an air conditioned hotel to go back to.  Good to be the Man from 2015.

Couldn't find that original drive, and I reminded myself I must hawk for balls if I planned to play 18 holes.  But I had to get out of those trees.  I played my second shot (not counting penalties) from that bunker.  I was at the far end of the trap, nearest the corner where the hole turned right, and had to be careful not to clip the trees if I went for the green.  So I had to aim to the left side of the green.  Could you believe I missed the green left?  I was in a gully, but not a bunker.  I hit my third shot off grass, but it was like hitting out of a bowl.  The walls were four or five high.  I took aim with my sand wedge and maybe hit the shot of the day, dropping it right near the cup and rolling just past it.  I tapped in to finish, but instead of a four, it was a six, because we don't take mulligans.

On the fourth hole, the Par 4, 350, I hit a line drive to David Wright, meaning in the woods, but not deep.  I tee'd up a second drive and made full use of the fat-head ping.  I swung easy and skied one right down the middle of the narrow fairway.  If only I could jar that.  I took a quick look and found my original bad drive, dodging the damn 'quitos all the way.  I noticed there was a lot of spare broken concrete along the out of bounds around the course. It must have been something to do with its construction.  Anyway I squandered that nice second drive.  Actually I hit a decent nine iron, but it was short of the elevated green.  With my next shot, I hit a pitching wedge clear over the green.  It landed out of bounds down a steep embankment.  It was a good twenty or thirty feet down, and it was a rocky slope, but I could see my ball, and could not leave any behind.  I hadn't hawked any at that point.  On the way back up the rocky out of bounds hill, I stumbled and scraped down, drawing a bit of blood from my ankle.  I began to worry about a tropical disease on the cut, but then remembered about the free beer.

That hole and the next, a Par 5 477, were generous sevens, so my score from here on in is all a sham.  I spent so much time searching for my drive on the 5th, I finally noticed a foursome behind me, still over a hole away, but gaining, so I put it in gear from that point.  The beverage cart also swung by.  I asked for a beer, which was included with my resort package, and he gave me two.  It was Superior, the Mexican brand, and wow, an ice cold brew on a hot day is refreshing.  I stashed one in the cooler, and downed the first right before I played my second shot on the sixth hole,

6th hole, Par 3 125

  This is a short Par 3, but the psychological water is there to mess with you.  I grabbed my nine iron, and hit this one a little too long.  My ball landed to the right of the furthest bunker on the right in picture, and I had to make my up and down from the backside of that green.  I did not succumb to the psychology.  I stayed out of the water, but still finished with a four.

I finished the front nine with a 52, including some lies, excluding others, so the golf game suffered.  I can't stand not having a decent legitimate score.  But I won't pout and quit because of it.  Not with nine holes of tropical Mexican vacation ahead of me.  Not with the scenery at this lush green resort.

I pressed on, and with my fresh nine starting I hit that fat-head long and straight on 10, a Par 4 369, that goes up hill near the green.  It was just off the fairway, but a good way out.  My second shot, a pitching wedge, landed left of the green, but almost exactly pin high:

10th green, Iberostar Playa Paraiso 7/19/15

I then had to come back on, and two putt for five.  It was hot, and I didn't see a drop of rain the week we were there.  But they must give that course plenty of water, because it was green and lush, with beautiful palm trees throughout.  Those are some of the hotel features in the picture, to the right.  I think you can see the Mayan Temple which is the pyramid under the palm.  It was part of the hotel, not a real Mayan ruin.

11th green

It felt humid, and I guess it was, but it wasn't hazy.  Loved those deep blue skies in Mexico.

The 12 hole is a Par 3 172.  More of the water to play with the mind:

12th hole, Par 3 172

I took out a five iron here, hoping for the hole in one.  I hit an ok shot, but not great.  It was straight, but I didn't strike it clean, and I landed short of the green by about ten yards.  My second was lousy too.  I remember being to the right of the green, not in, but near a bunker, and noticing off to the right of the trees you see that are right of the green, there was someones backyard, with a nice swimming pool, but not a soul around.  Wished I could jump in it, but came back to my bad round to complete a five.

I say 'bad round' but I mean scoring.  This is still a good day overall, understand.  It would be tremendous with good company, but I was trudging through it.  I had literally only a handful of good shots the whole way through.  I was longing for some company, when this guy came along:

I don't know his name, 13th hole

He was a friendly guy.  I didn't pet him.  He came over eagerly, but then kind of stood off and kept his distance as I searched for my drive on 13 (another slice).

He didn't say anything

He was a nice looking dog.  He seemed stray, but appeared pretty healthy.  He was mellow, and for the moment, more interesting than my golf game.

As for the golf game, I had only one more shining moment.  After the 8 on the Par 5 14th, I came to the 15th hole, a Par 4 368:

15th, Par 4 368 yards

I hit a good drive here, down the middle of the fairway, leaving me a wedge away.  I botched the second shot, and knew right there that I would be drinking that second beer right after this hole.  It was a flub.  My third shot landed here, though, so I was putting for par:

15th green

So, it is tremendously disappointing to putt for par only once or twice in a round, even if it is all I should expect with my game.  But I remind myself to pay attention to the setting, keep it in perspective.  I missed this 18 footer for par, but I was on vacation, and not commuting to Manhattan for work, so hurray!

Nothing spectacular about the 17th hole, except the 17th hole itself:

17th hole, Par 3 161 yards

I went for the hole in one here, but did not get it.  Or the par.  Or the bogie.  But look at it.  I was there!

18th

I have to give the place credit because as fantastic as it was, there was no clown car holes, no windmills.  The place seemed very real.  But on 18, things got a little interesting.  My round didn't get better or worse, it was just another 6 or 7.  But check out this mound:

That's a clown-car hill

I didn't land in that bunker, obviously...actually, it's not outside the realm of my golf world for that next shot to land in the bunker, but this time it didn't.  That is the flag you see beyond the left side of that mound.  I think I flew that shot over green and to the right, where I encountered a puppy.

I closed out the round with another bad score, finishing the back nine with something else over 50.  I didn't bother to write down the score.  But during the ride back to the clubhouse, I followed that puppy to his family.  Here they are:

Mama and two puppies

I guess dogs are common on the course, but these were docile also.  No clue what type of dogs, but a mamma and two puppies are cute, huh?

I finished here with something above one hundred, with barely two attempts at a par.  However, it was still one of the best rounds of my life.  It is a place I would return to in a heartbeat if I found myself on the Riviera Maya.

Bethpage Blue on 6/20/15

  So the golfing has become a little more rare in 2015.  There is no hope for the scores, but I am milking every last moment of golfing pleasure from these experiences, grateful as I am for each.  I have even had the indignity of playing only 9 holes on two occasions this year.  Of my five rounds, two have been 9 hole jaunts, one pressed for time, which is this one described below at the Blue Course at Bethpage State Park, and the other a simply miserable 57 or something on the front 9 at Charleston Springs that I simply could not continue due to exhaustion.  Really I could have continued, but it was the anticipated exhaustion after 18 holes of 110 golf that I chose to avoid.

1st Hole Bethpage Blue 6/20/15

This day was one where my wife had gone to see her friend's daughters in a dance recital in Long Island, and rather than buy me a ticket to that recital, she wisely thought the money would be, for me, better spent on greens fees at Bethpage.  I don't remember the number of that greens fee but it was quite reasonable, in the $40 range.  It was early afternoon, and threatening rain, in fact drizzling already, so getting out as a single was not problem.  There are five courses at Bethpage, including the Black, where the pros play every few years, so it is a fantastic complex.  I have not played Black, nor do I deserve to at this point.

As nice as the place is, this wasn't much of a round for me.  I played nine holes for two reasons (or more).  For one, it took just over three hours to finish the front nine.  With my family waiting for me at her friend's house after the recital, I knew arriving after 7 would not work.  Conveniently, the rain really kicked in as I was about to tee off on the 10th, and this made my decision easier, to quit after nine.  If I had shot a 39 on the front, damn the torpedoes, I would have continued.  However it was closer to a 59.

I had three bogies and these were my best holes.  All others were double and triple.  What do you want me to say?  That I'm embarrassed about these scores?  This is my life, until I can play two or three rounds per week (plus practice).  I have to live with the sporadic pars and brilliant shots and this accepted resignation gets me through.

On the first hole pictured above, I hit a lousy drive left, but it was playable.  I managed to be on in three and two put for a five.  This was a positive development.  However, the two groups in front of my foursome (three strangers) were waiting on the second tee, and I guess I knew right there that I probably would not be playing 18.  The 1st hole 5 though, which is a 379 Par 4, had me in full denial mode, hopeful, smiling.

A seven quickly followed on two, a Par 4 441 Yard hole, and the slow play had officially taken over my psyche, with the rain and the looming text of "Where are you???  What time are you getting here???"  I must have mentioned in the past that I prefer to play quite fast.  I know everyone says that, but I live it.  I don't do much more than look and swing, sometimes without even a practice swing.

The third hole is a Par 3 180.  I hit a short drive here with my 5 iron, and barely saved the hole with a pitching wedge that still missed the green leaving me just off the fringe.  My trusty 7 iron poke did save the hole, putting me in tap-in range for the bogie 4.

The round was quite ugly the rest of the way, with two eights, and a double and a few triple bogies.

7th Hole Bethpage Blue 6-20-15

This hole doesn't look so pristine, but the course is pure northeast-woodsy.  The slight hills of the forest park make for an interesting challenge.  On the hole pictured above, the Par 3 175 Yard 7th, I hit my drive near the tree that you see at about 8 o'clock if you use the green as center.  My second shot was a blind pitching wedge, as I could not see the green because of the hill which may or may not be apparent in the photo, but was substantial from my angle.  I flew it over the green and into the bunker you see to the right of the green.  Three went over the green again to the other side, though not in the other bunker, but still a six.  A triple bogie, and I crossed the green twice, which is about as hack as you can get in public golf.  I felt shame.  I was closer to admitting that this round wouldn't make 18.

I recovered beautifully on the Par 5 8th hole, 545 yards.  I hit a strong drive to the right, just a few steps off the fairway, but on decent grass.  My second shot was solid 5 iron, and this landed me to spot in the picture below:

8th hole Bethpage Blue 6-20-15

So from there I am hitting my third shot, as would any normal professional golfer on a par 5 of decent length.  And I did not disappoint.  Yet.  I landed my pitching wedge about 12 or 15 feet to the right of the pin in this picture.  It was a smooth swing, nicely lofted wedge, and I was putting for birdie.  It was also the last joyous moment of this day's golf experience.  I missed the birdie putt, and the par putt, and ended the 8th with a bogie 6.  Yuck.

The ninth hole was another double bogie, and as I said, it was well after 3pm, and the 3-plus hour front would have got me out of there past 7.  I am stupid enough to continue even then, but as I stated earlier, the drizzle now became a steadier rain, and my goose was cooked.

I will return to Bethpage again sometime.  I have now played the green, 18, and the blue, and both are great as far as I am concerned.  They are carved out of the existing landscape, seeming less manufactured than most of the Florida courses you see, for example, and I appreciate that, even if they don't appreciate me.