By Patrick Connelly

With seemingly unlimited picturesque landscapes to work with – from cacti-strewn deserts to sandy beaches – the world’s most renowned golf course designers have made Mexico a playground for fans of the gentleman’s game.  Whether you think you are the successor to Tiger Woods or only use that $400 driver a dozen times a year, Mexico has stunning, challenging courses throughout the country.

Just as in the U.S., there are both private and public courses, with the former sometimes being extremely exclusive.  So if you aren’t willing to dish out half a million dollars on a resort condo to gain access to the links, public courses are the way to go.  But these are no coach-cabin second class fairways; conversely, Mexico has several top-notch public courses at decent values.

1. Cabo del Sol Golf (Ocean and Desert courses)

10% of every green fee goes to putting cool logos on golf balls

Located close to Cabo San Lucas, the Cabo del Sol courses are two of Mexico’s signature public masterpieces.  The ocean course, an 18-hole, 7,103 yard work of art borders the Sea of Cortez and has been named as one of the top 100 courses in the world. Designed by the famed Jack Nicholas, it has been the host of several Senior PGA tour events and ProAms in its 15 year history.  The course has also been described as the “Pebble Beach of Mexico”, albeit by Nicholas himself.  Regardless of the designer’s self-aggrandizing, the ocean course is a true joy to play and continually receives high marks in Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. The clubhouse itself worth the trip; a 40,000 ft. haven inspired by local architecture offers fine dining, stocked golf store, and much more.  With quality comes costs, however; prices range from $125 to $350 depending on the tee time and the month. http://www.cabodelsol.com/content/golf_ocean.html

The desert course, on the other hand, is dominated by sand, rock, and cacti (imagine that).  Designed by Tom Weiskopf, this 18-hole course rolls through 7,100 yards of intimidating elevation shifts and difficult bunkers.  While it may often be overshadowed by its older and more illustrious brother, the desert course has been ranked as high as #6 in Mexico by Golf Digest. Like its brethren, the course’s clubhouse is based on classic Mexican architecture and offers all the glossy amenities to make a visit memorable.  A round of golf among the dunes will run you anywhere between $85 and $220. http://www.cabodelsol.com/content/golf_desert.html

2. El Tamarindo (Jalisco)

Learning the Spanish word for mulligan will help at Tamarindo

The best golf courses connect the sport with the natural beauty, creating a synthesis that puts the golfer into another environment.  The Tamarindo golf course, set amidst a 2,000 acre nature preserve, is a great example of this technique.  Plus its a damn fine course, 6,750 yards bordering the rugged Pacific coastline and fringed by tall palms.  Located in Jalisco, about 130 miles from Puerto Vallarta, Tamarindo has been ranked as high as #2 in Mexico and is perfect for amateurs and seasoned pros alike. http://www.eltamarindoresort.com/en/index.shtml

3. Palmilla Golf Club, Cabo

Another one of Jack Nicholas’ creations, Palmilla is unique because of it offers 27 holes in three mini-courses.  The Arroyo (stream) Nine, the Ocean Nine, and the Mountain Nine are all pretty much self explanatory in what the terrain is like.  Much like its neighboring courses in Cabo del Sol, elevations shifts are the golfer’s main enemy.  At 6,369 yards, the course is a difficult challenge, but with several sets of tees to play from, all levels of skill are accommodated.  Palmilla routinely gets high accolades yet is less expensive than many comparable courses in Mexico; fees range from $60 to $220 per round of 27 holes. http://www.palmillagc.com/index.html

4. El Cameléon Golf Course ( Quintana Roo)

On the other side of the country in the heart of the Yucatan is the impressive El Cameléon course.  A 7,000 yard Greg Norman creation, this course does an impeccable job combining the man-made with the natural.  Its promoters note that the 18 holes wind through three different environments: mangrove forests, beaches, and hills.  The Mayakoba Resort, which houses this stunning course, is a mere 30 minutes from the Cancun airport, yet seems a million miles away from civilization. http://www.mayakoba.com/index.html

5. VistaVallarta (both courses) – Puerto Vallarta

Foliage is slightly different than your neighborhood course in Ohio

Mexico’s two seminal course designers, Nicholas and Tom Wieskopf, team up at the Vista Vallarta resort to create a double offering of sweet courses.  The Nicholas course is a 7,000 yard par 72 built on high elevation, providing golfers with incredible views of Puerto Vallarta below.  Wieskopf’s creation is an exercise in extremes; he brilliantly uses the area’s unique characteristics offer an immensely challenging 18 holes.  Rates vary between $130 and $195. http://www.vistavallartagolf.com/

cover photo provided by tdwhite63 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/toms-pics/106817290/

first photo provided by happygirljen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/happygirljen/727793153/

second photo provided by Jessica New at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicanew/493938122/

third photo provided by stelter13 at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11383359@N03/2226482896/

If you are staying for a short trip you might want go for a vacation rental in Mexico or if you are looking for an extended stay you can see all types of Mexico real estate here.

Moving to a new country after having spent most of your life in the same place surrounded by your friends and family is not always an easy decision to make. Getting to know a new culture can take some time, so it is always advisable to take this step very cautiously so it doesn’t turn out to be a cultural shock and overall a bad experience. After all one thing is to just visit Mexico for a week or on a short vacation and a completely different thing to pack up all your belongings and move there.

One of the first things you should bear in mind when considering moving to Mexico is the language. While not a necessity, a good grasp of Spanish can come in quite handy when living in Mexico. Learning some of the most common expressions a list of  “modismos” (which could turn out very, very, very long) is always useful.  Although learning Spanish is not a requirement, (there are many Americans and English speakers) it’s best to have some basic conversational skills down to help you find your way around the country.

Where to Live

Before making the decision it’s best to visit Mexico several times before even thinking about moving there. It is always a good idea to stay for an extended period of time so you can experience and get the feel of what it would be like to live in Mexico, that way your move will not result in such a big shock when you make the decision.

In a next entry we will be looking into the legal process behind getting all your paperwork organized.

The picture used on this entry was taken from Flickr, kindly provided by user: Photoscott at http://flickr.com/photos/scottandress/1289720929/sizes/o/

Article written by Victor Loza and Sharon Heafey

Contributing writers to Latinworld.com

Is the Press biased when it comes to reporting about dangers in Mexico? In our opinion, yes, it is. There is no doubt that Mexico is having problems right now, but does that really affect the average student, tourist or investor?

Recently there were shootings during Mardi Gras in New Orleans that were not widely reported in the US media. Yet CNN on the same day ran a report of three drug dealers killed in Mexico. After that, more warnings were released advising tourists and students to stay away from Mexico. Should there have been warnings to the same groups to stay out of New Orleans?

The recent news has once again injured northern Baja’s tourist trade by repeating old news that, in most cases, happened a year ago. At the same time, reporters are saying little to nothing about the shootings during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Why didn’t the shootings in New Orleans make a bigger splash in the US media? According to Bob Johnson, general manager of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center-New Orleans, it would be an unfair tactic, because crime is a problem in most metropolitan cities. “I’m not sure why New Orleans is picked on,” Johnson said. “Certainly New Orleans doesn’t have a corner on the crime market. Other cities are as bad or approaching as bad with street crime.”

Still, cities that compete with New Orleans convention business and leisure travel may try to use the Mardi Gras incident and the city’s other crime problems to try to persuade visitors not to visit. See the full story here. Many cities in Mexico, such as Rosarito, Ensenada and Tijuana are already suffering greatly from the exaggerated media reports.

A recent report in the Los Angeles Times stated that Los Angeles had 130 murders by gunshot over the period from January 1 to March 9, 2009 (read the article). In stark contrast to this, Rosarito beach had ZERO persons killed over that same period and Tijuana had THREE – all related to drug crimes.

While living in the United States we experienced the fear of going to McDonalds or the mall, or worrying that some deranged individual would take a gun to school and start shooting innocent children. We lived through “Freeway Rage” where innocent people were shot and some were killed. We sat in front of the television in horror while the news reported killings in high schools and government offices. In all of these cases innocent people were hurt or killed.

In Mexico, almost all of the shootings are taking place between drug dealers or between police and the drug cartel. The U.S. also has its share of drug related shootings but they are commonly referred to as “Drive bys.”

Obviously some of the news about Mexico is accurate, and we are not going to deny that innocent people are killed in Mexico, but it is not to the extent the U.S. media makes it out to be. It is upsetting and hurtful to watch what is presented by the press, especially knowing that family and friends, in addition to the millions of other individuals watching the news, may actually believe what they are hearing.

We both live full time in the Rosarito/Ensenada area and are not afraid to walk the streets, visit our favorite restaurants, go shopping, go to the movies, or go to any government agency. We feel safe. We love both the United States and Mexico. It’s like having two very different children that you love the same but for different reasons. We hope that no one ever encounters the horrors discussed above and we invite you to visit our Mexico and enjoy the sun, the food and the wonderful people.

Victor Loza and Sharon Heafey are the co-founders of Your Baja Connection. YBC proves real estate and relocation services for buyers in Mexico. YBC can be reached at 858.748.5870, via email at YBC@YourBajaConnection.com or at www.yourbajaconnection.com

By Patrick Connelly

After 400 years La Paz is finally living up to its name. Originally a center for pearls in pre-Colombian times, the indigenous population was wiped out by smallpox shortly after the arrival of Hernan Cortez in 1535. In their place came adventurers and carpet-baggers, greedily looking for riches under the ocean’s surface. It was a frontier town, nestled against the Sea of Cortez and surrounded by brilliant desert. The rags-to-riches mentality did not stop at the shoreline, however, as pirates plundering the Pacific shipping lanes took refuge in the safety of the harbor. Centuries later, the town’s population exploded as the Baja Peninsula became a haven for those fleeing the violent revolution on the mainland.

Ironically, it took the downfall of the pearl industry in the 1940’s to really stabilize La Paz’s economy. Gone were the vagabond entrepreneurs, tempted by the pink and black pearls, flocking to the town for work. Today, the city of 170,000 is quite, friendly, and…peaceful. In stark contrast from its nearby neighbor, Cabo San Lucas, the pace of life moves to the slow rhythm of the waves. In recent years La Paz has also become a destination for expats and retirees, drawn to the relative seclusion, friendly locals, and inexpensive living costs.

The time is prime for buying or renting property in La Paz. Investors all over the world are realizing the potential for Mexican coastal tourism and seaside property is being snatched up quickly. Long gone are the days of Cancun, Acapulco, and Cabo being the only places in Mexico with foreign interest. While not ignored, La Paz has been able to escape the gringo spotlight up to now, mainly due to the attention its sister city to the south receives. Thus, living expenses are normally quite less than the more tourist cities. Cabo San Lucas real estate is much more popular for expats and is only 150 miles away. Very modern, beautiful rental properties can still be found in the $100,000-$200,000 range in and around the city, dramatically less than similar ones in Cabo. Also, the general cost of living is much less, ranging from $1,500 a month to whatever opulence you desire.

Because of the established infrastructure already in place, tranquil location, white sand beaches, and proximity to other expat and tourist hotspots, investing in La Paz is as close to a surefire bet as you can get. Property appreciation levels are expected to keep increasing over the next decade and Baja continues to be a more attractive place for foreign investors. The city is serviced by good roads and an international airport, as well as access to the ocean. It truly is the next big thing in Mexico, and for the time being incredible value still exists in this city of peace.

Flickr photo by Monalisa