Mexico Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
Mexican golf is in a genuine building cycle. A Greg Norman rebuild is being readied for a PGA Tour return at Vidanta Vallarta, a new Ernie Els course is rising on the Baja coast, and Los Cabos is finally adding courses again after a long pause. Here is what is changing and why it matters for your trip.
The headline: Greg Norman rebuilds Vidanta Vallarta
The most visible project of the year is at Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit, the resort better known to golfers as Vidanta Vallarta on the Pacific coast near Puerto Vallarta. Greg Norman Golf Course Design has returned to carry out a substantial renovation, with work on tees, greens and bunkering aimed at modernising the layout for both resort guests and tournament play. The headline date is November 2026, when the revamped course is set to host the PGA Tour for the Mexico Open.
This matters for the visiting golfer because a course rebuilt to tour standard, then maintained for resort play, is usually one of the best conditioned options in its region. Pairing a Vidanta round with the wider Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta golf scene gives a trip a clear flagship, and the tour spotlight in November will only raise the profile.
A new Ernie Els course on the Baja coast
The most exciting new build is Oleada, an Ernie Els Design course on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It forms the golf heart of a new oceanfront resort community, reported at around 860 acres, with championship calibre routing and dramatic seaside holes. The course is set to open in 2026, adding another marquee name to a Baja coast that already includes some of the best golf in the Americas.
For anyone planning a Los Cabos or East Cape trip, Oleada is the freshest reason to build in an extra day. The Baja golf corridor has been one of the most dynamic in the world for a decade, and a new Els links on the ocean keeps the region at the top of the list for a 2026 golf odyssey.
Los Cabos adds courses again
After a long stretch with no new openings, Los Cabos is expanding again, with several courses expected to come online through 2026. Among the most talked about is The Legacy Club, where grass sprigging began in the summer of 2025 and the course is expected to open by the end of 2026, taking golfers from open desert into a lusher environment as the round unfolds.
Over on the Caribbean side, PGA Riviera Maya at Tulum Country Club, a Robert Trent Jones II design, is set to host the Korn Ferry Tour in April 2026, underlining how quickly the Riviera Maya is maturing as a golf destination to sit alongside the long established Mayakoba courses.
What it means for your trip
The practical takeaways for a 2026 Mexican golf trip are clear. On the Pacific coast, the rebuilt Vidanta Vallarta becomes the natural centrepiece of a Riviera Nayarit itinerary, ideally with the tour calendar in mind for November. In Baja, the opening of Oleada is reason to extend a Los Cabos trip, while The Legacy Club adds depth to the cape once it beds in. And on the Caribbean side, the Riviera Maya keeps strengthening around Mayakoba and Tulum.
As always with renovation and opening news, confirm before you commit. Sprigging schedules slip, reopening windows move and a course in its first season can play differently from its settled form. Green fees across the resort corridors are quoted seasonally, so treat any figure as indicative for the 2026 season and always confirm directly before booking.
Our take
Mexico has spent the last decade becoming one of the most rewarding golf destinations in the Americas, and this run of work is why it keeps climbing. A Greg Norman rebuild on the Pacific, a new Ernie Els course on the Baja ocean and a fresh wave of openings in Los Cabos mean the standard a visitor can play is rising on both coasts at once. Our advice is to pick a coast, anchor the trip on the courses that are open and mature, and treat the new names as the reason to add a couple of days.
Plan your Mexico golf trip
From a rebuilt Vidanta Vallarta to the new ocean courses of Baja and the Riviera Maya, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Which architect is renovating Vidanta Vallarta?
Greg Norman Golf Course Design has returned to renovate the course at Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit, known to golfers as Vidanta Vallarta. The revamped layout is set to host the PGA Tour for the Mexico Open in November 2026.
What is the new Ernie Els course in Mexico?
Oleada is an Ernie Els Design course on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, the golf centrepiece of a new oceanfront resort community of around 860 acres, set to open in 2026.
Is Los Cabos getting new courses in 2026?
Yes. After a long pause, several courses are expected to open in Los Cabos through 2026, among them The Legacy Club, which began grass sprigging in summer 2025 and is expected to open by the end of the year. Confirm openings directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Renovation and opening details verified June 2026 from club, architect and golf media sources; projects and dates change, so always confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.