Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, MX (November 14, 2016) – Vidanta Resorts and Vidanta Golf, Mexico’s leading developer and golf course operator, along with KemperSports, the leading golf management company in North America, celebrate the opening of the newest course in the Vidanta Golf portfolio, the Norman Signature Course at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta. Vidanta partnered with internationally-recognized golf legend and course designer Greg Norman to build this championship course. It joins the renowned Nicklaus Design Course as the destination’s second venue for golf. Open for preview play this summer, the official grand opening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony, clinic and question and answer session with Greg Norman for platinum members of Vidanta Resorts.
“As Mexico’s leading golf course developer, Vidanta is consistently on the forefront of golf development and tourism,” said Iván Chavez, Executive Vice President of Grupo Vidanta. “We strive to bring the very best in the industry to our guests, which is why we partnered with Greg Norman for the design of this signature course.”
The Norman Signature Course encompasses the finest in golf with unsurpassed course conditioning on wall-to-wall Paspalum playing surfaces. The exciting layout winds along the banks of the Ameca River providing views of the Sierra Madres from every hole. Generous landing areas give way to large undulating greens protected by cavernous bunkers. Indigenous trees, native grasses and jungle surround the core course layout which is uninterrupted by housing and civilization throughout. Playability and enjoyment were key in the design process for this 18 hole par 73 that is as challenging from the championship tees as it is forgiving from the forward tees. All this begins with a trip across the world’s longest golf cart suspension bridge spanning the Ameca River from Nayarit to Jalisco.
“When designing this course, respecting and promoting the conservation of ecologically sensitive areas was of primary concern. As a result, routing was dictated by nature, according to dense vegetation corridors, streams and wetlands,” said Greg Norman. “We really enjoyed working with the Vidanta team on this design, as they know and understand golfers’ needs and expectations for a world-class course. Ultimately both high and low handicappers will really enjoy playing, as it offers the perfect trifecta of beauty, fun and challenge.”
The opening of the Norman Signature Couse caps off a stellar year of recognition for the Vidanta Golf portfolio. Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta was named a “Silver Medal Resort” by Golf magazine in June followed by recognition for Vidanta Puerto Peñasco (Nicklaus Design Course) as the “No. 19 Course” in Golfweek’s annual ranking of its Best You can Play in Mexico and the Caribbean.
For more information on Vidanta Golf visit www.vidantagolf.com or follow on social media @vidantagolf. For more information on Vidanta Resorts visit www.vidanta.com.
About Grupo Vidanta
Founded in 1974 by the tourism industry’s leading visionary, Daniel Chávez Morán, Grupo Vidanta is the preeminent developer and resort operator in Mexico and Latin America specializing in vacation destinations, luxury hotel brands, golf courses, real estate, tourism infrastructure and entertainment. The company owns and operates multiple properties in Mexico’s most sought-after beach destinations including Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán. Vidanta’s portfolio is also comprised of six distinct resort hotel brands – Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, The Bliss, Mayan Palace, and Sea Garden. From AAA Five Diamond award-winning hotels to an internationally recognized collection of golf courses throughout Mexico, Grupo Vidanta continually pioneers innovative partnerships, including collaborations with Cirque du Soleil to create JOYÀ (a first-of-its kind experience in Riviera Maya); Nicklaus Designs to develop three renowned Jack Nicklaus golf courses; and Greg Norman Golf Course Design to debut the newest pro course in the collection at Nuevo Vallarta. In addition to being the largest golf course developer in Mexico, Grupo Vidanta has also developed Mexico’s first privately built and owned airport in Puerto Peñasco.
Frequently named among the “Best Companies to Work for in Mexico,” Vidanta maintains a strong commitment to its 15,000 employees, and surrounding communities, through its progressive mission dedicated to environmental and philanthropic efforts, including its long-established non-profit foundations, Fundación Vidanta and Fundación Delia Morán. For more information, visit www.grupovidanta.com.
About KemperSports
Northbrook, Ill.-based KemperSports operates golf facilities as well as athletic clubs, lodging venues and major sporting events, including nationally ranked courses and tournament venues such as Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Streamsong Resort, Desert Willow Golf Resort and Chambers Bay, host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open. For more information about KemperSports, visit http://www.kempersports.com.
About Greg Norman
Widely regarded as one of the most successful athlete-turned-entrepreneurs in history, Greg Norman is known as much for his entrepreneurial spirit in the boardroom as his swaggering style on the golf course. As a Hall-of-Fame golfer, Greg Norman won 91 golf tournaments worldwide, including two British Open championships, and claims the distinction of having held the No. 1 position in world rankings for 331 consecutive weeks.
Norman achieved this success through his aggressive playing style, ability to embrace failure and a “never-settle” attitude. Founded in 1987, the Greg Norman Company integrates this same approach to business and the internationally recognized brand consistently delivers the values that his name is synonymous with.
Today, the Greg Norman Company boasts a diverse portfolio of more than a dozen well-established and successful companies, all bearing the iconic shark logo, across Consumer Goods and Services, Real Estate and Investments. And with a strong focus on authenticity, passion, confidence and leadership, the Greg Norman Company continues to inspire people to defy boundaries and play their own game.
About Greg Norman Golf Course Design
Established in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) is recognized as one of the premier signature golf course design firms in the world with 100 courses opened across six continents. Greg Norman’s experience playing many of the world’s great golf courses served as a catalyst to develop his interest in course design. He is personally involved with every step of the design process, from walking the virgin site, to planning and construction to opening day.
Norman’s least-disturbance approach design philosophy creates golf courses that blend with their surrounding environment and enhance the properties’ natural features. GNGCD has been an industry leader in promoting the compatibility of golf courses with the environment, with many of his projects having been awarded the coveted Audubon Society Award for environmental stewardship.
Greg Norman Golf Course Design and its projects have been recognized around the globe and have garnered numerous prestigious recognitions for design.
• The Bluffs Ho Tram Strip “World’s Best New Golf Course 2015” World Golf Awards
• Ellerston “Top 100 Courses in the World 2015” GOLF Magazine
• Almouj Golf The Wave “Top 10 Courses in the Middle East 2015” Golf Digest
• Red Sky Golf Club “Top Ten Courses in Colorado 2013” Golfweek
• The Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes “Top 100 Golf Resorts in North America 2011” Conde Nast Traveler
• Tiburón Golf Club At The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort “No. 1 Golf Resort in Florida 2009” Golf Digest
• El Camaleón “Best New International Course 2007” GOLF Magazine
• Vellano Country Club “Development of the Year 2007” GOLF Inc.
• Mission Hills Golf Club “Ten Best International Courses 2004” Travel & Leisure
Contact:
Erin Hopkins
Vidanta Resorts
(212) 924-3600
ehopkins@jpublicrelations.com
B.R. Koehneman
Director of Communications
KemperSports
(847) 480-4844
brkoehnemann@kempersports.com
Jane MacNeille
Corporate Communications Manager
Great White Shark Enterprises
(561) 640-7000
jane.macneille@gregnorman.com
