Greg Norman’s firm returns to renovate Vidanta Vallarta ahead of 2026 Mexico Open
Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) has started renovation work on the Norman Signature course at Vidanta Nuevo Nayarit-Vallarta, located on Mexico’s west coast.
GNGCD designed the course in 2016 and, since 2022, has been the home of the PGA Tour’s Mexico Open.
“Our goal is to create memorable moments for both players and fans by amplifying the strategic variety and drama, particularly in the closing stretch,” said Greg Norman.
The renovation, which began in September 2025, focuses on holes four, eight, seventeen and eighteen. Other work includes the creation of a new, 4,000-square-foot practice green, a new player arrival area, a main hospitality area, and galleries that will have views of holes nine and eighteen, with the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in the distance.
“The golf course experience will be enhanced from a tournament perspective, both for players and spectators, as well as for guests and club members who regularly play the course,” said GNGCD architect Chris Campbell.
“The Mexico Open at Vidanta is positioned as the PGA Tour’s premier event in Latin America. The coordinated work between the multidisciplinary teams – Vidanta, GNGCD and the PGA Tour – will result in one of the finest venues internationally, which Vidanta members and guests can also enjoy.”
The fourth will be completely redesigned, making the hole longer and more strategic. The fairway will be framed by new bunkers, with play following the fairway’s slight right-to-left dogleg. A new green complex will be defended by bunkers to the front right. The shape and size of the putting surface will allow for a variety of pin positions for members and tournament play.
“On the eighth, new fairway bunkers create a variety of options from the tee shot,” said Campbell. “This par five refreshes its strategic nature with a risk-reward situation that demands a well-positioned shot, which will be key to players’ aspirations for an under-par score on this hole.
“For the closing holes, the seventeenth transforms into a par three with a stadium-style theme. The design concept for this hole is conceived to make it a visually and strategically iconic hole, with a variety of playing situations from the tee shot and around the green. On the long par-four eighteenth, precision is needed with tee shots needing to land on a new landing area between lakes. The strategy around the green is revamped with new greenside bunkers that help to heighten the excitement of certain pin positions on this final hole.”
The renovation is expected to be completed by December 2025.
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