Greg Norman to Design Second Golf Course for Grupo Vidanta at Nuevo Vallarta Resorts

GUADALAJARA, Mexico, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Vidanta, Mexico's leading resort developer, has selected Greg Norman as the designer for the second golf course at their world-class Nuevo Vallarta resort.   The Greg Norman Signature golf course will feature 18 holes located along the beautiful beaches of Nuevo Vallarta between the western Sierra Madre mountain range and Banderas Bay.  The golf course will be the second golf course at the resort and will be owned and operated by Vidanta Golf.

Ground breaking for the new course is scheduled for early 2012. Completion of the first nine holes is targeting November 2012 with the back nine targeting mid-2013.

Nuevo Vallarta is fast becoming the golf capital of Mexico, driven by the ambitious plans of Grupo Vidanta.  The Norman-designed golf course joins a Nicklaus Design course also owned and operated by Vidanta Golf in Nuevo Vallarta.  With three more golf courses to follow, a total of five professionally designed golf courses will create the ultimate destination for discriminating and casual golfers alike. The Nuevo Vallarta resort region is home to some of Grupo Vidanta's finest luxury resorts including Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, Mayan Palace and Sea Garden.

"We are extremely honored to partner with Greg Norman Golf Course Design on the creation of what is destined to be a special golf course and a favorite of golfers for years to come," says Arturo Hernandez, Chief Architect for Grupo Vidanta. "Mr. Norman's reputation as an exceptional course designer precedes him, and our guests will benefit from his professional golf experience as well as his dedication and passion for creating environmentally sensitive golf courses."  

"Grupo Vidanta is known around the world for their luxurious beach resorts." said Norman. "And I look forward to working with them to design and build a golf course that compliments the gorgeous resort setting at Nuevo Vallarta.  We hope to design and build a golf course that blends with the surrounding natural beauty and looks as though it has been there forever."  

Since the establishment of the company in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design has opened seventy four courses worldwide and has an additional 38 projects in various stages of development. Mr. Norman has become a champion of environmentally-friendly golf course development, serving as a Board of Trustee member for The Environmental Institute for Golf and chairing its Advisory Council. Grupo Vidanta resorts also place a strong emphasis on sustainability and are certified green by EarthCheck.

Preceding Mr. Norman's reputation as an outstanding golf course architect was his reputation as a world-class golfer.  During his 30-year professional golf career, Mr. Norman has collected 91 international victories, including two British Open Championships and 20 PGA Tour titles, and was the world's No. 1-ranked player for 331 weeks.  He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.

About Grupo Vidanta

Grupo Vidanta was founded in 1974 and has evolved for more than 35 years into one of Mexico's leading developers of hotels and resorts, golf courses, vacation ownership, and tourism infrastructure, including Mexico's first privately built and owned international airport at Puerto Penasco. For American travelers, Grupo Vidanta offers a choice of full-service luxury beach resorts in Mexico's finest beaches, under Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, Ocean Breeze, Sea Garden, Mayan Palace and The Grand Mayan brands. In the near future, new hospitality brands will include The Bliss and Mansions of the World. Grupo Vidanta's Mayan Island has built and sold over 2,000 second homes. For further information see www.grupovidanta.com.  

About Vidanta Golf

Vidanta Golf is the largest golf course operator in Mexico. Its award winning golf courses are located in the most beautiful beaches of Mexico including: Acapulco, Los Cabos, Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya and Puerto Penasco in Sonora. To learn more about golf with Grupo Vidanta, visit us at www.vidantagolf.com.

About Greg Norman Golf Course Design

First established in 1987,  Greg Norman Golf Course Design is today recognized as one of the premier signature golf course design firms. Now headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida,  GNGCD has opened 74 courses for play worldwide, with an additional 38 projects in various stages of development. Greg Norman has long held an environmentally friendly position throughout the design and construction of his golf courses adhering to a least-disturbance approach that focuses on every opportunity to incorporate unique existing site features into the layout of the golf course. For more information, visit www.gngcd.com.

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SOURCE Grupo Vidanta