Only a golfer knows the withdrawal felt when the game is not readily available, but luckily for the golf enthusiast Cacun  has another 18-hole option: the Pok-ta-Pok.

No, this is not a Mexican polka. Cancun Golf Club at Pok-ta-Pok is the oldest course in Cancun, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Golf addicts will drool over the internationally renowned 18-hole Pok-ta-Pok Club De Golf, with championship yardage on a par 72 and hundreds of meters of dramatic shoreline winding around ancient Mayan ruins.

Snuggled between the Nichupte Lagoon and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Pok-ta-Pok is only 20 minutes from the airport in the heart of the Zona Hotelera (Hotel Zone), and golfers can easily access the golf course via the city bus or taxi. Special golf rates are offered through many of the Cancun hotels.

From the moment you make your way up the circular drive and walk through the entrance doors, you'll feel right at home with a warm Mexican welcome and professional staff. Besides the golf course, facilities include two practice greens, 3 tennis courts, a well-stocked pro shop including high quality rental equipment, and a restaurant/bar with panoramic views of the Lagoon and Hotel Zone.

The 18-hole championship golf course was recently enhanced increasing its yardage of play to 7,050. Take a moment to enjoy the two ocean view holes at the 12th and 14th greens, providing challenging play over rock formations and several sets of trees and water bunkers. Home to a wealth of archeological treasures dating back to the ancient Mayas of a thousand years ago, the internationally renowned Cancun Golf Club at Pok-Ta-Pok provides a challenging golf game for all levels.

I haven't played this course since its enhancement, but this is what I remember:

Hole 1 starts off with a straight and open 354, par 4. At the 3rd hole, beware the Mayan ruins, uncovered during initial construction years ago. These ruins roost left of the green and only present trouble for those with a slice, challenging players to avid the 1,000 year-old ruins of luminous sandstone. Tall bush-like flowers called txoras and tulipanes are scattered throughout the course in celebration of the bright Mexican colors of red, yellow and pink. Hole 12's par 4, and 14's par 3 have spectacular, shimmering ocean vistas, with sailboats and parasails drifting on the horizon just beyond the green. The par 5's at Pok-ta-Pok range from 556 to 527 yards, straight shots with trouble in the bunkers. Bunkers are generally wide and long. Sloping greens give you plenty of room but demand a strong putter.

For those history buffs, the phrase "Pok-ta-Pok" refers to the ancient Mayan sport, where victors were actually put to death, but no need to get too nervous. Although your golf game could easily hurt you, it won?t be the death of you here, unless you spend too much time nursing shots of tequila at Hole 19.