Photo courtesy Women’s Amateur Latin America
For decades, Tulum traded on its beach-town mystique and archaeological cred. The cliff-top ruins overlooking the Caribbean Sea drew the crowds. The cenotes and eco-lodges filled the travel magazines. But 2025 marked something different-a year when the Riviera Maya‘s southernmost destination proved it could compete on an entirely new playing field.
The transformation centered on Tulum Country Club and its anchor property, PGA Riviera Maya, a Robert Trent Jones II-designed layout that opened in 2010 and quietly built its reputation as one of Latin America‘s most challenging championship courses. In 2019, it became the first facility in the region to partner with the PGA of America, a distinction that signaled serious intent. The partnership guaranteed PGA-standard course maintenance and service protocols-details that matter to players accustomed to some of the best courses in the United States, including Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass, or any of the other marquee venues on the professional circuit.
That credibility paid off this year. The Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA TOUR’s primary developmental pathway where tomorrow’s major champions cut their teeth, added the Tulum Championship to its 2025 schedule. It was the first Korn Ferry Tour event held in Mexico since 2020 and the circuit’s first-ever stop in Tulum. The significance extended beyond the sporting headlines. A Korn Ferry Tour event brings international television exposure-broadcasting to more than 170 countries through 23 media partners-attracts hundreds of spectators, and puts a destination in front of golf’s most dedicated audience.
Tulum Sporting Events Are Next Level
For travelers considering a visit, the timing couldn’t be better. The global golf tourism market reached an estimated $25.34 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at 9.1% annually through 2030, according to Grand View Research. More than 12 million Americans traveled specifically to play golf in each of the past three years, up from 8.2 million in 2018, with international golf tourists spending an average of $2,200 per trip-roughly 50% more than general leisure travelers. The appetite for destination golf has never been stronger, and Tulum has positioned itself to capture a share of that market.
But golf wasn’t the only story. The Women’s Amateur Latin America championship, jointly organized by The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation, made its Mexican debut at PGA Riviera Maya in November. The event drew 60 players from 14 countries and featured appearances by two of the sport’s defining figures: Swedish legend Annika Sörenstam and Mexico’s own Lorena Ochoa, a World Golf Hall of Famer who accepted an invitation during the tournament week to become an Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews-joining an elite group that includes Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Rory McIlroy.
Meanwhile, youth football players from Tulum’s Real Madrid Foundation Educational Football Program traveled to Madrid in April and returned as champions in the U10 category at the World Challenge, a tournament that brought together more than 1,000 children from 72 teams representing 23 countries. And in March, some 80 vintage automobiles-Rolls-Royces, Porsches, classic Mustangs, and rare European marques-gathered at Tulum Country Club for the flag-off of Rally Maya México, an 11-day, 750-mile journey through the Yucatán Peninsula.
Success Years in the Making
What ties these disparate events together is their shared venue and the emerging recognition that Tulum has evolved beyond its backpacker origins. The destination that once meant yoga retreats and beach bars now hosts NCAA Division II collegiate golf tournaments, professional tour stops, and international automotive rallies. The World Golf Awards took notice, naming PGA Riviera Maya the Best Golf Course in Mexico for 2025 and Tulum Country Club as Latin America’s Best Golf Real Estate Venue. Tripadvisor added its Travellers’ Choice distinction.
The transformation didn’t happen by accident. It reflects years of infrastructure investment, strategic partnership-building, and a calculated bet that sporting tourism could complement rather than compete with Tulum’s existing appeal.
For travelers who want more than ruins and cenotes-who want to play a championship-caliber course, watch emerging professional talent, or witness a parade of restored automobiles wind through the Yucatán jungle-2025 made clear that Tulum is now very much in the game.
Golf Takes Center Stage: Korn Ferry Tour Arrives in Tulum
The announcement came in October 2024: PGA Riviera Maya would host the Tulum Championship as part of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour schedule. For a course that had steadily built its profile through PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Americas events-including the Bupa Championship at Tulum, which won Best Pro-Am honors at the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Tournament Awards-the promotion represented a significant step up.
The Korn Ferry Tour operates as the final proving ground before players reach the PGA TOUR. Each season, the top 20 finishers on the points list earn full PGA TOUR cards for the following year. Past graduates include Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and Collin Morikawa-names that underscore the circuit’s talent pipeline. The 2025 schedule featured 26 tournaments across four continents, with a minimum purse of $1 million per event and 500 points available to each winner.
The Tulum Championship, held May 1-4, served as the seventh and final international event of the Korn Ferry Tour season. The field included players like Hank Lebioda, Josh Teater, Davis Chatfield, and Bryson Nimmer competing for a $1 million purse with $180,000 going to the winner. Beyond the prize money, the event offered 500 Korn Ferry Tour points and approximately 13.7 Official World Golf Ranking points-metrics that determine who advances and who doesn’t.
“After four successful seasons as an event on PGA TOUR Americas and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, and with constant positive feedback from our membership, we made the decision to transition PGA Riviera Maya to become a host venue on the Korn Ferry Tour,” said Alex Baldwin, president of the Korn Ferry Tour, in a statement announcing the 2025 schedule.
Women’s Amateur Latin America
November brought a different kind of spotlight. The Women’s Amateur Latin America championship (WALA), organized by The R&A and the ANNIKA Foundation, selected PGA Riviera Maya as the host venue for its fifth edition-the first time the event had been held in Mexico.
The tournament follows a 72-hole stroke-play format with 60 players invited based on their World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). The 2025 field included 14 players ranked inside the top 300 of WAGR, reflecting what organizers described as the strongest field in the championship’s history. The average age of competitors was just under 20, with 21 players making their championship debut.
The stakes extended well beyond the trophy. The winner earned exemptions into three women’s major championships in 2026: the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes (England), The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods (USA), and The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club (France). Additional exemptions included The Women’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield, the Hilton Grand Vacations ANNIKA Invitational presented by Rolex (subject to age eligibility), and the 2026 South American Amateur Championship.
Colombia’s María José Marín, 19, claimed the title in dramatic fashion. After twice finishing as runner-up (2021, 2022), Marín held a four-stroke lead heading into the final holes before Barbados’ Emily Odwin rallied to force a playoff. The contest ended on the third extra hole when Odwin found water from a greenside bunker. Marín’s steady par sealed the victory.
“Third time’s the charm for me in this championship,” Marín said after the win. “PGA Riviera Maya is an amazing course and I’m really grateful that we got to play here.”
NCAA Golf Comes to the Riviera Maya
The professional and elite amateur events garnered the most attention, but 2025 also saw Tulum emerge as a destination for collegiate competition. The “Shootout at PGA Riviera Maya,” an NCAA Division II tournament, took place September 28-30 at Tulum Country Club.
The event positioned the Riviera Maya as a venue for student-athletes competing at the collegiate level-a significant market in U.S. sports culture. The NCAA includes more than 500,000 student-athletes competing for approximately 1,100 institutions across three divisions. Division II emphasizes a balance between academics and athletics while still offering scholarship opportunities and competitive play.
Youth Football: From Tulum to Madrid
Golf dominated the sporting calendar, but Tulum’s connection to international competition extended to the football pitch as well. The Real Madrid Foundation operates an Educational Football Program at Tulum Country Club in partnership with Grupo Piñero, the Spanish hospitality company that developed the residential complex. The program uses football as a vehicle for youth development, emphasizing values like teamwork, respect, and family alongside technical skills.
In April, the program’s U10 team traveled to Madrid for the fourth edition of the Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge, held at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid (Valdebebas), the first team’s training facility. The tournament brought together more than 1,000 children from 72 teams representing 23 countries, competing in three age categories: U10 (5v5), U12 (7v7), and U14 (7v7).
The Tulum squad won the U10 championship-a result that generated considerable local pride and demonstrated that the region’s youth development programs can compete at the international level.
“It was a celebration of sport and life,” according to coverage from the Real Madrid Foundation, “in which the World Challenge U10 category of the Educational Football Program from Tulum was crowned champion thanks to their dedication and teamwork.”
Rally Maya México: Vintage Cars in Yucatán Peninsula
Not all of Tulum’s 2025 sporting highlights involved balls or goals. In late March, some 80 vintage automobiles gathered at Tulum Country Club for the official launch of the 11th edition of Rally Maya México, a classic car rally that bills itself as the world’s largest rolling museum.
The event, which has been running since 2014, traces a route of more than 750 miles across the states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Yucatán over nine days. Participants drive collector vehicles that must be at least 40 years old, with marques including Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Cadillac, Alfa Romeo, Ford Model A, and dozens of others.
The 2025 route ran from March 28 to April 5, beginning at Tulum Country Club and ending in Mérida. The five-stage journey included stops in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Bacalar, Chetumal, the archaeological zone of Ichkabal, Champotón, Campeche, and Sotuta de Peón before concluding in Yucatán’s capital city.
Along the way, participants toured archaeological sites, sampled regional cuisine, and attended gala dinners-including an Elegance Dinner at Hotel Bahia Principe Luxury Akumal, where Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller recognized the most distinguished vehicles.
Recognition: World Golf Awards and Tripadvisor
The year’s sporting achievements translated into industry recognition. The World Golf Awards, an annual program that identifies and celebrates excellence in golf tourism, named PGA Riviera Maya the Best Golf Course in Mexico for 2025. The property also received the designation as Best Golf Real Estate Venue in Latin America 2025-a nod to Tulum Country Club’s broader residential and hospitality offering.
These honors followed the course’s recognition as Best Golf Course in Mexico at the 2024 World Golf Awards, indicating sustained rather than one-off excellence. Tripadvisor added its Travellers’ Choice 2025 designation based on consistent positive reviews from visitors.
For Tulum Country Club, the awards reinforce a positioning strategy that emphasizes quality over quantity. The property is not attempting to be a mass-market destination; instead, it targets golfers, residential buyers, and visitors who value course conditioning, service standards, and the integration of sport with the natural environment.
Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
The Korn Ferry Tour commitment extends through at least 2027, ensuring that professional golf will continue at PGA Riviera Maya for the foreseeable future. The success of the WALA championship may attract other amateur events seeking venues outside traditional U.S. and European circuits. Rally Maya México has already confirmed its return for 2026, with Tulum Country Club again serving as the starting point.
Development continues at the residential complex as well. Tulum Country Club encompasses homes, condominiums, and homesites within a gated community built around the golf courses. The property’s proximity to Tulum’s attractions-including the archaeological zone, cenotes, and Caribbean beaches-combined with its sporting amenities positions it within the growing market for “sports lifestyle” real estate developments.
Whether Tulum can sustain this momentum depends on factors beyond any single venue’s control: infrastructure investment, airlift capacity, security perceptions, and the broader trajectory of Mexican tourism. But for visitors who arrived in 2025 expecting ruins and yoga studios, the sporting calendar offered something unexpected: a destination that has learned to compete on multiple playing fields.
For golf travelers specifically, the math is straightforward. A destination that combines championship-quality courses, professional tournament credibility, year-round warm weather, competitive green fees, and Caribbean beaches within a 30-minute drive occupies a narrow niche. Add the cultural depth of Mayan archaeology and the culinary traditions of the Yucatán, and the value proposition becomes harder to dismiss.
Tulum’s sporting transformation isn’t just about the trophies won or the tournaments hosted. It’s about offering travelers a reason to visit that didn’t exist a decade ago-and executing at a level that earns return trips.
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Bryan Dearsley is a luxury lifestyles writer, a prolific traveler, and the Founder of the Riley network of luxury lifestyle websites.
