“Unlocking Cancún’s Potential: The Push for a Public Golf Course at Pok-Ta-Pok”

Residents of Cancún's Pok Ta Pok neighborhood are lobbying local and state governments to transform the private Pok Ta Pok golf course into a public amenity. They believe it would greatly benefit both the local community and tourists, mirroring the success of a similar initiative in Acapulco.

Mercedes Hernández, a long-time resident and businesswoman in the area, has been living in the neighborhood since 1978. She bought her property with the understanding that it would include a golf course. The area, located in the first phase of Cancún's hotel zone, is currently under a legal suspension to halt the Península Cancún project, which would have taken over the golf course's land.

The suspension is a result of community activism. Residents are firmly against the land change project and the potential corruption associated with the issuance of building licenses. Hernández emphasized that if the project resurfaces, the community is prepared to protest again, insisting that the area cannot handle the increased density.

Hernández suggests that the government should restore the site to its original state, with the added benefit of a public golf course. This would be a significant draw for tourists, as there are currently no golf courses in the first and second phases of the hotel zone.

"A public golf course, like the one in Acapulco, would greatly enhance the hotel zone. We, as residents, are committed to making this a reality and preserving the heritage of the first phase of the hotel zone," stated Hernández.

The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) recently canceled the Península Cancún project, which was planned by Hazama Corporation in the Pok Ta Pok area. This decision was welcomed by local hoteliers, who were concerned about the strain on public services, roads, and parking.