Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 8th
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Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 8th
This peninsula green makes for a great par 3 on the eighth hole of the Lakes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 2nd
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Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 2nd
A waste bunker runs up the right side of the par-5 second hole on the Lakes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace - food and beverage station
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Moon Palace - food and beverage station
Several food and beverage stations serve all-inclusive drinks and food throughout the 27 holes at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 6th
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Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 6th
True to form, there's plenty of water on the sixth hole of the Lakes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 9th
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Moon Palace resort - Lakes golf course - 9th
The approach shot to the ninth green is a daunting way to finish the Lakes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 2nd
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Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 2nd
The plateau green is tough to hit on the par-5 second hole of the Dunes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 3rd
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Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 3rd
The 229-yard third hole of the Dunes nine is the most treacherous par 3 at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 4th
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Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 4th
The approach shot must carry water to reach the fourth green on the Dunes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 9th
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Moon Palace resort - Dunes golf course - 9th
The Dunes nine at Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort finishes with a strong 435-yard par 4. Jason Scott Deegan/TravelGolf
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Shoot for the stars at Jack Nicklaus' Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico

CANCUN, Quintana Roo, Mexico -- The Golden Bear rules the jungles of the Riviera Maya. Despite competition from designs by Greg Norman, Nick Price, Tom Weiskopf and a member of the Dye family, Jack Nicklaus' 27 holes at the Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort remain the most popular place to play, attracting roughly 35 percent of all rounds in this growing golf destination between Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.

The versatility of 27 holes, the all-inclusive food and drinks and the commitment to quality conditions and service draws golfers in droves. Moon Palace's Dunes nine, built in 2003 one year after the original Lakes and Jungle nines, reigns as the best loop in the entire destination, although it's quite demanding. If you want to beat the Golden Bear's Dunes nine, you better play like a Tiger. Driver is the play to reach the green of the 229-yard par-3 third hole. The par-4 fourth and par-5 fifth holes wrap around a shared pond.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Shoot for the stars at Jack Nicklaus' Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun, Mexico