Golf In Mauritius
By Chris Ridley
Mulligan in Mauritius
With its natural landscapes, crystal-clear waters and some of the best golf courses in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius is one of the world’s most luxurious tourist destinations, with many people returning year after year. The island is home to some of the most beautiful sand beaches in the world, and a collection of unique and difficult golf courses. Each of the island’s golf courses boasts amazing views of the island’s greeneries and mountains, as well as the beauty of the surrounding Indian Ocean.
Mauritius’s golfing history started in the early 20th century, when British colonisers introduced the sport to the island while exploiting its sugar cane industry, for trade. This made Mauritius the home to the first golf course in the southern hemisphere. Ever since its introduction, the islanders have developed and adapted the sport in their unique way, enabling them to exhibit the country’s natural beauty to golfers across the world. This has attracted golfers from each continent to visit the tropical island for its beautiful and demanding courses; leading to the island’s courses being featured in various lists for the most beautiful and best courses around. Mauritius now hosts the international MCB Tour Championship and is home to some truly remarkably courses such as the Belle Mare Plage Golf Club’s international-standard sister courses, The Links and The Legend, and the tropical island course of Le Touessrok.
Gymkhana Golf Club
The club was founded in 1902 by the British Royal Navy army, making it the oldest golf course in the southern hemisphere and the fourth oldest in the world. Originally opened as a 9-holer, the course was extended to an 18-hole course in the 1950’s and consisting of a variety of hazards as well as plenty of trees and large bunkers to challenge the most seasoned golfers.
The Gymkhana Golf Club is nestled in the heart of the island with a beautiful forest backdrop and sunny fairways, and was originally designed and built by the Navy’s army for the personal use of its officers - the course is now open to all visitors. To keep with its military history, guests are required to comply with the club’s dress code: Gentlemen are asked to wear collared shirts with tailored trousers or shorts; whilst it’s acceptable for ladies to wear the same, they are also given the option of swapping the trousers or shorts for knee-length skirts. This formal dress code allows the course’s visitors the chance to experience the joys of the course’s fairways and bunkers in the same sophistication and class as the British army officers of the early Twentieth Century.
Beachcomber’s Paradis Hotel Golf Club and Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa
Located on the Morne Peninsula, the Beachcomber’s international 18-hole golf course is surrounded by magnificent ocean views and luxurious greens. The Golf course is located on the shared grounds of the Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa and Paradis Hotel Golf Club, ensuring the guests of both hotels access to this world-class facility. The course has been beautifully carved into the landscape, ensuring its visitors the chance to enjoy the stunning sceneries, as they navigate their way along the fairways whilst avoiding the white-sand bunkers and rough terrains, which hope to hinder unfortunate golfers.
The Beachcomber resorts also boast a first-class golfing academy, fully equipped with golf clinics, private courses and a combination of computer software and video technology to enable golfers to pinpoint their weakness and to fine tune their techniques to ensure they’re at the top of their game whilst enjoying the golfing experiences that the island has to offer.
If one golf course isn’t enough to satisfy your appetite then you’ll be happy to know that the resort’s partnership, with the Golf du Château and Tamarina Golf Estate, allows guests of the Beachcomber resorts to test their recently improved techniques on two professional courses in the South of Mauritius.
Tamarina Golf Estate and Beach Club
Along the Western coast of Mauritius, throughout 43 hectares of savannah lands, lays 7,200m of challenging and delightful golfing experiences. Tamarina Golf Estate and Beach Club are situated on Tamarin Bay in the shadow of the breath-taking Montagne du Rempart and promises the ultimate in tranquillity, and world-class golfing opportunities.
The course has been designed with the guest’s comfort and enjoyment in mind. Over 6km of concrete paths have been paved to make the course accessible for golf carts, to ensure guests can get from across the course’s rough terrains with ease - especially during testing weather conditions. There can also be found a halfway snack house, between the 9th and 10th holes, to allow golfers to take a breather, as they admire the beauty of the omnipresent mountain peak and the view of Tamarin Bay.
Their Golf Academy will help even the most experienced golfer at improving their game. The learning centre is located within an area of 43,000m2 adjacent to the Club House and provides panoramic driving ranges; individual tuition sessions; and state-of-the-art technology, such as comparative video analysis, allowing you to study and evaluate your style and positioning to ensure their guests leave the Tamarina Academy with more confidence in their performance.
Le Telfair Resort and the Golf du Château
Named after the late Irish botanist, Charles Edward Telfair, the resort is a tribute to the late 19th century naturalist who is credited for introducing bananas to the island, and the development of the Domaine de Bel Ombre. The Golf du Château golf course is situated within a series of hills and rivers along the base of a mountain range, and is the tribunal crown of the resort.
As a product of the renowned architect Peter Matkovitch, the 100 hectares golf course is designed to take advantage of the natural hills of the landscape. The 18-hole par 72 world-class course of the Heritage Golf Club delivers exceptional views of the volcanic mountains and exploits the beauties that the sugar cane fields provide to the resort.
For golfers who desire to perfect their skills, the Heritage Golf Club provides a 9-hole par three course, which is seamlessly integrated into the heart of the international course; a putting green; a driving range; and a putting green, all specially designed to challenge your skills to further improve your technique and to exploit any flaws in your style. If you desire a more tailored touch to your personal development, the resort provides PGA pro lessons and video analysis sessions that are designed to provide personal feedback on your technique.
Constance Belle Mare Plage Golf Club
As the host of the MCB Tour Championship since 2009, the Constance Belle Mare Plage Golf Club is the perfect location to enjoy a holiday in paradise with a few rounds of golf. The resort’s The Legend and The Links golf courses are 18-holes and is a dream for golfers across the globe.
The Legend was designed by South African golfing pro, Hugh Baiocchi, and has been providing the visitors of Mauritius a challenging but enjoyable experience for nearly 20 years. The course is located amidst an indigenous forest; and Baiocchi’s design takes advantage of the range of water hazards and terrains available throughout the forest, whilst ensuring each hole is unique and offers its visitors with beautiful sights of the woodlands. When it comes to sceneries though, the 17th-hole is sure to leave you speechless. The penultimate hole is a par 3 with some of the most stunning views on the island. The tee-point is upon a plateaued hill with a 360° view of the sea and the mountains, as well as a picturesque overlook of the dogleg par 5 18th hole.
The par 71 sister course of the Legend is the golfing dream-child of Rodney Wright and Peter Aliss. The Links course opened in 2002 and is a daring combination of beauty and hazards. This course challenges golfers’ abilities to play into the prevailing wind as they attempt to make it across the water, whilst simultaneously rewarding persistent and skilled players with incredible views. Each hole offers a different challenge, ranging from the uphill struggles of the 9th hole to the bunker-littered and rough-dominating fairway of the 17th hole.
Le Touessrok Golf Club
Whilst the majority of the resort is located on the mainland, near the city of Trou d’Eau Douce, you’ll have to venture across the waters to reach Le Touessrok’s 18-hole championship golf course. This majestic course is situated on Ile aux Cerfs (“Deer Island”) and is only accessible via a private water taxi. The Barnhard Langer-designed par 72 course has been listed as one of the ‘Top 10 Golf Course in the World’ (Golf World Magazine) and has been described as one of the most beautiful courses ever, due to its fringe of white sands and the turquoise water that surround the island and provides a tranquil and beauty setting to the course.
The island is one of nature’s miracle gifts to golfers: its natural undulating topography; protuberant volcanic rocks; calm lakes and gullies; and its abundance of tropical fauna make it an ideal haven for golfers of all levels. All 18 holes have views of the ocean and are surrounded by some of the best vegetation of Mauritius. Each bunker and fairway has been designed to provide the best golfing experiences while setting the best natural backdrops that the island has to offer.
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