Mauritius Golf Holidays
Mauritius is one of my favourite golfing destinations offering a range of superb courses. Match that with year-round sunshine, great beaches, luxurious hotels and friendly service and you have a winning combination.
Mauritius is fast becoming a Mecca for golfing holidays. The island is a relative newcomer to golf tourism but boasts six Championship-quality 18-hole courses.
When coupled with year-round sunshine, great beaches, luxurious hotels and friendly service, the island it ticks all the boxes for discerning golfers looking for their next golfing holiday.
As the popularity for golf holidays in Mauritius has increased, many golf courses, which are in theory individually autonomous, have developed strategic alliances to offer reciprocal deals. This allows golfers to pay more than one course on a visit with relative ease. Resorts that are members of the same hotel group often offer complimentary access and as well as this alliances have been formed between the courses on the West Coast (Le Paradis, Golf du Chateau at Le Telfair and Tamarina) and on the East Coast (Le Touessrok and the two courses at the Belle Mare Plage). There are currently no courses in the north of the island at present.
If you are a serious golfer you will be happy playing all of the 18-hole courses available. They may not suit beginners or casual golfers although the courses do have facilities for tuition with PGA professionals. For children and novices there are a couple of 9-hole courses such as the courses at Maritim or Trou aux Biches which may be less demanding.
Our thoughts on golf in Mauritius:
Members of our team have played all of the major courses on the island. The general opinion is that the courses at the Belle Mare Plage are the best in Mauritius.
Belle Mare Plage - The Legends Golf Course
A tight course with a lot of water and tough scrub and volcanic rock if you venture from the fairways. Definitely worth taking a caddie for the first round or two – they are great company guys and costing around £5 not hard on the pocket. The signature 17th is a delightful par 3 across a picturesque bay. The 18th is a super dogleg right with water all the way up the right, a real risk and reward hole finishing below those looking on from the terrace of the thatched clubhouse.
Belle Mare Plage - The Links Golf Course
Not as tough off the tee box as the Legend course but with a lot of elevated greens and well placed bunkers equally difficult to post a low score. Whilst not a true links course it definitely has a links fee with rolling fairways and plenty of room. Four of the back nine holes are played around a lake and overall the back nine is probably the better of the two. Buggies are compulsory.
Le Paradis & Dina Robin Golf Course
The course at the Paradis / Dina Robin, in our opinion, has some of the best greens on the island. It is a very flat course with no hills and is therefore very walkable. On the 16th and 17th hole you are able to catch a glimpse of the whole bay and indeed the entire course is set in stunning scenery with a mountain backdrop. A few people have been put off by the state of the fairways, however, on the whole it offers a great day out.
Heritage Awali & Le Telfair Golf Course
Despite it being a championship course the Golf du Chateau course at Heritage Awali / Le Telfair is one which amateurs will find an enjoyable one. It offers just enough risk and reward holes to provide a challenge without major frustration. The first 5 or 6 holes look down on the ocean and over the hotel and provide some spectacular views.
Anahita Golf Course
Ernie Els has designed a really great course at Anahita The Resort with wide open fairways allowing for some fun off the tee. The only problem is that at the clever end the greens are tricky and very well protected by natural features as well as deep bunkers. There are spectacular views all over the course and in particular over the finishing 3 holes. The quality of the course is a s good as it gets having been built to the highest standard. On a windy day it can be as tough as an Irish links in a winter gale!
Tamarina Golf Course
A course with a real African feel in thorny bush on the driest part of the island overlooking the Tamarin Bay and crossing a river gorge. All in all a great test of golf but at all times very fair. The scenery at Tamarina is spectacular with the towering Rempart Mountain regularily in view and overall it’s well worth playing. The clubhouse is superb with a great patio area to sit and watch the sun go down over paradise with a cold beer.
Practicalities on playing golf in Mauritius:
Equipment: Currently Air Mauritius allows clubs to be carried free as an addition to your baggage allowance, while British Airways counts them as part of your permitted weight. This is a factor to consider if you are a serious golfer. You can hire locally and all courses offer known brand name clubs like Callaway and Taylormade. They currently charge around £25 per round for the hire of the clubs. A couple of balls are generally included with these hired clubs and for any more you may be charged. We would advise you to take plenty of golf balls as recycling of balls is a big industry for budding entrepreneurs and we can guarantee you will lose more than usual!
Clothing: The dress code is usually shirts (with collar for men), knee length tailored shorts and socks or tailored trousers. No jeans are permitted. For shoes soft spikes are the order of the day and you can hire shoes if necessary.
On the course:
- All of the 18-hole courses have practise facilities with range balls to purchase.
- A few of the courses make caddy cars mandatory and charge for them.
- Some courses also offer golf trolleys or caddies.
- Royal and Ancient Rules of Golf apply.
Most courses close around 6pm due to the setting of the sun. As a result tee times for 18 holes are restricted to between 7.30am and 2pm. You may find individual players or two-balls being combined with other groups to ease demand. Twilight golf may be available after 2pm if a full round is not being played. We recommend that you pre-book the day before play to avoid disappointment. This does not, however, mean that the courses are crowded. A round can comfortably be accommodated in under four hours.
Distances are in metres. Global positioning systems can be hired which can give metric or imperial distances. Some courses offer as many as five different tees to vary the degree of difficulty.
Green Fees:
Golf du Chateau at Le Telfair or Heritage Awali
If staying at Heritage Awali daily green fees are offered for all guests who are on Premium All Inclusive.
If staying at Heritage Le Telfair free daily green fees are offered for all guests who have booked a Junior/Senior or Ocean Suite.
For all other guests or non residents, a £25 (subject to change) green fee will be charged for each 18 holes round played at the Golf du Chateau and £15 for 9 holes. Free and unlimited green fees at the 9 holes pitch and putt for all clients.
The Legend and The Links at the Belle Mare Plage / Le Prince Maurice
Guests of the Belle Mare Plage or Le Prince Maurice hotels may play a round at The Legends course free of charge. A round at The Links in 2010 will cost you 4400 rupees (around £95). This includes the green fee and club car.
Tamarina
Guests staying at the soon to be opened (Dec 2010) Tamarina Hotel will receive unlimited green fees (golf carts not included).
Four Seasons Golf Course at Anahita The Resort
Guests staying at Anahita The Resort receive unlimited green fees inclusive of buggy, GPS and practice balls.
Paradis Golf Club at Dina Robin and Paradis
All residents and non residents will need to pay green fees for a round at the Dina Robin and Paradis. Currently this is £25 per round (excluding buggy). If you travel between May and July there are golf packages on offer providing unlimited green fees so chat to our experts.