Golf in paradise

Whether you’re planning on moving to Mauritius, or just taking a well-earned break on this lovely island, you definitely will not want to leave your golf clubs behind. There’s more to this idyllic tropical paradise than pretty beaches, warm, crystal-clear water and coconut palms.

Golf in Mauritius – state of play

Here’s a piece of trivia you probably didn’t know. The first golf course in the southern hemisphere was built in 1849 at the Mauritius Gymkhana Club. According to the Mauritius Golf Federation, this makes Mauritius the fourth country in the world where golf was played – after Scotland (of course), England and India. (Yes, it was a colonial thing.) So golf has been played on Mauritius continuously for 172 years, with some interesting milestones.

The Mauritius Golf Federation, which was founded in 1994, works actively to promote the game in Mauritius and other Indian Ocean Islands by, inter alia, organising local and regional tournaments. The island is part of the international competition circuit, and hosts various events, including the Staysure Tour, formerly the MCB Tour Championship, which is played in Mauritius at the Legends; and the prestigious AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open that is played every year alternately at Anahita and Heritage. (This was the first tournament sanctioned by the European, Asian and Sunshine Tours.)

But it’s not just about competition. In 2017, golf and tourism professionals got together to form the Mauritius Golf Tourism Association (MGTA) to effectively combine resources to market the island as both a tourism and a golf destination. Although, let’s face it, it’s not a hard sell – Mauritius was voted the Golf Destination of the Year for Africa, the Gulf States and the Indian Ocean by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) in 2016 and 2019.

Playing golf in Mauritius

One of the obvious pleasures of playing golf in Mauritius is … well, the fact that you are in Mauritius. The scenery is spectacular, and it’s the rare golf course that is not close to – or even adjacent to – a fabulous beach, a luxurious spa, great restaurants and/or a beautiful forest, mountain or botanical garden. So non-golfing spouses can surf, dive, dine, hike, shop, just chill, or submit to some world-class pampering.

More than half of the golf courses in Mauritius have helipads, so you can do a heligolf tour taking in some of the best courses on the island. Another ‘first’ you can tick off in Mauritius is teeing off from a boat, at the Île aux Cerfs Golf Club. It is, as far as I know, the only one in the world.

And, if you’re more of a wannabe player than a Gary Player, don’t worry – most of the golf clubs have putting greens and driving ranges, and the island is well populated by skilled golf professionals who will gladly teach you the ropes. And there are kiddies’ clinics as well, so there’s something for the whole family.

Golf courses in Mauritius

To date there are 12 golf courses in Mauritius, showcasing the best work of some renowned designers, including Peter Matkovich, Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, Gary Player, Hugh Baiocchi, Peter Allis, Rodney Wright and Louis Oosthuizen. That may not sound like much, but Mauritius is a small island of just over 2,000 square kilometres, and more courses are planned.

The 10 18-hole golf courses in Mauritius are:

• Anahita Golf Course on the fantastic Anahita Mauritius luxury residential estate
• Île aux Cerfs Golf Club (formerly Le Touessrok Golf Course) on its own tiny island close to Anahita
• The Legend at Belle Mare
• The Links, also at Belle Mare
• Gymkhana Golf Club – the granddaddy of them all
• Tamarina Golf Estate, named after the lovely (and delicious) tamarind trees
• Paradis Golf Club with a spectacular view of the iconic Le Morne Brabant
• Heritage Golf Club (aka Golf du Château) at Bel Ombre
• Avalon Golf Estate close to the Black Gorges National Park
• Mont Choisy Le Golf in the scenic north of the island.

The three 9-hole golf courses in Mauritius are:

• Shandrani Golf Course – a scenic mashie course that’s great for beginners
• Maritim Golf Course at the eponymous resort and spa
• Le Saint Géran Golf Course – a Gary Player-designed course in the ground of the One&Only Le Saint Géran.