LEGEND GOLF, BELLE MARE PLAGE
Where is it? On the northeast coast, 35km from Port Louis.
What's it like? When the Legend opened in 1994 as Mauritius' first 18-hole championship course, it spearheaded a boom that has since put the island on the golf tourism map. Located a stone's throw from the Belle Mare Plage Resort (opposite), the Legend is now reserved for hotel guests, both from the Belle Mare and the Constance Hotel Group's second property, the five-star Prince Maurice, a few kilometres up the coast. In early December, the Legend and the Links will host the Mauritius Open Golf Tournament, a relaxed tour fixture now in its 13th year, which attracts professionals from all over the world — especially from Britain and France. The two courses provide a searching challenge for the pros and also for the tourists who join them in a range of pro/am competitions (see constancehotels.com for entry details) that support the main event.
The Legend is very walkable, occupying a flat 70-hectare coastal area in the middle of an ancient forested deer reserve. Hydrophobics beware: with water affecting every hole, the safer path leads to the Links — or directly to the excellent Deer Hunter restaurant in the clubhouse.
Address Poste d'Flacq, Mauritius.
Contact tel +230 402 2738, [email protected], constancehotels.com.
Price Free (and exclusively reserved) for guests at the Belle Mare Plage and Le Prince Maurice hotels. Carts £25, caddies £3-£5.
Can I rent clubs? Yes, £22 (Taylor Made).
Club hours 0700-1900.
Minimum handicap None.
Facilities 18-hole course, par 72, 6,018m, open driving range, practice area.
After golf A spacious semi-circular terrace bar (0700-2000). The Deer Hunter serves international dishes for lunch and dinner using quality local ingredients.
GOLF DU CHATEAU
Where is it? On the south coast, 65km south of Port Louis and 35km west of the international airport.
What's it like? The first major course on the rugged south coast — Mauritius' up and coming development area — lies in a large bowl overlooking the sea, next to a ring of hills on the other side. It is part of the Domaine de Bel Ombre, once a sugar estate which is now seeking profitable ways to cash in on the ever-increasing number of tourists staying in several new hotels within a mile of its elegant iron gates.
The front nine starts with a long uphill pull, then loops down to the watery flats around the clubhouse, while the back nine circles the par 3 nine-hole practice course. After the initial ascent, walking is easy, though there are carts for hire. It opened in April 2005 and has a raw feel that will pass as it beds down, but the holes are varied with a lot of tufty rough and many watery graves. The course is quite long, but if you hit straight down wide fairways, you may be surprised how well you score. A second course is planned for 2007.
Address Domaine de Bel Ombre, Mauritius
Contact tel +230 623 5600, [email protected], domainedebelombre.mu.
Price Visitors £49, under 12s £25; residents £16, under 12s £11; free for residents in Le Telfair and Heritage Hotels. Cart £23, caddies £6.
Can I rent clubs? Yes, £25 (Mizuno).
Club hours 0700-1900.
Minimum handicap None.
Facilities 18-hole course, par 72, 6498m, nine-hole par 3 course, driving range, practice area.
After golf A terrace bar serving snacks — fish and chips, curry, burgers — from 1000-1900. The Chateau de Bel Ombre, built in the early 1800s on a hilltop above the course, is now an elegant restaurant known for its sophisticated menus. Lunch (noon–1500), afternoon tea (1500-1900), dinner (1930-0100), open every day and well worth the tiny detour.
LE TOUESSROK GOLF
Where is it? On the east coast, 40km from the capital Port Louis.
What's it like? An unusual island location and spectacularly difficult layout make for an unforgettable course, though only good golfers on top of their game are likely to remember it with affection. Until 2003, the Ile aux Cerfs, a seven-minute boat ride from the mainland, was a sunbather's paradise. Now it is a Bernhard Langer challenge, a rugged little volcanic island covered with holes with strange sounding names. Lava Rock, the opener, has plenty of scope for distress, with an initial carry over a pond guarded by rocks that can bounce a short ball to perdition. Many of the holes require long blind tee shots to reach distant fairways: by the time you get to Round the Bend, the huge par five 11th, you may feel you're ready for a straitjacket. Don't panic: it can only get worse. The 18th, Carry Me Home, requires two long accurate shots over mangrove swamps to reach the cunningly placed three-tiered green. Make your par there and you'll have earned your beer. Fail and you'll certainly need it, but this is not a course to miss.
Address Trou d'Eau Douce, Mauritius.
Contact tel +230 402 7720, [email protected], oneandonlyletouessrokgolf.com.
Price 18 holes £97, under 17s £70, five rounds £360, seven rounds £450 (including compulsory cart).
Can I rent clubs? Yes, £27/20 (Calloway or Taylor Made).
Club hours 0730-1800.
Minimum handicap None.
Facilities 18-hole course, par 72, 6,452m, pitching area, with five target greens. Instruction at the One & Only Golf Academy.
After golf The clubhouse has a restaurant, or there's Three-Nine-Eight, the main hotel restaurant which serves nine different cuisines.
LINKS GOLF, BELLE MARE PLAGE
Where is it? On the northeast coast, 35km from Port Louis.
What's it like? Laid out on hilly terrain slightly inland from the coast, the Links course was designed by Peter Alliss and Rodney Wright to complement the Legend. When it opened in 2002, it added a broader perspective to the Belle Mare Plage golf programme, giving residents a choice of venues and allowing outsiders to book tee times and pay green fees.
Although several of the holes are water-affected, holiday golfers should prosper on the wide rolling fairways and enjoy the distant views of Mauritius' craggy volcanic ranges. Buggies are compulsory, which is a bonus at the times of year when rising humidity turns a walk into a steam bath. The attractive clubhouse, with its stone platforms topped by rounded roofs, is an excellent place to celebrate a good score, something that is more attainable here than at the Legend.
Address Poste d'Flacq, Mauritius.
Contact tel +230 402 2742, [email protected], constancehotels.com.
Price Visitors £60 (including compulsory cart and one basket of practice balls). Free to guests at the Belle Mare Plage and Le Prince Maurice Hotels.
Can I rent clubs? Yes, £22 (Taylor Made).
Club hours 0700-1830.
Minimum handicap None.
Facilities 18-hole course, par 71, 5,942m, driving range, practice area with target greens.
After golf The Swing (0700-1830, lunch 1200-1600) is a large, comfortable terraced restaurant overlooking the course.
