I’m standing on the 11th tee, warm island breezes whipping in from the east. In front of me, across 180metres of sandy bunker and manicured fairway lies a devilishly tough green. It’s a hole that could be plucked straight from any of the great Scottish links courses, and yet I’m standing on what will soon become the most talked-about new golf course on the Indian Ocean coast.
Mauritius has become a global hotspot for golf tourism. For players flying into Mauritius this summer, the course to add to the very top of their list is the brand-new Mont Choisy Le Golf, a short drive from Grand-Baie, where I stand admiring the tricky par-3 dreamt up by acclaimed course architect Peter Matkovich.
While the South African designer has laid out a number of tracks on the island, this latest looks set to top them all.
“The course really tells the story of Mauritius,” explains Jeremy D’Argent, golf operations professional for Mont Choisy Le Golf, as we stroll down the 18th fairway.
“There are views of the sea, the fairways play towards the mountains of the interior, and on either side you have fields of sugar cane.”
In many ways it looks set to be a course of two faces.
With grassy swales, devilish rough and lengthy black-sand waste bunkers the front-nine is inspired by the links courses of Europe, while the back-nine is more of a parkland-style course infused with Mauritian charm.
“The back-nine really reflects the heritage of the area,” adds D’Argent, proudly showing me the historic water tank that was restored to flank the 13th green.
“We worked hard at incorporating the history of the estate to create something truly Mauritian.” Another standout is the par-3 15th, where a 200-year-old chimney from the estate’s original sugar mill frames an island green.
There is sure to be a clamour for tee times when the course opens for play in early November, and while the public will have limited access to this exclusive club, Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels has been named the preferred hotel partner for what looks set to become the most sought-after golf course in the Indian Ocean.
A new putting green has also been constructed at the resort, allowing guests to get their eye in before a morning out on the course. Golf aside, it’s also one of the most charming resorts in the north of the island, with suites and villas hidden away amid a lush garden of banyan trees and bougainvillea. While Mont Choisy Le Golf will make the north coast of Mauritius a prime destination for both golf and beach-lovers, one of the most charming island courses has already graced the island’s iconic Le Morne peninsula for more than half a century.
The resort-style layout means fairly forgiving fairways, but there are plenty of surprises en route from tee to green. A road and tidal marina to cross on the fourth, for instance, but summon all of your skill at the par-3 6th, where a hole-in-one will win you bragging rights at the bar and a watch from Omega. On the 13th, you’ll need a lengthy carry over water to reach the fairway while the signature is the 16th: a dog-leg par-5 that peels along the shores of the lagoon. When the wind is up you’ll need nerves of steel to land a wedge on the green. Make it down in par and you’ll have earned those spectacular views of Le Morne Brabant Peak.
The resort boasts one of the best beaches on the island, with a long stretch of sheltered white sand offering superb swimming, sunbathing and sunsets.
The spacious kids’ club kept our six-year-old well entertained, with sega dancing, golf lessons and after-dark crab-hunting on the beach making Mauritius as magical for kids as it is for adults. On the northern end of the resort the well-equipped boathouse dished up hours of entertainment with its water-skiing, kayaks, stand-up paddle-boards and sailing boats. A booking at Paradis Beachcomber also includes access to all the facilities of neighbouring Beachcomber’s Dinarobin resort. It’s a great perk, but aside from venturing out for an excellent Asian dinner and sundowner cocktails, we felt little need to leave the happy confines of Paradis.