2 weeks ago
10
Golf holidays are so popular now it's no surprise to see championship calibre courses popping up all over the world and in the most luxurious locations.
Mauritius is a genuine bucket list destination for virtually anybody with eyes. You might think perfect for a honeymoon, but start thinking perfect for golf!
On the south coast of the island (the whole country from north to south can be travelled in under two hours) lies a stretch of land dominated by the Heritage brand.
With the Awali and Le Telfair hotels - which conveniently sit next door to each other - they have two dreamy spots right on the beach which are complimented by their championship level golf courses, La Reserve and La Chateau.
Daily Mail Sport's latest search for golf's best destinations around the world finally took us to Mauritius and here's what we found out.
La Reserve
Co-designed by Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, the site itself is a stunning corner of one of the dreamiest places on earth. Standing atop some of the high perched greens on the front nine - the third hole being a prime example - you can drink in just how stunning your surroundings are.
That's also where the wind picks up the most, too, and provides a stern test on an already challenging golf course.
You're greeted like royalty when arriving for your tee time and the pro shop is very extensive if you feel like adding some premium gear to your arsenal.
The driving range and a very slopey putting green are pretty close to where you collect your buggy, but the first tee is not. Nine times out of 10 the first tee plays away from the club house while the 18th works adjacent and brings you home to it.
While the latter is true here, the first tee is a good 10 minute buggy ride (yes, actually just shy of 10 minutes, I timed it) and takes you to the top of the hill where you will play down the entire round.
At the first tee, you are welcomed with the option of a glass of whiskey or rum. My Irish blood opted for the former on the two occasions I played and it was certainly a wake up call given my tee times were around 8am!
But, it has to be said - what a course. The first hole has a nice open fairway that leads down to a choked green before the second hole requires a drive over the kind of terrain that you simply won't find your ball in before traversing the narrowest fairway on the course. You have to be hitting straight early.
Hardly any hole here is simple. Many courses are manicured and cut to a championship standard and have all the aesthetics, but the character of a course comes from the memorable holes and, of course, the setting.
The fifth is a par five that plays directly down the steepest part of the hill. Depending on your tee box, you might need to carry 250+ yards plus just to get on the fairway with a bunker to the left and if you go too right, some thick rough. But, what a magnificent view.
A drivable par four (best kind of hole in golf for my money) along the water follows and then it's a par three directly over the water onto a green where you have to be precise, because anything long is in the rough and gone. It's a fantastic run of holes.
You've also got the eight and the 18th where you have two different fairways to choose from to plot your route of attack. It was great to be able to play this course twice for reasons like that - not that I learned my lessons!
This is a course you just have to play and not just once. It's easily in the top five, maybe even top three courses I've ever played outside of North America at this point. The 12-hour flight from London was more than worth it.
Le Chateau
La Reserve is certainly the headline act in this region and I've often found with resorts that have multiple courses they either try and replicate the first course or do a cheaper alternative that feels like it.
Le Chateau is an excellent alternative. It's what all golfers of all handicaps want to know they are going to get - fun.
Nice, wide fairways are infinitely more forgiving than La Reserve but the setting is still that unique Mauritian beauty. The first hole showcases this well; a fairway you really can't miss with lush greenery everywhere you look and water behind you, it's a soul-enriching start.
Some of my favourite holes include the drivable far four on the fifth that goes around 280 yards but downhill until the green which is quickly followed by another downhill par four that can get you close but needs caution just as you reach the green as a stream protects it and a large, hanging tree means you don't want to be left.
The 13th, 14th and 15th holes are a great stretch. The 13th is a par three over water where you have a very small dropping area for the green, but you can pull it right a little for safety. That's followed by a par five with a left dogleg, but it's very easy to take a direct line off the tee and cut out half the hole. From there, you've still got to hit uphill to a bunker-surrounded green.
Then it's another par three with yet more hazards. It's about 150 yards that plays more like 135 but if you can't hit it over the first 110 yards, your ball is gone. The rough is horribly deep and the hill is not to be walked down.
The rough in general on both courses is unforgiving. If you get in the long grass just pull out another ball and don't waste your time. But at least on this course they have some desert-like areas around the trees where your ball can be found.
17 is a monster of a hole where you must stay left on the fairway at all costs. If you head right towards the green, you will fall in a steep ditch that is very hard to get up and down from.
Then you have the 18th which is a nice elevated tee box that looks back over the water, the clubhouse and about three other finely kept holes. The drink is on the left-hand side of this hole and there are bunkers on the far right so the tee shot is imperative, but then it's a fun hit down to the final green.
All in all, La Chateau represents a fun foil to the prestige and challenge of La Reserve. Many of my playing partners echoed those sentiments and enjoyed the easier day at the office here. The general manager tells me they have plans to improve the course over the next five years with the pro shop undergoing maintenance right now and they have every ambition to hold tour events there.
Where to stay
Awali
We spent our first four days at the Awali property which is a more African inspired resort as evidenced by its Swahili name. It's all about staying true to their roots and providing a relaxing, vibrant energy.
As soon as you arrive the hospitality sweeps you off your feet. For both Awali and Le Telfair, the staff are always smiling, always greeting you when you pass and can't do enough for you. It certainly enriches the ambience and charm of the resorts.
Savannah acts as the buffet restaurant at breakfast and dinner. Good quality offerings (I loved the ham) and freshly made egg or pasta stations depending on the time of day. Also freshly made pancakes, pizzas - as a man that has had his fair share of buffets, it's easy for them to not exactly sparkle. This does.
Zafarani is the Indian restaurant on site which we ate at twice for good reason. Infinity Blue provides the seafood (and they had a lobster night while we were there) and the Zenzi bar is a solid lunchtime option with burgers and such.
All of those restaurants are at one end of the hotel with one pool and at the other end there is another pool surrounded by the C Beach Club.
Having lunch there is another lovely buffet spread with chicken joints, wedges and essentially other food you won't get at the Savannah. Le Boma brings a lot of the aforementioned African character to the table with a BBQ dinner and an engaging show of sorts while/after you eat.
Unfortunately, our date at the eatery was cancelled because of the weather (the one day it rained), but people we met on the trip did rave about the experience.
Incredibly, both resorts are mere steps away from the sandy beach that is surrounded by gorgeous, green water. The sea is quite shallow too and encourages you to walk out about 100 yards and savour the moment.
Le Telfair
A two minute walk next door brings you to Le Telfair. The rooms between hotels are pretty similar (we were lucky enough to have a sea view balcony both times) except we had a big bath in Le Telfair.
The bed and living room/TV set-up is almost identical with a modern, stylish finish with housekeeping coming in twice a day, including a night time service where they draw the blinds for you and put your slippers out!
Le Telfair looks the more modern of the two. It has two heated pools and one normal temperature one by the C Beach Club. Out of the two heated pools, one is adults only while the main family one has the main bar and kitchen right next to it.
Annabella's is Le Telfair's Savannah where breakfast and dinner is served as a buffet, but Ginja, their Japanese offering, is the show stealer. The service, like the food, is absolutely impeccable.
The menu is vast if things like sushi and other Japanese haunts are too esoteric for your taste buds and I can confirm the wagyu steak is just divine. It's amazing that it's included because anyone would pay top money to eat at a place like this.
There is a nice ice cream shack, a beach hut where you can get snorkels, pedalos and other sea apparatus as well as photo and flower outlets.
What else to do?
The first thing to mention is the Seven Colours Spa. Located in Awali's grounds, my partner and I had a couples massage that was so expertly performed that I was told off for snoring - pretty good sign of how relaxed I was!
My partner, Sharna, noted how attentive the masseuses were throughout, adapting the massage to whatever she wanted in terms of pressure, ambience, target area - everything.
She also attempted the cold plunge after exiting the sauna. I have my doubts she ever will again! But, after coming out of the massage you do have the opportunity to make use of all the other facilities.
A few steps outside of the Le Telfair is the seashell museum which is free to walk around (although the gift shop got me) and features some startling shells that are centuries of years old.
Another prime feature of the area is the Bel Ombre nature reserve. You can explore it in a buggy, quad bikes or walking a trail. We did it on the quad bikes on the one day it rained, but that didn't detract from the magic of swimming in a waterfall and taking in some of the jaw-dropping views.
They have some wildlife like deer and monkeys and you might get lucky and see some on your travels. Equally, whales and dolphins are findable in the ocean and there are a myriad of options on the open water the hotel caters for. They even have a glass bottom boat you can travel on for free.
Overall, the clear goal for the hotels and the golf courses is to create a world-class, championship quality golf courses and partner them with a dream destination precious few places on earth. As someone that has seen quite a few golf courses in quite a few different countries, I can confirm they more than deliver their goal.
