Ocean views from the higher slopes of La Réserve. This is the par-3 fourth. INDIAN OCEAN JEWEL
I T HAD BEEN MORE THAN A decade since I was last in the southern part of Mauritius. I remembered the airport road meandering through villages and seaside communities, revealing some of the reasons why this idyllic Indian Ocean isle ranks as an attractive destination for those drawn to sun, sand and surf. Things haven’t changed much. The villages dotting the journey to the beaches of Bel Ombre look much the same. But one thing that hasn’t been stuck in time is the golfing landscape. Golf has received yet another shot in the arm with the opening of La Réserve Golf Links at Heritage Resorts. Built during the Covid years, co-designed by Peter Matkovich and Louis Oosthuizen, the course was conceived before the pandemic. It will
La Réserve Golf Links is a new irresistible reason to visit Mauritius for a golfing holiday. ••• BY JU KUANG TAN
be unveiled to the golfing world in December when it hosts the DP World Tour’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. “There is a long-term vision for our beautiful Domaine de Bel Ombre,” says Jonathan Menteath, General Manager at Heritage Golf Club. “Our shareholders have always dreamt of having a second course but first wanted to make a success of the original one, Le Château, before going ahead. “The success of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Le Château – a tri- sanctioned tournament between DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour – gave us the final push to build La Réserve Golf Links in order to maintain our position as the top golf experience in the Indian Ocean.” The infrastructure around La Réserve Golf Links was not completed when I visited earlier in 2023. The road from
achieved that with 18 distinctive holes all having a view of the ocean and surrounding mountain range with significant elevation changes from first tee to 18th green.” The art of discovery Ryan Dodds, project manager for the La Réserve development, was instrumental in helping make the co-design a reality. “Peter’s design philosophy is ‘listen to the land’ to ‘find’ the golf holes that naturally exist in the terrain,” he says. “It’s the art of discovery rather than construction. There were a few key features of the site that have been exploited in the design though, infinity greens one of them. “Against the incredible backdrop of the southern lagoon reef of Mauritius, Peter wanted golfers to have this unobstructed view. Infinity greens
feature on holes three, 10, 11 and 16. They represent a tricky design feature as selecting the right club is challenging, especially on shorter shots where you judge distance with feel. They are more exposed to the wind and generally drop off on all sides, placing a premium on accuracy.” Playing the course before its scheduled opening, one key discernible feature was the elevation change throughout all 18 holes. There is a fall of 190m from highest point to lowest, creating some dramatic tee shots. With this comes challenging lies as is customary with traditional links golf. Another aspect is how natural the holes fit with the terrain. This didn’t come about unintentionally. “As the territory of Bel Ombre nestles alongside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve it was of utmost importance that La Réserve
the Le Château clubhouse to the course hadn’t been built, and the drive up the hill to the elevated first tee was on sandy trails. Our four-wheel drive vehicle made a turn, and what looked like a mirage emerged. Tropical forest terrain gave way to swaths of emerald- green grass lined with the feathery tops of native Melinis grass evoking a type of course more reminiscent of the British Isles. Links golf had arrived in Mauritius with a celebratory bang. “We wanted a spectacular course that would change the golfing landscape in the Indian Ocean,” said Menteath. “We asked Peter Matkovich and Louis Oosthuizen to design one that would draw golfers to our island, that should be the reason to travel for golf, not just another resort course. The key word given to the designers was ‘drama.’ It had to be dramatic. I feel we have
52 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 53
NOVEMBER 2023
NOVEMBER 2023
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