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MIND / JOURNEYS
‘My new life in Mauritius helps me recharge’ We left our home in Germany to live golf 24/7 on an
bilitation from February through to May after surgery on my left hip. I had been in a lot of discomfort playing in 2023. There were painfully hard days on the course. I delayed the operation until I had played the four events in the Middle East at the beginning of the year. ● ● ● My breakthrough European Tour vic- tory was more than 20 years ago, in Jan- uary 2004 at Houghton Golf Club in the Dunhill Championship. That was the old Houghton course before it was redone by Jack Nicklaus. I beat two Frenchmen in a playoff. The last Dunhill at Houghton before Johann Rupert moved it to Leop- ard Creek. There I made a good defence of my title, finishing in the top 10 just two shots behind winner Charl Schwartzel. And that was after taking 9 shots on the par-5 18th in my first round 76! ● ● ● I won the World Cup of Golf for Ger- many playing with Bernhard Langer in 2006 at Sandy Lane in Barbados – we beat Scotland in a playoff – but had to wait eight years for my second Europe- an Tour victory, the 2012 French Open. I had three good years through to 2014, winning in each of them. My Masters win in China in 2014 was worth nearly a million euro. ● ● ● While at home I play golf with the Heritage members and have a regu- lar group. When I am in training mode I love a challenge. Every Friday we have the Ray Jennings challenge. I have a preference for the Le Château course. Such a well-designed layout, in pristine condition. My favourite hole is the par-5 18th, a dogleg left around the water. The wind mostly comes from the left, mak- ing it quite challenging despite not being the longest hole. It's always fun to finish there. My lowest round on Le Château is
estate course in a warm climate. By Marcel Siem, with Stuart McLean
D URING COVID WHEN WE HAD SO MANY RESTRICTIONS living in Germany, my home country, we talked as a family – my wife Laura and I have two daughters Viktoria and Car- lotta – about relocating to start a new life in Mauritius. We made the move in January 2023 to a villa at Heritage which we have been renting. It is an amazing island on which to live, offering such a great work-life balance, and I would recommend it to anyone consider- ing moving here. Our main reason for moving was to live golf 24/7 on an estate course with warm conditions throughout the year. You only live once, and this move has been a great boost for us. We're loving it!
I played my first AfrAsia Mauri- tius Open in 2018. Missed the cut at Anahita after a poor second round but enjoyed my week on the island. The following year I had a more successful tournament when the Open returned to Heritage resort in the south of the is- land. This was a few months before the Covid pandemic, and my family joined me to spend Xmas and New Year at the resort. I became a Heritage ambassa- dor. Mauritius was off limits to visitors
chipping and putting greens, and the courses themselves. It makes working here enjoyable, and after work we can truly enjoy life, whether on the beach or out on a boat with the family. Our girls, aged 14 and 10, attend a primary and secondary school near Heritage. ● ● ● I love the Mauritian people who are incredibly friendly and laid-back. I'm happy living on a beautiful estate and driving a golf buggy everywhere. I've al-
ways wanted to try kite-surf- ing; my wife already does it – and now, living in Mauri- tius, I can. I enjoy boating, fishing, snorkelling and re- laxing on the water. These activities help me recharge. I’m careful with other sports
for a couple of years dur- ing Covid, and the Open wasn’t played in either 2020 or 2021. I returned to play in the December 2022 Open at Mont Choisy, and a month later I was back as a resident. ● ● ●
MARCEL SIEM DP WORLD TOUR AGE 44 LIVES HERITAGE RESORTS BEL OMBRE, MAURITIUS
a 62. ● ● ●
The new La Réserve Links is spec- tacular, and I am always eager to play it. I had a top 20 finish there in last year’s Mauritius Open. It has its own unique appeal, presenting a different kind of challenge exposed to the natural coastal elements. My favourite hole is the long par-4 ninth, which offers stunning views of the coastline and requires precise shot-making due to the strategic bunker- ing and undulating fairway.
like padel or tennis to avoid injuries. I'm the only tour pro living in Mauritius. Haydn Porteous owned an apartment on the island but has sold it. ● ● ● My first year I spent about three months in Mauritius, the rest of my time travelling around the world as I played 29 tournaments in 2023. This past year it was different. I was on the is- land longer due to my undergoing reha-
Being in Mauritius has changed my golfing outlook compared to living in Germany. The warm environment con- tributed to my winning again on the DP World Tour in 2023 (Indian Open) and 2024 (Italian Open), and I’m not done yet! I can start my day with gym sessions and practice in perfect golf conditions, which is incredibly beneficial. The fa- cilities at Heritage are outstanding – the
PHOTOGRAPH BY LANDMARK MEDIA
12 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024
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