WHERE TO PLAY
done, there followed two full days of pro-ams, first at the Links, then the Leg- ends, to wrap up the programme. The Legends layout, where the first tee is a short walk from the Belle Mare Plage hotel villas, is tailormade for se- nior golfers. It was a “Legend” long be- fore the seniors adopted the term. Being 6 045 metres, par 72, from the back tees there is less emphasis on length, and significantly more on accuracy. Eight of the 10 par 4s measure be- tween 300 and 360 metres which sounds short and easy, however the fairways are relatively tight, lined with tropical foliage and trees, water hazards and outcrops of volcanic rock. Unsur- prisingly, the Slope is 141 from the black tees. Being so close to the ocean a stiff sea breeze can make for tricky playing conditions. It’s a beautiful and easy walk, yet the Legends pros were allowed the use of golf carts in the humid summer heat. This year’s champion, Greg Owen, a 53-year-old Englishman who lives in the United States, had 20 birdies and an eagle in his 18-under total of 198, a tribute to his iron play and the quality of the paspalum grass greens. The Legends, designed by Hugh Baiocchi, has two memorable closing holes, a par 3 over an ocean inlet to a green guarded on both sides by volca- nic rock, and then a thrilling 458-metre risk-reward par 5 with a green sand- wiched between water. It’s a scary hole for mid- to high-handicaps with a long club in their hands, but the pros played it with aplomb, not hesitating to attack the flag with fairway metals or long irons. South African runner-up Darren Fichardt scored 4-3-4 over the three rounds, narrowly missing a second eagle on the Sunday which could have forced a playoff. Indulgent lifestyle Constance has two separate hotels for its guests, the main one close to the golf humming with activity and guests, while the Prince Maurice further north is more intimate and serene, alongside a remote lagoon, going beyond mere 5-star luxury status to an indulgent life- style experience.
THE LEGENDS COURSE The par-5 18th, with water on both sides of the green, provides a thrilling finish to Legends tournaments.
102 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
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