WHERE TO PLAY
AL FRESCO Dining at Belle Mare Plage on the main beach.
SERENE INDULGENCE Evening sundowners at the Prince Maurice hotel.
over the years. The greens are now as smooth as silk. It is quite rightly judged the best course in the Indian Ocean.” Montgomerie confessed that he found it difficult on his visits to concen- trate on the tournament. “The longer you are there the less competitive you get because the tranquil atmosphere is extraordinary. It’s tricky to transition between holiday mode and competi- tive mode.” Several of the Legends players had
were strong holes, notably the tenth, and the round ended with a spicy 360m par 4 featuring a sharp dogleg right to a green over water. Colin Montgomerie won the 2015 MCB title and loves Belle Mare Plage. “I’ve stayed at some beautiful resorts around the world, but this just might be the best of the lot – it’s quite incred- ible,” the Scot wrote in Golf World’s recent Top 100 Resorts issue. “The Leg- ends course has improved dramatically
Each Belle Mare Plage course has its own stylish clubhouse and range facili- ty. The Links, a 5-minute drive from the hotel, is equally as good a design as the Legends, yet friendlier in terms of the width it offers off the tee. More undu- lating too. Designed by Rodney Wright and Peter Alliss, I found it quirky and fun to play from white tees measuring 5 535 metres, par 71. Some blind shots, and numerous short 4s, including the driveable 17th at 250. The three par 5s
104 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026
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