Golf in Mauritius: the Constance Belle Mare guide

The standard objection to Mauritius as a golf destination: 'It's a beach resort with a course bolted on. Why fly 12 hours to play golf when there's nothing else worth playing?'

The objection is wrong. Here is why.

The Links at Constance Belle Mare Plage is a 7,108-yard par-71 designed by Rodney Wright and Peter Allis, opened in 2003. It sits on the north-east coast of the island and is laid out across headlands and inlets of the lagoon. On the par-3 7th tee — 175 yards — you stand with the Indian Ocean to your left and the lagoon behind the green. If you are not moved by this, something has gone wrong with you.

The course plays significantly harder than it looks. The trade winds that Mauritius is famous for come from the south-east and affect the back nine in particular. I played it in December with a 7 handicap client who had won his club medal three times in the previous two years. He shot 92 and said it was the most fun round of golf he'd ever played.

What makes Mauritius work as a golf trip rather than just a beach trip: the season. January to April is when the Indian Ocean is at its calmest, the course is in peak condition, and the hotel is operating at its finest. The Constance Belle Mare itself is, in my view, the best 5-star resort in the Indian Ocean for combining genuinely serious golf with genuinely serious beach and spa.

The second course: Ile aux Cerfs Golf Club, accessible by a short boat ride from the east coast. It's a layout designed by Bernhard Langer across a coral island in the middle of the lagoon. It is, objectively, not a great course by championship standards. But playing golf on a coral island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is an experience that transcends course quality. Book it for one of the rounds and treat it as an adventure rather than a test.

The honest trip cost: Mauritius is premium. Expect £4,500–£6,000pp for 10 nights at the Constance Belle Mare, including flights, and 5 rounds across both courses. It is the most expensive item in our portfolio. The clients who have been once come back without being asked.