The new La Reserve golf course at Heritage Golf Club ups the golf proposition on this idyllic African island.

As if golf in Mauritius wasn’t good enough, the tropical island off the coast of Africa just upped its game with the opening of the La Reserve Golf Course at Heritage Golf Club.

Designed by Louis Ooisthuizen and Peter Matkovich, and opened at the end of 2023, the course moves across tropical forest terrain giving way to swaths of emerald green. Lined with the feathery tops of native Melinis grass, it evokes the type of course that is more reminiscent of the northern British islands. Links golf arrives in Mauritius with great fanfare.

Jonathan Menteah, General Manager at Heritage Golf Club says: “We wanted a spectacular course that would change the landscape of golf in the Indian Ocean. We asked for it to be the reason to travel for golf and not just another resort course. The key word given to the designers was ‘drama, it had to be dramatic, and I feel we have achieved that with 18 distinctive holes that all have a view of the ocean and surrounding mountain range with significant elevation changes from the first tee to the 18th green.”

A key discernible feature is elevation changes throughout all 18 holes. There is a change of 180m from the highest point to the lowest, creating visual drama as well as playing challenges.

La Reserve doesn’t stray far from its African location. The par-3 seventh requires a shot hit over a large pond, which while. not quite reflective of traditional links, offers a more indigenous element to the design. That said, this is arguably the only course in Mauritius that requires a true links-style strategy to navigate.

As golfers finish their round, and walk up to the elevated green of the par-5 18th, they will be welcomed by a brand new clubhouse designed by Perrot & Richard. The world-renowned architects, whose projects include Le Grand Palais and the Monte Carlo Opera, have created an eco-conscious building that focuses on sustainability and has minimal environmental impact.

In December last year, the course and its new clubhouse were primed to host the 2023 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open as it moved over from Heritage Golf Club’s Le Chateau Course. And the winner? None other than Louis. Oosthuizen with a two-shot victory over Englishman Laurie Canter. Let’s just say the South African had some inside knowledge of how the course played.