Edelweiss recommendation

As a rule, the golf courses on the island of Mauritius may also be used by non-hotel guests. To be on the safe side, hotel guests are thus recommended to pre-register with the concierge. If you are intending to hire a car, note that driving is on the left-hand side of the road.

History of golf

The game with the little white ball was introduced in Mauritius long before the tourist boom of the twentieth and twenty-first century. Founded in 1844 by officers of the British Royal Navy, the Gymkhana Club lays claim to being the oldest golf course south of the Equator. Golfers eager for some golf history can expect to find a beautifully kept, albeit not particularly long, parkland golf course in central Mauritius.

• Gymkhana Club

A strong duo: Île aux Cerfs Golf Club and Anahita Golf Club

Though only slightly larger than the canton of Zurich, Mauritius boasts an extraordinary concentration of fabulous golf courses. The Île aux Cerfs (formerly: Le Touessrok) and Anahita golf courses are basically “must-plays” for true golf enthusiasts. Both courses come with stunning views of the Indian Ocean and the island’s rugged, towering mountains. Designed by Bernhard Langer and only accessible by boat, the Île aux Cerfs Golf Club is slightly narrower and more challenging than neighbouring Anahita, which is 328 yards (300 m) longer. The Anahita golf course was designed by Ernie Els and offers wide, undulating fairways.

• Île aux Cerfs Golf Club

• Anahita Golf Club

In the footsteps of the Senior Tour

Situated slightly further north, near Poste de Flacq, is another extraordinary golf course duo: the Legends golf course on the beach of Belle Mare and its neighbour, the Links golf course. Every year in December, the best players of the European Senior Tour meet for the grand season finale. Compare your skills (indirectly) with Bossy, Woosie or Monty on the course designed by South African Hugh Baiocchi and set within a former hunting reserve. This is by no means an impossible feat: extending to just under 6600 yards (6000 m), the course is relatively short. Golfers who manage to keep the ball on the partially fairly narrow tree-lined fairways stand a good chance of playing to their handicap.

The neighbouring Links course gives the impression of being slightly longer. But that is an optical illusion caused by its slightly wider fairways, which are easier to hit. The course, designed by eight-time Ryder Cup player and long-standing BBC golf expert Peter Alliss together with golf course architect Rodney Wright, is not a links golf course in the conventional sense (the ocean is only visible from a few points). But the gorgeous track across rolling terrain and through dense mangrove forests definitely make up for that!

• Golf resort - Constance Hotels & Resorts

Other recommended golf courses

• The Heritage Golf Club
• Avalon Golf Estate
• Tamarina Golf Club
• Paradis Golf Club