La Réserve Golf Links, a new course by architect Peter Matkovich and former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, has opened for play at Heritage Golf Club in Mauritius and will host the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour, on 14-17 December.
The course lies in the south of the country alongside the Black River Gorges-Bel Ombre Biosphere Reserve, as designated by the Unesco Man and the Biosphere Programme.
GEO Foundation has certified the development of the new course and describes it as “a stand-out project for the sheer scale of habitat restoration that was carried out as a result of the golf course being created.” The sustainability organisation highlights that 104 hectares of sugarcane monoculture was removed from the site, while 55 hectares of native habitats, over two hectares of riparian habitat, plus substantial wetland and water bodies were created.
The course is located close to the sea, with holes looking out over sandy beaches and tropical bays to the Indian Ocean.
“La Réserve Golf Links has been inspired by the strategy required to play the wonderful old links courses of Ireland and Scotland,” said Matkovich. “Scoring will be dependent on your strategy, choices and playing within your ability.
“The eighth is a great example of strategy in golf design. You have a choice to make from the tee because of the split fairway separated by a mountain stream. Either take the wider fairway route to the left, making it a three-shotter, or accept the challenge and go right over the stream to the narrow fairway, protected by two penal bunkers and a waste area. Hit the fairway and you are left with a relatively straightforward second shot into the green.
“This option makes the eighth play like a par 4.5, and a good birdie chance for those brave enough to take it on.”
The course is grassed throughout with Pure Dynasty seeded paspalum, developed by Atlas Turf International and Pure Seed.
“La Réserve Golf Links is an extraordinary world-class course, and a game-changer for Mauritius,” said Jonathan Menteath, general manager of Heritage Golf Club.
“Adding our new GolfZon Leadbetter Academy into the mix – the first and only one of its kind in the Indian Ocean – we are combining all the necessary ingredients to build our reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after golf destinations.”