The itinerant Indian golfer is on the move like never before. Golf havens in south-east Asia, notably Thailand and Malaysia?with a surfeit of courses in close proximity?have emerged as budget-friendly hotspots, while traditional golf destinations like Scotland, Ireland and South Africa make for more expensive golf jaunts. Somewhere in the middle, both literally and figuratively, anchored in the Indian Ocean closer to the shores of Africa than Asia, lie the gorgeous atolls of Mauritius and Seychelles. The islands are best visited as a circuit starting from Mauritius. Mauritius is connected by direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi (seven-eight hours). Going to Seychelles directly involves transits in the UAE (Abu Dhabi or Dubai) or, alternatively, in Africa (Addis Ababa or Nairobi)?a tedious affair, which translates into a full day of travelling. Mahe, the Seychellois capital, is a two-and-a-half-hour hop from Mauritius.
The most well-known golf course in Mauritius is the Bernhard Langer-designed Le Touessrok located on Ile aux Cerfs (a small isle just off the main island)?the appeal of which is undeniably masochistic. Infamous as one of the most penalising and unplayable layouts in the world, the course attracts thousands of hapless golfers every year who tee it up just to get mauled by this monster of a course. Breaking par here is unheard of: In fact, if you persist in insisting on playing here, then it?s best to drop the notion of scoring altogether. If you lose less golf balls than your handicap, then you would have done well for yourself. Not deriding the course here, Le Touessrok might be a lot of fun for a scratch player who?s hit the purple patch of his golfing life, but for lesser mortals, it?s more of an oddity (although a stunning one at that). Still, you do get bragging rights for playing here, and you?ll come away with a stirring anecdote to regale your golf buddies with back home.
Equally popular but easier to play are The Legend and The Links layouts, which are attached to the Constance hotels, and where you?ll get confirmed and complimentary tee times if you?re a hotel guest. Host of the Mauritian Open and a European Senior Tour event, The Legend is the older and tougher of the two, although to most Indian golfers, it might not seem that way: With the same old-club feel of the Royal Calcutta GC, or even the Delhi Golf Club, with the punishing thickets running along the fairways, its pitfalls and layout seem comfortably familiar. Of course, in addition to that, this is a seaside course, and there?s a surfeit of water inlets, lakes and even an open lagoon to add to the challenge. There are quite a few spectacular holes, the pick of which is, unquestionably, the 152 m par-3 17th, which involves a daunting wedge (or even a 7-iron depending on which way the wind is blowing) over the lagoon to a tricky green. Water comes into play on all but two holes on The Legend and it?s best played strategically. Not a course to try and muscle your way around.
The more modern-feel The Links? layout is the easier of the two, although it?s no walk in the park either. The fairways are more open, and there are fewer water hazards, but the greens are much more undulating and quicker. There are also a number of unsettling blind shots and it?s a good idea to pick up the detailed course guide from the starter if you?re not taking a caddy.
If you have the time, and have planned for it, then it?s entirely worth the effort to fly into Mahe, and then catch a short 20-minute turbo-prop ride to Praslin Island?a speck of an island famous as the home of the fabled Coco-de-Mer?a gigantic coconut, which resembles, well, a woman?s derriere. But assuming you?re more interested in golf, head straight for the Constance Lemuria resort, which sits on a densely-forested hillside tapering down all the way to the ocean. Within the resort, lies the eponymous golf course, which, unbelievably, was ranked seventh in all of Africa?no mean feat given the number of quality courses in that continent.
The course meanders along the coastline punctuated by elevated tees, water hazards and narrow fairways and the back-nine is the tougher and prettier stretch. The par-3 150 yard 15th hole is quite extraordinary: With the tees perched high on a rocky ridge, which offers spectacular views of the ocean, and the green way down in the vale. It makes for an interesting shot, to say the least, with the ball falling as much as 60 ft from the tee to the green. Lemuria GC is also probably the only course in this part of the world with a beach so beautiful that even non-golfers come to the course just to be able to make their way there. Next to the 15th green is a small gate almost hidden in the foliage. Part the bushes and the famous Anse Georgette beach emerges into view?an Eden-ish picture-postcard crescent of white sand in what seems like a private cove. This is the time you begin to take your shoes off and let golf take a backseat.
A golfer, Meraj Shah also writes about the game