COURSE · LINKS · BUCKET LIST · TIER A
Bel Ombre, Savanne District, Mauritius · The first contemporary links course in the Indian Ocean
A course born from volcanic hills and ocean wind, designed by a Major champion and opened to world-class competition within weeks of its first round.
01 · Overview
~2 min read
La Réserve Golf Links arrived in December 2023 as something genuinely without precedent: a full-length, tournament-grade links course laid across the volcanic hillsides of southern Mauritius, with the Indian Ocean as its constant companion. Within weeks of opening, it hosted a DP World Tour event — won by its own co-designer, Louis Oosthuizen — and within a year had been voted World's Best New Golf Course at the World Golf Awards.
The site was shaped from a 2,500-hectare former sugar-cane estate in the Savanne District, immediately adjacent to the Bel Ombre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Designer Peter Matkovich, marooned on the island for ten months during the pandemic, used the enforced residency to sculpt each hole by hand. The result is a course that wears its topography honestly: wide fairways fall with the natural pitch of the terrain, dune ridges frame the playing corridors, and native grasses replace the monocultures that preceded them. The course became the first in Africa to achieve GEO Certified Development status.
On the ground, La Réserve plays as the name promises — links in character, tropical in setting. The opening tee sits high in the hills, delivering an immediate panorama that scarcely leaves the golfer for the next four hours. The elevated tees on the early holes, the infinity greens that appear to dissolve into ocean and sky on the 3rd and elsewhere, and the dune-enfolded par 3 at the 17th — which draws comparisons to Waterville in Ireland — are signature moments of spatial drama. The slope rating of 141 and course rating of 77.6 from the back tees confirm that the views are not the only thing demanding the golfer's attention.
Wind is the course's principal defence. The prevailing seaside breezes off the Indian Ocean shift in intensity through the round, making club selection a sustained exercise in judgement rather than arithmetic. The layout is long at 7,367 yards, and several back-nine holes — the 502-yard 9th, the 503-yard 16th, the 616-yard closing par 5 — punish anything short. The quirkiest hazard is the pot bunker planted in the centre of the 13th green, a nod to the 6th at Riviera Country Club: a feature that delights and unsettles in equal measure.
THE TERRAIN
The course is routed across the volcanic ridgelines of the former Bel Ombre sugar estate. Elevation changes are significant: tees perch high, fairways fall naturally, and ravines interrupt the closing hole with dramatic effect.
THE WIND
The seaside winds from the Indian Ocean shift direction and intensity throughout the round. On exposed ridgeline holes, a half-club adjustment becomes a full two-club swing in heavier conditions.
THE TURF
Restoration of indigenous vegetation replaced the former agricultural ground cover. The resulting tight, firm lies reward ground-game thinking — the ball runs, skips, and reacts much as it would on a British links.
THE GREENS
Several greens are designed to appear to drop directly into the ocean horizon. The 13th green contains a central pot bunker — a deliberate design provocation that changes how approach shots must be conceived.
02 · The Holes
5 of 5 · tap any hole to watch creators play it
Six holes carry more of the course's weight than the other twelve combined — and the creator vlogs that prove it.
HOLE 3 · par 4 · 434y
An elevated green designed to merge visually with the ocean and sky beyond it — the so-called infinity green concept at its most arresting. The approach must be precise enough to hold a surface that seems to have no back edge, only horizon.
434 yards · One of several infinity greens on the course; the 3rd is the most photographed.
HOLE 2 · par 4 · 476y
Often cited as the hardest hole on the course. Significant dune ridges funnel the fairway into a narrow channel; the long carry off the tee with the prevailing wind sideways leaves little margin. A demanding opening statement for the back half of the front nine.
476 yards · Dossier notes this is widely regarded as the course's most difficult hole.
HOLE 13 · par 4 · 337y
A short par 4 made strategically complex by one singular feature: a revetted pot bunker positioned in the middle of the putting surface, inspired by the 6th at Riviera Country Club. A straightforward number on the card becomes a genuine puzzle once the flag position is considered.
337 yards · The only hole on the DP World Tour rota with a bunker inside the green itself.
HOLE 17 · par 3 · 202y
A mid-length par 3 whose green is wrapped by dune rises on multiple sides, creating an amphitheatre of sand and native grass. The comparison to Waterville's iconic par 3s is apposite: this hole rewards a penetrating flight and punishes anything that leaks sideways.
202 yards · Draws architectural comparisons to Waterville Golf Links in County Kerry, Ireland.
HOLE 18 · par 5 · 616y
At 616 yards, the closing hole is among the longest par 5s in Indian Ocean golf. A natural ravine and stream bisect the fairway on the second shot, demanding a decision: lay up short, or carry the hazard and set up a chance at glory. Jayden Schaper holed an eagle here to win the 2025 Mauritius Open.
616 yards · Won by eagle at the 2025 Mauritius Open; the ravine cross defines the hole's character.
06 · How to Play Here
4 routes to a tee time
Club Membership · members only
Exclusive access to La Réserve Golf Links is a primary benefit for Heritage Golf Club members. Membership includes guaranteed tee-off times and access to member-only tournaments.
Membership Fee Available upon enquiry
Heritage Resorts Resident Access · hotel package
Playing privileges are primarily reserved for guests staying at Heritage Resorts (Heritage Le Telfair, Heritage Awali, or Heritage The Villas). Residents can book rounds as part of their stay.
Green Fee (Resident Rate) €200
External Visitor (Subject to Availability) · single
While the course is marketed as exclusive to members and residents, external guests may be accepted on request subject to availability. Advance booking is mandatory.
Green Fee (Visitor Rate) €300
Mauritius Golf Holidays · package
Tee times can be booked as part of comprehensive golf holiday packages through specialized travel partners.
Package Rate From £1,579 (7 nights/7 rounds)
07 · History
2 DP World Tour · since 2023
2019
Construction began on the 2,500-hectare Bel Ombre estate, converting former sugar-cane plantations into what would become the Indian Ocean's first contemporary links course.
2022
Marooned on Mauritius for ten months during the pandemic, architect Peter Matkovich used the enforced stay to personally oversee and shape every hole on the course.
2023
La Réserve became the first course on the African continent to receive GEO Certified Development status, recognising its ecological restoration work alongside the Bel Ombre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
2023
The course and its volcanic-stone clubhouse officially opened on 1 December 2023, co-designed by architect Peter Matkovich and Major champion Louis Oosthuizen.
2023
Weeks after opening, La Réserve hosted its first DP World Tour event. Co-designer Louis Oosthuizen won it — a remarkable symmetry between architect and champion.
2024
The World Golf Awards named La Réserve the best new golf course in the world, confirming its rapid ascent to the top of Indian Ocean golf.
2025
South African Jayden Schaper won the second Mauritius Open at La Réserve in a playoff, holing an eagle on the 18th hole to claim the title.
2026
Golfweek placed La Réserve at No. 28 in the world outside the United States and No. 1 in Africa, an extraordinary ranking for a course barely two years old.
08 · Common Questions
7 questions · sourced from 17 vlogs
Access is primarily reserved for guests staying at one of the Heritage Resorts properties — Heritage Le Telfair, Heritage Awali, or Heritage The Villas. Residents can book rounds as part of their stay at a resident green fee of approximately €200. Heritage Golf Club members have priority access. External visitors may occasionally be accommodated subject to availability, at a visitor rate of around €300, but advance booking and confirmation are essential.
In practice, yes. The course is marketed as exclusive to Heritage Resorts guests and club members. While external visitors are listed as a possibility subject to availability, there is no public booking portal, and walk-in or casual access is not available. Booking a golf holiday package through a specialist travel operator is the most reliable route for those not staying at the resort.
The course is located in Bel Ombre in the Savanne District, approximately 40 kilometres from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport — a drive of roughly 45 to 60 minutes depending on traffic. The Heritage Resorts offer private transfers, and rental cars via the M1 motorway and coastal roads are a standard alternative.
The dossier does not provide confirmed details on caddie or cart availability. Given the significant elevation changes across the layout — particularly on the opening and closing holes — it is advisable to enquire directly with Heritage Golf Club before your round. The links character of the course, however, is best appreciated on foot.
It is a genuinely demanding course. The slope rating of 141 and course rating of 77.6 from the back tees place it firmly in the upper tier of difficulty. At 7,367 yards with sustained ocean winds and several par 4s exceeding 480 yards, mid-handicappers should expect a tough examination. The quirky hazards — a pot bunker in the 13th green, the ravine crossing on 18 — add strategic complexity beyond raw length.
Yes. The course hosted the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open on the DP World Tour in December 2023, just weeks after officially opening — with co-designer Louis Oosthuizen winning the inaugural event. A second edition was held in 2025, won by South African Jayden Schaper in a playoff after an eagle on the 18th hole.
The links designation refers to the design philosophy rather than a coastal linksland setting in the traditional Scottish sense. The course features firm, fast playing surfaces, native grasses, wide fairways framed by dune ridges, exposed holes subject to constant wind, and ground-game conditions that reward bump-and-run shots. It is described as the first contemporary links course in the Indian Ocean, meaning it applies links principles to a volcanic hillside setting rather than a sandy seaside strip.
10 · The Library
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