TROU AUX BICHES, MAURITIUS | The small island of Mauritius, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, is only 60 kilometers long and 47 kilometers wide.
It would be easy to overlook and yet it quietly packs a punch.
Once a crucial safe haven for traders sailing between Europe and Asia, the location is now fueling a new wave of tourism, golf and finance as it lies midway between Africa and Asia, while maintaining historic links with Europe.
The island’s golf courses usually fall into one of two categories. The first is resort layouts that must traverse a landscape of volcanic rock. The second are coastal courses typically framed by tropical plants and trees, with mountainous backdrops and a clear blue sea.
Many resorts on the island offer one type of course, but Beachcomber in the northern town of Trou aux Biches is unique in that it can offer visitors both.
The feeling that there is something different about this golf spot first becomes apparent when you drive from the airport. The country’s golf courses and resorts are mostly located south of the Moka Mountains that bisect the island west-east from the capital Port Louis.
To go north through these dramatic peaks, which resemble enormous bat wings, requires a remarkable dive through their center on a highway that runs down towards the distant sea.
The DP World Tour headed in this direction for the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in 2022, returning just before Christmas last year.
In theory it was the fifth start of the new season (which always gets a head start on the calendar), but in reality it also works as a chance for the players to experience a bit of end-of-year luxury.
It’s not just its northern location that separates Trou aux Biches Beachcomber from other resorts in Mauritius. The resort feels like a more integral part of the community than others – a walk along the beach takes you to local bars, restaurants and shops rather than to a neighboring resort.
On the other hand, Trou aux Biches Beachcomber is also very much like all Mauritian resorts and offers an immediate and welcoming embrace.
Arrivals will be greeted with a cooling towel, a local mocktail and a view over restaurants and pools to the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean, which will beautifully dominate the entire stay.
Within minutes I am in the sea for a quick, refreshing dip. Then I have lunch at La Plage, the restaurant overlooking the beach, to eat fresh fish that has been out of the water just a little longer than I have.
Meals eaten to a soundtrack of gentle waves splashing on the sand would become a habit. At breakfast I reflected on the fact that there was no land between me and India, most of it 6,000 kilometers away. For lunch I opted for Mauritian food, grilled on the sand. For dinner I opted for Indian curries with a local twist, almost always fish.
The water theme became so common (swimming, sea kayaking, and snorkeling thrown in) that it was a surprise that I never found water the entire time I was on the golf course.
Trou aux Biches has privileged access to Mont Choisy Golf Club, the host club of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
The course designer, respected Zimbabwean Peter Matkovich, knows the island well and is said to have been excited when he first viewed the site.
The terrain is a combination of volcanic rock and former sugar cane fields. Matkovich has created a modern version that has room to catch the typically blustery ocean breezes, and offers plenty of fun risks and rewards.
The back nine sneaks into a wooded grove via short par-4s that provide opportunities for those brave enough to take the offensive line.
While the town of Trou aux Biches has grown from its origins as a fishing village and typifies the golf and tourism boom, Mont Choisy is at the forefront of Mauritius’ growth as a financial bridge between Africa and Asia.
The highlight of the round is the par-3 15th with a semi-island green with a bunker/beach and a beautiful scarlet backdrop of Mauritius’ famous flame trees.
The transfer to Trou aux Biches takes just a few minutes and Beachcomber has another course at its Paradis resort on the east coast.
It’s not a championship-level test, but it completes the resort’s unique double value, as it has all the tropical island beauty any golfer could dream of, with views of soaring mountains and the ocean literally lapping against the course. Shot is played next to and sometimes over a lagoon.
It’s a beautiful location to play golf, the kind of place that makes you laugh to yourself at the sheer magic of it all.
While the town of Trou aux Biches has grown from its origins as a fishing village and typifies the golf and tourism boom, Mont Choisy is at the forefront of Mauritius’ growth as a financial bridge between Africa and Asia.
Moreover, this corner of the island is known for its entrepreneurial spirit.
In the early 19th century it led the cultivation of sugar cane and later in the century it used aloe vera in a way that transformed that plant’s value around the world. Now it is an environmentally and socially sustainable urban hub with Smart City certification.
The Middle East has been transformed by golf, tourism and business – and by its location between Europe and Asia.
So now Mauritius is seeing these three sectors grow, driven by its beautiful location between two continents hungry for expansion.
Trou aux Biches Beachcomber is a bit of golf luxury on an island whose past, present and future connect all corners of the world.
Above: Paradis resort is located on the east coast of the island. Photos: Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels
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