Discovering a golfer’s paradise in Mauritius

A golfer's paradise in Mauritius

The epic JW Marriott Resort ticks all the usual Indian Ocean boxes…. then creates more of its own and ticks them, too, offering some of the best golf in Mauritius

Travel pieces about golf in Mauritius usually start with flowery descriptions of the ‘powder white sand’ of the beach being lapped by ‘impossibly turquoise water’.

That could certainly justifiably be the case here, but there is no time – or rather space – to spend on that. There’s just too much to say about JW Marriott Mauritius.

It is set down on Le Morne Peninsula in the south-west of the island and as you can see, it has an X Factor location between its white sand and the foot of the Le Morne mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I’ve been fortunate to travel to picture-postcard Top 100 Golf Resorts all over the world, from Seychelles to Sicily and Canada to the Maldives. I don’t think any top JW Marriott’s for brooding, jaw-dropping beauty.

The special nature of its location is illustrated by the fact five minutes from the resort is where kite surfers enjoy the world-famous ‘One Eye’ wave. 

The hotel allows you to maximise its paradise setting by taking guests on free snorkelling trips and offers free clear-bottom kayaks to allow them to get wide-eyed at the hundreds of colourful fish that call these protected coral reefs home. And did we mention you can also swim with dolphins…

You won’t want to spend all your time in those turquoise waters though, especially because the hotel itself is magnificent.

Often at Indian Ocean resorts there is a noticeable dip in wow factor once you move away from the beach. Not here. 

The beach is the best in Mauritius – complete with bean bags on the sand Bali-style – but JWM resort is beautifully arranged among the lush vegetation of pretty gardens filled with native plants and tranquil waterways. There are a series of ‘Secret Spots’ that encourage time spent relaxing and reflecting while the two swimming pools are so elegant they lure you from the beach.

There are 172 lavish guest suites set down as well-appointed one-storey buildings. All are beautifully designed and decorated, with delightful individual touches to the different types of suites – with the Manor House Spa Suites and the largest and most luxurious villa in the Indian Ocean, the Grand Beachfront Villa, probably topping the wishlist.

But rest assured, every room is fabulous, with a huge bathroom stocked with desirable toiletries among the many nice touches. Another is the fact it is attended by a butler for the week, there to advise on activities, book restaurants, ensure you get the most from your room’s gadgets and even unpack for you.

Activities include a world-class gym that would be good enough to satisfy an international rugby union team, a comprehensive and alluring spa, Kid’s Club, water sports in addition to those already mentioned and even a private cinema.

Can you understand why we had to get straight into the key stuff at the start now? We haven’t even mention food or golf yet.

Here’s food. There are five restaurants all fighting for your attention including The Boathouse Bar & Grill by the beach, Le Manoir Dining Room for elegant French-Mauritian food, and Thai, Malay and Vietnamese tastes and aromas galore at the Floating Market.

Two special highlights, though, are surely the teppanyaki at Atsuko, where classic favourites such as teriyaki, sashimi and sensationally succulent wagu beef are prepared right in front of you by a genius who is part chef, part circus performer. A wonderful experience.

Simply India matches it. Here you’ll savour a menu designed for sharing which is packed with so many more-ish dishes that you’ll never agree on which were the best ones.

Before dinner, try the JWM favourite of sunset champagne on the beach, with you opening the bottle using a saber, pirate style. This is enjoyed just outside The Boathouse, which is an idyllic venue for breakfast – which here is a pleasing mix of buffet and cooked-to-order bespoke dishes.

Oh, and the staff are fabulous; we charged in just as they should have been closing as we had spent the very early morning climbing Le Morne – a true experience of a lifetime – and rather than hurry us away, they commended us for our effort (the locals naturally know it’s not an easy climb!) and set about rewarding us with our favourite a la carte dishes and kept the buffet open.

Right, to golf. JW Marriott doesn’t have its own course on site but Le Paradis by Tony Johnstone is five minutes away and, even better, they have teamed up with one of Mauritius’ top courses to offer an alluring package.

Tamarina is situated in the idyll between the Rempart Mountain and the crisp blue sea of Tamarin Bay, and is a course that offers just the right balance of challenge and charm. It won’t beat you up but you also have to work for your pars and birdie putts. 

Set across 107 well-presented acres, there are five sets of tees to enhance its playability for all levels further.  There are several epic carries and risk-reward moments on a course of great variety and highlights.

JWM’s package includes a five-night stay, a complimentary green fee and two-way transfer to the golf club. 

It is valid on stays up to 30 June 2024 for a minimum of five nights with prices from £1,500 based on two adults sharing one room.

Click here to book, and browse packages in the second half of 2024.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Bertram – Golf World Top 100 Editor

He was born and brought up in Dumfriesshire and has been a sports journalist since 1996, initially as a junior writer with National Club Golfer magazine.

Chris then spent four years writing about football and rugby union for the Press Association but returned to be Editor and then Publisher of NCG before joining Golf World and Today’s Golfer as Senior Production Editor.

He has been freelance since 2010 and when he is not playing and writing about the world’s finest golf courses, he works for BBC Sport.

A keen all-round sportsman, Chris plays off 11 – which could be a little better if it wasn’t for hilariously poor lag putting which has to be seen to be believed.

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