Above: The stunning view of Beachcomber Paradis golf course from the air
After following Branden Stone and Niklas Nørgaard Møller around for the final round of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at Mont Choisy on Sunday, I was looking forward to seeing how far behind them I was off the tee!
After smashing my driver down the middle on the first from the championship tees, I am left with a 9-iron in. To put that into prospective Niklas hit 2-iron, gap wedge! It is a beautiful starting hole with a wide fairway, but it is the greens that I knew would be tricky. Not only are they relatively small, there are many green complexes to negotiate. And if you miss the green then you will see your ball disappearing down some steep run-offs.
Left to right: 5th, 7th and 9th holes
I make my way to the second after my opening par. The course meanders through the land and I love the way the perfectly mown emerald green fairways weave their way through the dark volcanic rock, which in some areas has been used as waste bunkers – and it’s these juxtaposed colours that give Mont Choisy its very distinctive look.
The first of the par 3s on the front nine arrives at the 4th, a well-designed hole with some wonderful views and a green that could have you tearing your hair out if you are in the wrong section. I give up comparing my drives on the par 5, 5th hole. I am so far behind Niklas’s drives I would need to call in the army with a rocket launcher just to keep up!
It is hard to pull out individual holes as they all deserve a mention and the run of holes from the 6th to the 9th offers some wonderful golf. Making my way around the back nine it has a slightly different feel to the front nine, but that is certainly not to its detriment. As I step onto the 11th, the first of the par 3s on the back nine, it reminds me that there are no weak short holes on the course. The other par 3s on this nine are the 15th, and the course’s signature hole which is played from an elevated tee to an island green, with a third one coming at the 17th that is another well design golf hole.
The 18th is a fitting finale to what has been a wonderful day’s golf with Sebastien Espitalier-Noël, who is the Sports and Golf Manager at Beachcomber’s Trou Aux Biches. Although I miss my short birdie putt on the 18th I am not disappointed as I have enjoyed every moment on playing Mont Choisy, and I know you will too.
