Course critique - Gymkhana Golf Course, Mauritius

No matter what label you give a golf course - the longest, the hardest, the best - there is one label that Gymkhana will never have taken away - the oldest golf course in Mauritius.  Like so many of the older overseas courses, their build and original design has been formulated out of a desire to play golf by military personnel of yesteryear.  In truth, the world is littered with ex-military golf courses, some still in existence, some not.  

Gymkhana has not only survived but flourished into a respected members club too.

Check out how we scored Gymkhana GC on TLG You Tube

Established in 1844, the course as it plays today is, well, complicated!

Without being given some direction, and with little signage, it would be very easy to play the wrong hole.  It felt like it was split into sections, which criss crossed around the available space.  It wasn’t uncommon to leave the green and think - where next?

Keeping your whits about you was paramount on this course, if only to remain on track.  In truth with the design not being particularly cohesive, it also did lend itself for playing fewer holes than 18, which is actually a positive in this day and age of time being tight.

Testimony to the tight space was the practice area - which doubled up, much to our amusement, as the second fairway, a par 4, handicap 7, playing 328/373 meters.  One lady having lessons didn’t seem perturbed by us smashing balls past her as she ducked into the side as the teaching pro waved us through. 

Essentially a tree lined parkland course, it could so easily be overlooked in favour of the bigger punchier names for golf in Mauritius.  But if you relish the history and the can cope with a course layout resembling a dachshund sitting down, its one not to be missed.

Built next to the army barracks, it wasn’t unusual to hear the firing range ‘next door’  A tight course it did have all sorts of reasons why you should not play there - but in truth, we can’t think of one that really put the kibosh on us going back again.  Sure there was road noise, the gun squad practicing, and the course was higgledy piggledy, but it did have some of the better greens we had played in Mauritius.  

There were fewer huge dominating trees, but there were plenty of trees in play.  There was very little change in elevation which made it a good walking course, even in the heat of the day.  It also had something other golf venues on the island lacked; atmosphere - not just from the golfers, but those choosing to dine in the restaurant, even if they didn’t play golf.  

Every table was like a family reunion, and we were embraced as part of the Gymkhana family.

Some holes to note. 

The first hole had something that actually worked quite well, and was pleasing on the eye too - a tree in the middle of the bunker, on its own little grass island plonked into the middle of a sea of sand.  Such great contrasts.

Hole 7 is a dog leg right, knowing your length is key here as too long and you’re OOB left, too close to the inside tree lined dog leg and you’re snookered for the shot to the green, but once round the corner, all is revealed. Before leaving the green note the tee box number 8 is almost turning back on yourself.

After hole 12, you cross over the road to play 13 to 17.  Hole 15, a par 4, handicap 4 measuring 385 to 405 meters, actually wrapped itself around the boundary wall and watchtower turret of the resident army compound.  Typically I’d gone too far right with my tee shot settling close to the wall. This meant I had to take on the turret to get around the corner - or play it safe - I took on the turret with a modicum of success and a bogie ensued.

Gymkhana isn’t as easy course, lots of bends and twists means its much more of a technical course than some, that said its a good way to focus on your distances and skill as opposed to thumping it a country mile.  The tee boxes and fairways were good, although some fairways did take on a seabed effect as you walked up and down, the bunkers were rubbish, but the greens were in really good condition.

We liked hole 17 as it gave us both an opportunity to shoot par’s and we both did; in totally different ways.  This par 4 handicap 4 hole had a gap through the trees which took the ball left for the approach shot as the fairway did a near 90 degree turn right.  Or option two, go over the trees visible from the tee, and have a shot in that way.  I went for the gap, Steve went over the trees.  I was further back than he was for the approach, but got the ball on in regulation.  Steve’s tee shot had overshot the right bend on the fairway and he played a shot from the rough again getting on in regulation.  We both had two putts and halved that hole. 

A cracking example of a golf hole to suit all abilities.

Hole 18 was back over the road - a fairly straight hole with a larger green to help you finish in a flurry of excitement before taking advantage of the not too fussy but very tasty food in the clubhouse, whilst sitting outside under cover enjoying watching other golfers.  

Despite its apparent challenging space, Gymkhana has allocated a space for endemic trees to be grown in an mini arboretum which you can wander through.

Managed by locals for locals, managed by locals to offer an authentic Mauritian welcome to visitors.

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This You Tube video and the related social media information has been produced as our honest and unbiased opinion on the day. Golf Guru Group trading as Travel Lifestyle Golf (TLG) did not receive payment for this review, but were hosted to some degree by the venue. TLG can take no responsibility should your experience differ to ours in any way.