8 Day Mauritius – 5* Constance Belle Mare Plage

CONSTANCE LE BELLE MARE PLAGE
Stretching along 2 km of private beachfront and with an offshore coral reef, this luxury resort on Mauritius includes 7 restaurants and 6 bars. Spacious accommodation features elegant décor and some overlook a private pool. All air-conditioned rooms at Constance Le Belle Mare Plage include a separate living area with iPod docking station and satellite TV. Marble bathrooms contain a large bath tub. Some have views of the Indian Ocean. There are a variety of international à la carte and themed buffet restaurants which face the pool, beach or golf course. Guests can also enjoy a drink at the cocktail bar overlooking the pool. The 4 swimming pools are surrounded by tropical gardens and sun terraces with sun-loungers. The “Kakoo Club” provides supervised entertainment for children. A tour desk can organise excursions or activities like tennis and water sports. The resort also offers two 18-hole golf courses, with complimentary green fees, shuttle service and golf initiation. Boutique shops are located in the main building or at Palm Beach Boutiques across the road from Constance. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is located 58.5 km away by car or a shuttle can be arranged.

Belle Mare Plage Golf Club – The Legend Course
Designed by the great South African champion Hugh Baiocchi in 1994, the Legend golf course is one of two 18-hole
tracks at the Belle Mare Plage resort, which is located on the east coast of Mauritius. Set within a heavily wooded former hunting reserve, where water hazards threaten at many of the holes, the course extends to almost 6,600 yards, which is slightly longer than its sibling, the Links layout. Fairways, though tree-lined, are generally wide and forgiving and they play to greens that have recently been rebuilt to USGA standard. Toughest hole on the card is the par four 5th, where water must be avoided to the right of the fairway en route to the green. The signature hole arrives at the spectacular par three 17th, which plays across a small inlet on the seafront at Bras Requin Bay to a tricky green that’s surrounded by sand traps. Belle Mare Plage has played host to professional and amateur golfers alike since 1994 when they compete in the Mauritius Open. Now named the MCB Tour Championship, the 54-hole finale to the European Senior Tour season is the high point of a week-long programme of golf competition that also features a pro-am tournament and several other amateur events. Rodney Wright, designer of the resort’s second
course conducted a renovation of the Legend layout in 2016, which included the remodelling of holes #1, #2, #4, #9 and #18. Aquatic hazards now feature on every hole on the card.

Belle Mare Plage Golf Club – The Links
The Links course at Belle Mare Plage on the east coast of Mauritius is the more accessible of two 18-hole layouts that are in play at this upmarket resort. The Legend course, which is exclusively the preserve of hotel residents, appeared first in 1994 with the Links course following eight years later. The rather unique design partnership of
Rodney Wright and Peter Alliss laid out the Links course and it’s used annually for the MCB Tour Championship pro am and for an MCB invitational tournament that precedes the season-ending European Senior Tour event on the Legends
course. Extending to 6,498 yards from the back tees, the Links plays considerably shorter than its older sibling, with water coming into play at six of the holes. Short par fours at the 4th and 17th catch the eye here but the best is kept until last at the par four 18th which ends alongside the glistening waters of Bras Requin Bay. Architect Rodney Wright kindly supplied us with the following exclusive quote: I first met Peter Allis when I was a young designer workin with Kirby, Player & Associates in Atlanta in the 1970s. Peter was in town for the US Open at the Atlanta Athletic Cluband he attended a social function at our office. Gary Player was there, too. My Boss, Ron Kirby, was a friend of Peter. Fast Forward to the year 2000 and my client in Mauritius, Constance Hotels, was planning to build their second course, which was to become the Links. Peter was a long-time friend of the chairman of Constance and the company asked if they could team Peter and me up for the design, to which I said “with pleasure”. Peter is quite a gentleman as well as a real legend in the game of golf. I miss his voice and persona in the Open broadcasts. It was a pleasure collaborating with him on this project.