George Stead reviews extraordinary golf courses, and the experience, in Hambantota in Sri Lanka and Anahita in Mauritius.
In the Collins English dictionary, the word Shangri-La is defined as: “a remote or imaginary uptopia” which in hindsight seems like a pretty smart name for a high-end hotel chain. What I didn’t know however, before I embarked on this golf trip to paradise, is that it would also be an extremely accurate one.
Every golfer that’s ventured further than their local members’ course will know there are certain moments in your golfing journey, where you find yourself standing on a tee box, staring out at the ocean, trees swaying in the breeze, ball in the fairway, cold beer on the buggy (in this case a Blue Marlin), and you think to yourself “Yep – this’ll do just fine for me.” The kind of feeling that reminds you why you took up this wonderful game. Funnily enough, I didn’t just have one of these moments during the duration of this trip, but instead many, too many to count even…
During the space of 10 days, I travelled from the vibrant chaos of Sri Lanka to the picture-perfect white shores of Mauritius, staying in three five-star Shangri-La resorts and playing three golf courses so stunning, I really did have to pinch myself, regularly.
From watching elephants roam free in the wild to chasing birdies on championship golf courses, I quickly realised this wasn’t just a golf holiday, but a proper bonafide golfing adventure.
If you’re someone who is looking for a once-in-a-lifetime trip that blends quality golf with luxury travel, as well as that little something extra (more on that later) – this ticks every box.
Colombo: A taste of what was to come
After a lengthy 12-hour flight from London Gatwick to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, a 40-minute bustling bus ride later and we were checking into our first hotel: Shangri-La Colombo, a huge modern, high-rise, a stone’s throw from the Indian Ocean. By no means the most eye-catching of Shangri-La resorts from the outside, but once inside, the service, quality and attention to detail was more than welcomed. I stayed in a Premier Ocean View Room, which delivered exactly on its promise.
Disclaimer: I’m going to talk not just about golf in this article, but also a lot about food. Dinner at Shang Palace (one of the hotel’s many restaurants) that evening set the bar at an extremely high level for the rest of the trip. We indulged in a range of succulent meats, seafood and dim sum, all complemented by traditional Chinese tea and many other Asian delicacies, that really did give us a taste of what’s to come.
There was no golf in Colombo, but just the perfect stop gap to ease us into the rest of the trip. The next morning, we hit the road south.
Hambantota: A true hidden gem
Three and a half hours later after passing tea plantations, scorched cricket pitches, roadside coconut stalls and navigating through some pretty anxiety-inducing traffic, we arrived at our second hotel, Shangri-La Hambantota.
The welcome itself was something I will never forget. When a hotel delivers good service, you know about it from the off. We were greeted by Sri Lankan musicians, traditional candle lighting, a much-needed ice cold towel, fruit cocktails and most importantly a view of the sparkling ocean.
How can I describe this place? Think jungle-meets-clear-blue-ocean, think wild peacocks patrolling, think groups of monkeys swinging through the palm trees, beautiful traditional furniture and just a warm and welcoming feel to the whole hotel. It was laid back, serene and totally unique.
I was lucky enough to have stayed in another beautiful Premier Ocean View Room, with a huge balcony and reasonable rates for this standard: [USD] $278.09 per night whether you’re flying solo or sharing.
I wouldn’t say that this resort is ‘built for golf’ – it’s far from it really, but that was the beauty of it. The golf course is just one of the many leisure facilities that Hambantota has to offer alongside: the beach, three outdoor swimming pools, health club, aqua gym, Chi Ayurveda Spa, Cool Zone Kids’ Club, artisan village, archery, flying trapeze, beach volleyball courts, jogging trails and so much more.
The course, as designed by modern architect Rodney Wright and first opened in 2016, is built on an old sapphire mine. It features plenty of water, plenty of risk / reward decision making and some very memorable holes, especially on the back nine. It’s one of the few 18-hole resort courses in Sri Lanka and like all good golf courses, the more I played it, the more I enjoyed it.
We played the course in three different variations over three days: front nine, back nine and all 18. The front nine served up a combination of palm-tree lined long par fours and fives with plenty of doglegs and overall quirky character – whilst the back nine introduced some welcome elevation changes, ocean views and tight tee shots. From the par four 13th things get really special as you play along water on each of the closing holes, until a testing but attractive 18th par three in front of the hotel.
Green fee-wise it’s accessible too, with 18 holes for in-house guests at about $95 and nine holes at $50 with club rental around $25. For an even better deal, the Ultimate Golf Getaway package (rates from $399 for two nights) includes golf, spa treatments and more for a minimum two-night stay. It’s perfect for a golfing couple who are looking for something a little different.
Away from the course, Sri Lanka has plenty more to offer. Leaving the hotel at 5am and driving across the Sri Lankan countryside at sunrise, to visit Yala National Park, which is roughly an hour from the hotel was a personal highlight of the whole trip. The morning consisted of spotting elephants, buffalo, tropical birds and even the odd crocodile. By afternoon I was back at Chi Ayurveda Spa for a massage, and come the evening, dining in the Sera restaurant. This meal took fine south Asian dining to another level, said to ‘reflect a melting pot of culinary influences from the hawker streets of south-east Asia’, all I know is, everything tasted next level: vibrant, spicy and flavourful.
This place really was tough to leave.
Mauritius Le Touessrok: True Paradise
After a quick hop back to Dubai, we headed further south to Mauritius, an island known much more for golf than Sri Lanka. After landing we took the short transfer to our third and final hotel, Shangri-La Le Touessrok, a resort that took my breath away from the moment I stepped out of the car to the moment I left.
The resort was renovated last November, and you could tell. It could have easily been mistaken for a Bond movie set (think the Man with the Golden Gun / Casino Royale). Infinity pools, beach hammocks; a beautiful blend of luxury and culture around every corner, Le Touessrok had my heart from the start.
I stayed in a Frangipani Ocean View Junior Suite – a modern and spacious room that was easily one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of staying in. Not only did it have stylish furnishings, but the large balcony also faced directly onto the Indian Ocean, practically at the foot of my bed.
For this kind of luxury, it doesn’t come cheap, rates start from about $665 per night in low season, rising to $935 in high season (January to April). The more accessible, and far from disappointing Coral Ocean View Rooms start from $455 in low season. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but you get what you pay for – and then some.
Also, if golfers stay five nights or more, green fees are included at both Ile aux Cerfs and Anahita Golf Clubs – not just two of the best courses in east Africa but two of the most spectacular courses in the world. You get one round per person, per day, including buggy and range balls.
If Hambantota was charming and quirky, Anahita is its bigger, bolder older sibling. Designed by Ernie Els and opened in 2008, this is a serious golf course with serious pedigree – long, wide, beautifully manicured, and not afraid to bare its teeth.
The course stretches to a lengthy 7,372 yards from the back tees, with a layout that feels built for the modern pro game. It had a modern American style feel to it with wide open fairways, making it really fun to play. Don’t be put off by the yardage, it’s playable for the rest of us with five different tees.
Set against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean, the course is routed through lush vegetation, ancient trees and volcanic rock. Strategic bunkering, raised green complexes and devilish run-offs mean you’ve got to hit proper shots if you want to score.
The front nine starts inland, winding through old sugar estate land. The 520-yard fourth is where you get the first glimpse of the clear blue Indian Ocean. This long par five plays straight into the wind and offers the first taste of what’s to come. If played well, this is a truly rewarding hole.
But I found it was the back nine where the course really started flexing. From the 14th onwards, the ocean reappears, and you just can’t help but have fun on each hole. The 18th will divide opinion but it’s one of the coolest holes I’ve ever played. Water down the left, huge properties down the right, volcanic walls in the fairway, all leading to a long thin green and traditional Mauritian-looking clubhouse. A great finish.
From the clubhouse, to practice facilities the whole place is immaculate. The greens are quick and pure, with fairways like a bowling green and just a real authentic yet modern feel throughout. Anahita has hosted the Mauritius Open, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour, which tells you what standard they’re working to. Anahita is championship golf that’s tough in parts, rewarding in others, and absolutely worth ticking off your golfing bucket list.
If you’re there for less time, it’s around $215, which includes buggy and practice balls.
The final course on the trip was being tipped as ‘the best til last’. Despite the tropical storms that we awoke to on the day of playing, taking another short boat ride from Le Touessrok to a remote island really set this up to be a day to remember.
Getting to Ile aux Cerfs Golf Club felt like stepping into Jurassic Park – I genuinely couldn’t get the iconic John Williams theme title out of my head on arrival. It was grand, dense and totally different to anywhere I had played golf before – you feel like you have been transported to another world. And that world just so happens to have a golf course on it: there are no cars, just buggies and (tropical) birdsong, with a layout that feels completely removed from the mainland.
Designed by Bernhard Langer, the course plays 7,074 yards off the back tees and demands your full attention. The terrain is pretty raw – the natural typography used at every opportunity by Langer as tight fairways carve through the jungle, volcanic rock ruins, and thick vegetation. Throw in a stiff ocean breeze and the on-and-off tropical storm we played through; it became clear to me that placement was going to be more important than power here.
The par three third is an early standout. At 150 yards over water, downwind, all carry, to a large green, it’s super fun. Before you’ve had time to settle, Ile aux Cerfs has already thrown a lot at you. Standing over a testing five-footer for par, I was still thinking about the boat ride…
Apparently, this golf course cost around $11.5m to construct and you can see why. Ile aux Cerfs really is another level. The setting you play through is idyllic from every angle and that combined with the testing, tight design makes it easy to see what it’s gained a reputation of being far more than a nice, resort-style course.
I found the back nine into the closing stretch is so fun to play.
Risk-reward everywhere, especially on 17 where a good drive over the corner can leave just a flick to the green. For the longer hitters – this hole is drivable. The 18th then features a redesigned green (to the left of the old one) making it much straighter than it used to be. Play the approach into this hole well and you can enjoy the stunning mountainous views, dreaming that one day you’ll be lucky enough to be leaving the course via helicopter from the private helicopter pad, 15 yards right of the 18th green.
On reflection, this was far from a golf trip, more an adventure. And that’s why I’d recommend either Sri Lanka or Mauritius as a destination for your next golfing getaway. If it’s just golf, beer and more golf that you’re looking for – by all means head to Portugal, Spain or Scotland. But if you’re travelling alongside someone who maybe isn’t a golfer or are looking for that something extra whilst on your travels, look no further.
I’ve been lucky enough to see some places on my travels, but this’ll take some beating.