Avalon Golf Estate

Mauritius, Island

Avalon the highland golf destination.

A golfing experience like no other in Mauritius, with a feeling of total freedom and endless views..

Avalon is an open, rolling layout designed by Peter Matkovich that is surrounded on all sides by breath-taking views. To the south is the ocean, where early starters can catch the rising sun as they start their game. A peek in the opposite direction provides a view of the majestic mountains that surround Grand Bassin – the largest natural lake in Mauritius, which was created by a now-extinct volcano.

The elevated nature of the course means that low clouds and cooler, breezy conditions are often to be expected. This was incorporated into the course’s design, with Matkovich creating a perfect balance of holes playing both with and against prevailing winds. Very few trees line the course, adding to its feeling of openness and playability, while numerous Tree ferns supplement the local flora and add a soft theme to the unique layout.

The course has a natural flow around the estate with numerous changes in elevation, combined with the breezy conditions, making club selection an important part of the experience at Avalon. The course is well balanced and has something to offer every level of golfer, with some shorter par fours to entice the longer hitters and a number of reachable par fives. The collection of memorable par threes showcases the brilliance of the course design and, given the panoramas of the area, spending some extra time on the tees to take in the views is advisable.

From the first hole, it is noticeable that the fairways are wide enough to allow plenty of forgiveness for the odd miss-hit shot. The risk-and-reward par four fourth is the course’s signature hole, and for good reason. From an elevated tee, a river cuts across the start of the fairway below, with a small pot bunker peeking out from the left. Thick natural vegetation line the fairway’s left flank, while the right side consists of a slightly more forgiving steep hill. At only 238 metres long, the green is well within range for most players, but so is a lot of the surrounding danger. Such is the nature of Avalon.