Beau Champ, Mauritius: Ernie Els’ reputation as a golf course architect has been enhanced with the staging of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open at the Four Seasons Golf Club Mauritius at Anahita.
Set against lush mountains and fringed by crystal-clear lagoons, the Ernie Els Design course is characterised by wide fairways, five sets of tees and 18 challenging holes.
Six stunning ocean-side holes culminate in a final shot that is among the most spectacular in the world.
Tri-Sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour, the second edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open was won by rising Korean star Wang Jeung-hun. In windy conditions, Wang posted a four-day total of six-under 282 and prevailed in a play-off.
“One of the strengths of this golf course is we were able to maximise the visual impact of the surrounding scenery, but at the same time preserve the coastline’s natural beauty,” said four-time Major champion Els, whose design company is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.
“The hole routings move in and out of the trees, along the water, and back, giving players great variety and magnificent views of the ocean.
“Another of the features that makes this course stand out are some of the interesting design touches that we’ve been able to integrate into the layout; such as the use of existing dry-stone walls as strategic hazards, links-style burns and classic, grass-downed bunkers which reveal just a sliver of sand from the player’s-eye view.”
Since its formation in 2000, Ernie Els Design has received global recognition with a string of accolades.

Last year, Els was voted ‘Designer of the Year’ at the World Golf Awards. In addition, several of his signature courses have won industry awards. In 2014, The Els Club Teluk Datai – a Golf Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation – was named ‘Best New Golf Course in the World’.
This year, it became the first layout in the Ernie Els Design portfolio to be listed in Golf Digest’s ‘World Top-100’.