The second 18-hole championship course at Heritage Resorts will be co designed by Major champion Louis Oosthuizen and renowned designer Peter Matkovich.
Heritage Golf Club has been bestowed with the title of “Best Golf Course” in the Indian Ocean for the past three years at the World Golf Awards emphasizing the quality and reputation of the course creating the need for a second golf course to be built. This course will be Louis Oosthuizen’s first ever golf course design and he explains:
“My passion for playing golf has now lead me to explore my passion for golf design and I am thrilled to be co-designing this incredible second golf course at Heritage Resorts with Peter Matkovich. Our first project together could not be more exotic; who would not dream of designing a course on the paradise island of Mauritius and in none other than one of the most beautiful resorts on the island, Heritage Resorts. I am really looking forward to working on the luxurious land of Bel Ombre and to creating a golf course which perfectly balances the challenge of a championship layout with the element of fun that needs to be incorporated into any golf course.”
Turning professional in 2002 at 19 years old, Louis has had a successful career winning eight European Tour events including the Volvo Golf Championship (2013,2014) and his first major tournament, The Open Championship at St Andrews (2010). He also made history by scoring the first Double Eagle on the second hole at Augusta, the first in the history of the Masters championship. Louis is now 17th in the world golf rankings (May 2017) and his rich golfing career will greatly contribute to the design of the course, making it a must play for any golfer visiting Mauritius and the Indian Ocean region.
“It is a great honour for Heritage Resorts to bring on board Louis Oosthuizen and Peter Matkovich in co-designing the second golf course, their combined professional golf and design experience and love for the land is the perfect combination for what I believe will be the best golf course in the Indian Ocean” said Jonathan Menteath, General Manager Heritage Golf Club.
Combining Louis’ rich golfing career to Peter Matkovich’s extensive golf design experience, the second golf course planned for end of 2019 will be a master piece. Since his first design in 1975, Matkovich has established himself as one of the world’s leading golf course designers with a trademark ability to use the natural surroundings to create timeless layouts fit for golfers of all levels. Using his passion of nature and experience as a professional golfer he has created some of Africa’s most spectacular courses: Arabella Golf Club, Pinnacle Point, Leopard Rock Golf Club, Silver Lakes Golf Club and Heritage Golf Club amongst others.
“Designing the second golf course at Heritage Resorts with Louis Oosthuizen was the perfect fit and as partners we will be working on many more projects together to continue the legacy of the love of the land and in this case for the beautiful land at Heritage Resorts in Bel Ombre on the rugged and preserved southern coast of the island” said Peter Matkovich.
The second course will be built to championship standard, thus offering Heritage Resorts guests the choice of 2 championship courses to play on. The 2nd 18-hole championship course will be set at the base of the Savanne mountain range in the midst of luxuriant nature and bordering the Frederica Nature Reserve. The landscape will make this course a memorable one, with the existing water features and streams moulded into the course making for great shot making and beautiful design opportunities. Matkovich and Oosthuizen share the same vision to create golf courses that are an expression of their natural surroundings without changing the character of the land and the second golf course will share this legacy. The 5 star golf facilities will include: a clubhouse with restaurant and proshop, PGA standard golf academy with driving range and a short game area. The Clubhouse will include an access point to the Frederica Nature Reserve.
Heritage Resorts will be the host venue of the 2017 edition of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the only tri-sanctioned tournament by the European, Asian and Sunshine Tours in the world. Louis Oosthuizen will not only design the second golf course which is expected to host the tournament alongside the first course but Oosthuizen has also confirmed his participation at the 2017 edition at Heritage Resorts. His presence will bolster an already strong playing field and will further establish Heritage Resorts as the hub of golf in the Indian Ocean. Heritage Resorts is an enterprise of the Rogers Group which was founded in 1899 and has since become a listed services and investment company with expertise in FinTech, Hospitality, Logistics and Property.
“This tournament is definitely a unique opportunity to highlight what Mauritius has to offer to the world in terms of business and sport whilst reminding them of the beauty and hospitality that Mauritius is already famous for,” said Philippe Espitalier-Noël, Chief Executive Officer of the Rogers Group.
The playing quality of our diverse range of world-class golf courses in Mauritius, coupled with our world famous hospitality and service, makes for a memorable golf experience that encompasses everything the modern golfer demands. The country currently boasts nine 18-hole courses and another two are due for completion at the end of 2017 and 2018, including a second one here at Heritage Resorts.
