Louis Oosthuizen, winner of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open 2023 and co-designer of La Réserve Golf Links: “the final product looks spectacular “
What was it like to play – and win – on a course you co-designed?
Exciting but also, I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t seen the course in person from when we first started working on the project.
What pleases you most about the design and the way it looks and plays?
When Peter got me involved in this project, I said to him that I love links golf because I feel strongly about shot making in golf. There should be more than just one way of playing a golf course. You need to see the shot, and sometimes it’s not the prettiest shot but it’s the one that’s going to work for you on this hole. So, a lot of shaping and just feeling your way around the golf course. I think in today’s game it’s gone the other way where you just tee it up and hit it as far as you can. That takes a lot of skill away from golf. So hopefully this golf course combined with the wind brings a bit of that skill back.
What has been the response to La Réserve Golf Links from other players – and its distinct design features, such as the infinity greens?
The views are great. I would love to see this golf course in a year or two. I think it’s going to settle in very nicely and play a little tougher down the line. With the wind you can easily miss a shot and get yourself in trouble out there.
La Reserve Golf Links was a co-design with Peter Matkovich. Has the course turned out how you both envisioned it? Even better?
Working with someone like Peter Matkovich made it very easy for me. Way in the beginning we were up there in the mountain and he was telling me all these things he wanted to see, and to be honest I struggled to see some of it. He said, ‘You just leave it to me’. Working with him was a privilege. I saw lots of videos from Peter and he sent me questions about what I’d like to see from a seasoned professional’s perspective. So, I was very excited to see the final product. It looks spectacular. In the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open there were some good holes out there. The par-three seventh played as a very good hole, the par-three fourth hole was also good. At one stage I was thinking that the par-five 12th hole, if the wind is like it was during the tournament, could almost be a par four. Maybe the 18th you can play one tee up so that they make it more interesting for golfers going for the green in two, although for me it’s a three-shotter all day. But overall, I thought the golf course was set up pretty good in the tournament.
What have you enjoyed most about being back in Mauritius, at Heritage Golf Club and Heritage Resorts?
It’s tough after a victory to come to a holiday resort with the family and friends and try to be very focused. When I’m on the golf course here I’m very focused and I still want to play well. But afterwards it’s back to the pool.
