The Oldest Golf Course in the Southern Hemisphere

The other day I mentioned in an e-mail to someone that I was slated to do a consulting visit to the oldest golf course in the Southern Hemisphere, The Gymkhana Club, which is located in Vacoas, Mauritius.  That e-mailer questioned if the course really was the oldest.  Today  it was confirmed by the Chair of the Greens Committee - 1845 (or maybe 1847 - they are not sure).

It is a lovely old course and three of the greens are original.  They are big and flat - no undulations at all.  The greens are Seashore paspalum/bermudagrass with Saint Augustinegrass collars (!) and fairways.  The original clubhouse burnt down long agp and the current one dates from the 60s.  They treated me to a most excellent lunch.  The course occupies a smallish piece of ground, and so several of the holes share fairways.  It is a well used and comfortable course.  It gets around 50 rounds of play each day.  Really a neat place.

One of the original very flat greens.

The newly sprigged paspalum practice green.

There is no full time superintendent.  The Chair of the greens committee is very hands on.  This is part of the full time staff of 15.  They are not being lazy - they are hand picking the weeds from the green.  There is one tractor with a pull behind gang mower and 4 walk greens mowers.  For spraying there is a backpack sprayer.  A vertical mower, but no core aerifier.

  For such limited equipment the course is in good shape.

A new bunker that is being dug by hand.

A view of the fairway leading to the clubhouse.