by René Bourone

Port Vila, Décember 1999-
When the famous Captain Cook discovered an archipelago of a dozen of tropical paradise islands located at about 4 to 700 miles in the north-east of New Caledonia, he called them New Hebrides. Out of the fact that both are islands, it is the sole analogy with the Scottish Hebrides! But at that time, British sailors where a bit out of imagination: New Guinea, New Zealand, New Caledonia…

If someone had taken little to learn a few words of the local dialects like the Bishmala which is the official language of the archipelago, he would have learned that the Melanesian called already Vanuatu all these wonderful islands; they are a sort of Garden of Eden with millions of colored flowers and birds under tropical sun. Port Vila, nestled in a charming cove of the main island Efate, is the capital of the country.

A green, a lagoon, a beach...
all golfer's dream

But those who settled there were the French arriving with Bougainville. They stayed on the islands until the Australo-Zealander Methodists got British to be admitted in a Franco-British condominium, which lasted until 28th of July 1980. At that time, Vanuatu became independent after an outrageous francophobic campaign conducted from Melbourne and Wellington by the new Methodists generations.

Piled bungalows face the lagoon and the fairway

From the French the country inherited public equipment like the airport, the Presidential Palace, the Town Hall or the Post Office. Out of the language, sport equipment, tennis and golf, comes from the British heritage. At the time being they played on a private golf course located in the sole hotel of the island, The Intercontinental. The name of the hotel changed as many times as the owner. Now it became part of the group “The Meridien”, after some architectural renovation: the reception hall looks like an immense reversed boat made of tropical forest woods and covered with a thatched roof. Great look!

Unfortunately the golf course has not been maintained in the British manner. It has lost his evergreen look out and his normal magnitude has been reduced from 18 holes to only a short nine. Anyway the course is stretching his holes all along a blue lagoon where water is clear and temperate and bathing relaxing.

It’s the only one golf course in the world where you can find a… par 2! Oh, yes it is. If you doubt about it have a look at the picture… or go there!

But there are two other 18 holes course on the island: one at the Country Club of Port Vila near to the airport along the sea shore and a second one White Sands along the beaches at about 20 kms from Port Vila.

But you need to drive very carefully or rent a 4wheels-drive car.

To be straight, don’t go to Vanuatu only for playing golf. It could be frustrating. But the former New Hebrides is such a paradise on earth… It’s enough to motivate tourists who like nature, calm, beauty and well being.

Out of playing golf, fishing (diving or big fishing) is one of the most appreciate attraction and the great local special is the “coconut crab”: the good place to taste it is at the terrace of the “Cafe du Village” on the sea shore in front of Iririki island.

The other specialty of Vanuatu is the kava, which is not coffee, but a very relaxing herbal tea classified by the scientists as a natural anxiolytic.

The only par 2 in the world
...as far as we know

How to go there           

Air France to Noumea
(New Caledonia)

From Noumea to Port Vila :

Air Caledonie International who organizes golf packages.8 rue Frédéric Sudreau
BP 3736 - 98846 NOUMEA
New Caledonia
Tel: (687) 26 55 12
Fax : (687) 27 27 72

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