“Mauritius can become a phenomenal golfing destination”

R. Madhavan

Returning to Mauritius three decades after filming Sea Hawks in Grand Baie, famous actor, screenwriter, film producer and Stars Golf League co-founder R. Madhavan says the island has the courses, hospitality and social fabric to build an international identity around golf. Speaking at the league’s official introduction at Sugar Beach, he credited the sport for developing the ability to focus essential to his acting career and argued that the March 2027 event could generate new stories, visitors and global awareness for Mauritius.

The Stars Golf League Mauritius was officially introduced on Saturday, 22 August 2026, during “The Opening Swing” at Sugar Beach, in Flic-en-Flac. R. Madhavan joined Kapil Dev, Mahesh Bhupathi and Brandon de Souza in addressing representatives of Government, tourism and business leaders, partners and the media on the sporting, commercial and destination-building ambitions behind the new property.

Madhavan – an actor, screenwriter, film producer and director, as well as a co-founder of the league – travelled to Mauritius for a visit of barely 12 hours before returning to his film commitments. He nevertheless began by telling the audience that it was “so lovely” to see them and that he felt “very honoured” to be present.

“You have done such a wonderful job. Considering all the craziness happening around the world today, you are truly living in paradise.”

A return after three decades

The visit was not R. Madhavan’s first encounter with the island. “People keep asking me whether this is my first trip to Mauritius. It isn’t, because I came here 30 years ago when I was shooting a series called Sea Hawks,” he said. The production was filmed in Grand Baie, but it was not the location alone that remained with him.

“I thought I would have forgotten everything about Mauritius. But the one thing I did not forget was how I felt about the people I met here 30 years ago,” he recalled. “I remember the sweetness with which they welcomed and treated us and, most importantly, the wonderful coexistence among different people from around the world who had made Mauritius their home.”

He said that experience had made him “quite jealous” at the time, and even more envious on his return, after seeing the country’s evolution. “You have done such a wonderful job. Considering all the craziness happening around the world today, you are truly living in paradise,” he said.

For the actor, that quality deserves wider international recognition. He said it was time for more people to visit Mauritius and show the island the respect it merits as a tourism destination. The proposed golf properties, he suggested, could contribute to that growth. “Hopefully, we can add to those numbers with the golf league we are hoping to start here. In fact, we are planning to start two golf leagues,” he said, referring to the Stars Golf League and a companion Celebrity Golf League, whose details are to be announced.

Golf as a lesson in acting

R. Madhavan’s desire to promote golf came from his own experience. He said that the sport had played an important role in his career by teaching him to act better. He deferred the longer version of that story for another day, but explained that the common thread between golf and acting was the ability to concentrate completely at a decisive moment.

“Hopefully, the Stars Golf League can create stories that other golfers will want to replicate, thereby increasing tourism and awareness of Mauritius.”

“The ability to focus precisely at any given point in time and completely forget about your surroundings when you hit that ball – which is almost divine – is probably very similar to what I do when the director calls ‘action,’” he said. “So, if I have honed my skills as an actor, it is thanks to golf. And I really mean that, without wishing to patronise the sport.”

The Augusta example

R. Madhavan also drew on a recent trip to the Masters tournament to illustrate how a golfing event can shape the identity and economy of its host destination.

“I have seen how they have created a brand, how a small town called Augusta becomes the centre of the golfing universe for just two weeks, and how everybody in that small town benefits from it and is proud of it as a product,” he said.

He sees scope for Mauritius to develop that type of association here given the island’s established tourism appeal and golf infrastructure. “I am seeing something similar here, if not greater. I am sorry to use such a big word, but I see that possibility,” R. Madhavan said.

“If we are able to contribute to that in a small way – in a very, very small way – we will consider ourselves extremely privileged.”

Pointing to Mauritius’ “absolutely fantastic golf courses” and the prospect of the country becoming “a phenomenal golfing destination,” he explained that his ambition is for the Stars Golf League to create memorable moments across the course, creating “stories that other golfers will want to replicate, thereby increasing tourism and awareness of Mauritius.”

A ten-year international platform

Scheduled for 25-28 March 2027, the Mauritius edition is being developed as a franchise-led team competition involving 36 personalities across six franchises. The announced field comprises 24 golfing legends, six leading women golfers and six celebrity golfers. Confirmed personalities include Ernie Els, Colin Montgomerie, AB de Villiers, Kapil Dev, Ruud Gullit and Yuvraj Singh, with further player, sponsor and franchise announcements expected.

The organisers have announced a prize purse of USD 1.6 million and international coverage expected in more than 130 countries. More than a one-off tournament, the project is intended to become an annual fixture in Mauritius over ten years, combining elite sport with entertainment, business, tourism and international broadcasting.

R. Madhavan framed the promoters’ role in deliberately modest terms. “If we are able to contribute to that in a small way – in a very, very small way – we will consider ourselves extremely privileged,” he said, before apologising that his time in Mauritius was short. His message, however, was expansive: a global sporting property can give Mauritius another platform through which its courses, people and destination appeal are recognised internationally.