Golf du Colorado

Golf du Colorado sits in the highlands above Saint-Denis on Réunion Island, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. Designed by French architect Michel Gayon and opened in the 1990s, the course occupies a distinctive mountainous site at approximately 1,000 meters elevation, where the tropical climate gives way to cooler temperatures and frequent mist. The routing takes advantage of the dramatic topography characteristic of this volcanic island, with fairways carved through dense vegetation and elevation changes that require careful club selection and course management.

The layout reflects Gayon's approach to working within challenging natural terrain, incorporating the slopes and native flora into the design rather than extensive earthmoving. Players encounter narrow corridors through stands of cryptomeria and tamarind trees, with several holes playing across ravines or along ridgelines that offer views toward the coast when weather permits. The course measures relatively modest in length by contemporary standards, but the combination of altitude, elevation change, and tight landing areas demands accuracy over distance.

Golf du Colorado serves as one of the few regulation courses in the French Indian Ocean territories and functions as the primary facility for competitive golf on Réunion. The club attracts both resident members from the island's French and Creole communities and visiting golfers exploring the island's unique landscape. The setting provides a contrast to typical tropical island golf, with its mountain environment and frequent cloud cover creating conditions more reminiscent of highland courses in temperate regions than Caribbean or Pacific resort layouts.