Marrakech, one of the top international tourist destinations, has a dozen golf courses spread over ten clubs and has become a very popular destination for this sport. The reasons are varied: an excellent climate most of the year, very competitive prices and good courses in a most exotic environment and with the attraction of being able to visit the beautiful imperial capital and its surroundings.
Between tradition and modernity, Marrakech is the promise of unforgettable experiences. Known as the Red City and also as the Pearl of the South, Marrakech will satisfy the traveler’s desire for disconnection by strolling through the famous Jemaa El-Fna square, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and through the souks of bright colors and oriental aromas. Rickshaw rides, relaxing moments on sunny terraces, street performers and other daytime and nighttime activities will be the leitmotiv of your stay in Morocco.
You can contemplate the great architectural richness of the medina (the old quarter of the city) by visiting one of its many riads, small oriental palaces organized around a central courtyard, or even recharge your batteries in the Menara, the immense garden with a pond that is emblematic of the city. Because Marrakech offers the visitor a great number of possibilities thanks to its incredible diversity. It is enough to leave the enclosure between ramparts to plunge into contemporary Morocco. The districts of Guéliz and Hivernage offer the most modern infrastructures, international fashion and luxury stores and wide avenues, all with Marrakech’s own stamp.
A symbol of the city’s growing economic boom are also the cultural and festive venues, including the Palais des Congrès and the magnificent Royal Theater. To enjoy the nightlife of Marrakech, there are numerous thematic spaces, trendy nightclubs and traditional evenings that reflect the cheerful character of its inhabitants.
Marrakech combines – also in golf – classicism and modernity. Here it is for example, one of the longest-standing clubs in Morocco and several of the most recently created ones.
Royal Golf of Marrakech
This historic golf club was created in 1927 by the Pasha of Marrakech, Hadj Thami El Glaoui Mezouari, and is the second oldest in the country. It has all the services and a legendary clubhouse, through which celebrities such as Winston Churchill and President Eisenhower have passed. It stands out for the spectacular beauty of its course, is populated with more than 15,000 trees of different species (palm, orange, eucalyptus, pine …) and offers an unforgettable walk in a park of exceptional beauty that enhances the pleasure of the game.
The club, located not far from the city center and at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, has 27 holes. The 18-hole, par-72, 5,937-meter Old Course is complemented by a 9-hole, 3,672-meter course called Menara, which opened in 2008.
The green fee for 18 holes is 650 dinhars, about 59 euros.
Samanah Golf
This is probably the most spectacular and exclusive club in Marrakech. It is the first course designed by Jack Nicklaus in Morocco. The 18-hole, par 72 course flows through olive trees, cactus gardens, three large lakes, waterfalls and a stream, all with the impressive peaks of the nearby Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. The clubhouse has a surface area of over 2,000 square meters. The club has a second course, with 9 short holes.
Al Maaden Golf Resort
This 18-hole, par 72, 6,569-meter course is the work of the prestigious American designer Kyle Phillips. Nestled in front of the Atlas Mountains, the layout is set in a fabulous environment: high tees, water hazards, greens with a lot of movement and all surrounded by the typical vegetation: palm trees, cypresses and almond trees.
Golf d’Amelkis
This resort has three 18-hole courses designed by another renowned golf architect, American Cabell B. Robinson, and enjoys breathtaking views of the Atlas Mountains. The clubhouse, built in imitation of a traditional kasbah, adds an exotic touch to the course and is an ideal place to relax after a round of golf.
The routes are dotted with numerous bunkers and lakes surrounded by palm groves and small buildings of Moroccan architecture, and are integrated into the “khettaras”, an irrigation system built by the Almoravids during the 11th century.
Palmeraie Golf Club
This exclusive golf club is located about 10 kilometers from the center of Marrakech within the La Palmeraie Golf Palace hotel complex.
The 27 holes (one 18-hole and one 9-hole course) were designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones senior and feature numerous bunkers and lakes spread over 77 hectares nestled between the desert and the Palm Grove.
In 2006, Palmeraie Golf Club was voted the best golf resort in Africa.
Atlas Golf Marrakech
Just 10 minutes from the city center, this 9-hole, par 36 course is located within a vacation resort and has an excellent spectacular clubhouse. The design of the course, opened in 2013, is the work of architect Alain Prat.
Assoufid Golf Resort
Considered one of the finest golf clubs in Morocco, this 18-hole layout designed by Niall Cameron takes advantage of the undulating terrain to create a course of exceptional beauty surrounded by cactus, olive trees, palm trees and the ever-present desert. It is immersed in a spectacular and luxurious residential complex. The green fee for 18 holes is 76 euros.
Noria Golf Club Marrakech
Noria Golf Club Marrakech is an 18-hole par 72 course at the foot of the Atlas Mountains that opened in early 2014.
The layout, of 6,116 meters and designed by Steve Forrest, has three parts that are differentiated by their vegetation: one of olive groves and lavender fields on holes 1 to 7; another desert style from hole 11 to 13, and a third, where water predominates.
The originality of this 18-hole course lies in its exceptional landscaping and also in its rectangular greens.
Montgomerie Golf Marrakech
The Montgomerie Golf Marrakech is an 18-hole, 6,230-meter, par-71 course that opened in 2014. With its elevated tees, water hazards and varied greens, the The course, at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, offers a remarkable attraction and a challenge for any handicap level.
CURIOUS THINGS ABOUT MARRAKECH
The origin of the word Morocco comes from “Marrakech”, Mraksch (the city). This word gradually became Morocco (Morocco) and was thus used throughout the country.
Marrakech was founded in 1062 by the Almoravids and, from being a caravan camp, became an important cultural, commercial, and religious center and became the capital of the Islamic empire.
Marrakech is one of the four imperial cities of the country, along with Meknes, Fez and Rabat. Its current population is about 900,000. inhabitants, behind Casablanca, Rabat and Fez.
Marrakech is nicknamed The Red City because of the reddish color of its soil, transferred to its buildings. It is the color that gives it its identity. The exterior of all buildings must be red-ochre by a regulation.
Sultan Ismail of Morocco, who reigned from 1672 to 1727, was nicknamed “the Sanguine”, but he should rather have been called “the Vigorous”: he had four wives and half a thousand concubines, and fathered more than 1,000 children!
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