MARRAKECH GOLF COURSES
The best courses to play on your Marrakech golf holiday.

Moroccan caddies: get that Pro feeling.

Local caddies are available at all courses, the going rate is 200 Dirhams per round (roughly £15 - plus discretionary gratuity).

The 'Old Course' of Marrakech and the perfect start to any Moroccan golfbreak amongst an oasis of palms just minutes from tthe Medinah.  Golf has been played here since the 1930's and Royal Marrakech was a frequent haunt of King Mohammed IV - one of Morocco's keenest golfers.  Tightly knit through avenues of dense palm trees and orange groves in a little oasis of calm just outside Marrakech.  Level terrain and not a long course, so easily walked. Tremendous improvements are being made to the whole facility - the new multi-million Dirham Clubhouse is a masterpiece. Sitting beside the range and practice facilities it puts Royal Marrakech right back at the top of the Moroccan golfing tree.

The latest addition to the growing list of Marrakech golf courses and voted the 'Best new course in Africa' as soon as it opened: when you set foot on the First Tee you'll realise why!  Assoufid is a fascinating series of carefully designed golf holes that will test and entertain you in equal measure.  The course has a remarkable appearance, Fairways stretch across open desert with hundreds of palm and olive trees added in all the right places.  The (current) lack of construction around the perimeter ensures unhindered views of the Atlas mountains as your backdrop: stunning.

The newest and without doubt the toughest course in Marrakech!  Eye-catching holes spread across the desert south of the city. Many holes have long carries over extensive waste areas, to find narrow Fairways running around deep lakes – not for the faint-hearted!  The furthest Golf Club from the centre of Marrakech on the road out towards the snow-capped Atlas mountains but well worth going the extra mile (or two) for.

Samanah lies at the heart of the developing 'Marrakech Golf City', about 10 miles south of town a vast new expanse of golf courses, hotels, villas and residences that will take shape over the next decade.  Samanah was the first of these golf courses to be completed.  Shaped by Nicklaus design it bears Jack’s hallmarks of length and large obvious bunkering and some big waste areas studded with stubby palms and grasses; it also has lightning-fast Greens with excessive borrows, so get those approaches close!  The course is long from the back Tees - choose your starting points wisely.

Out of town, bordered on one side by the desert and on the other by the expanding La Palmeraie residential plantation.  A modern style course with water featuring on many holes where, in typical Trent Jones fashion, your golf ball's (intended) route must be plotted with some care.  Level terrain so easily walked - especially with a caddie!

A superb test of golf by one of the great current course designers. The expanding Amelkis development is a walled enclave just outside the city (and opposite Royal Marrakech G.C.).  US in style, there are some visually stunning holes amongst the luxurious Riads that surround the course. 
A further 9 holes opened in 2009 with another 9 to follow.

The latest luxury resort course to open outside Marrakech in 2013 and what a beauty.  Cabell Robinson was given the land and the budget to indulge himself on open, rather flat terrain about half-an-hour south of the city.  Here he created a gentle flowing course over some gentle mounding, around five lakes and through at least a thousand palm trees! It is a delight to play and is sure to keep you entertained in the shadow of the Atlas for many a round.

Opened in 2010 but showing great promise already, a course of interesting design and sensible length that will provide a fun day out for Club golfers of all levels.  Al Maaden is the closest of the Marrakech course to the Atlas mountains, whose snowy peaks provide a unique backdrop to your round.  A moderate amount of earth has been shifted to define the holes, helped by (continuing) planting of trees and shrubs.  However your abiding memory of Al Maaden will probably be of the capacious bunkers and oddly rectangular water hazards: a unique aspect.  Lovely al fresco Clubhouse - with good service!

Noria is a very interesting new design that seeks to encapsulate all of Morocco into 18-holes of golf.  This allegorical approach sees three separate zones across the course (desert, orchard and lavender) comnbined with a reflection of the water features and formal gardens popular in the Ryads and some Moroccan architecture too, such as the bell tower and water wheel (noria).  It is a charming and unique golf course that is likely to appeal more to the artist than the purist.

Colin Montgomerie's first course in Africa is part of a sprawling residential development between the airport and the town (not more than five minutes from either).  It's location makes it very convenient for a round on arrival or departure day: the slight downside being the consequent road and air traffic noise!  The layout itself is good however with plenty of sand and water to contend with as it winds its way around the various blocks of flats.  There are some long walks to Tees, so consider taking a buggy and be cautious when crossing the roads!  Urban Clubhouse (dare we say grungy?) will not appeal to everybody.