If you are interested in playing golf in Morocco read this. I found some amazing courses and hotels on my recent trip that will blow your mind!!
If you love your golf travel, need sunshine and great golf courses, get yourself and your clubs to Morocco. In this post I'm going to give you my guide to three great locations, the courses to play, and where to stay. If you have any worrisome preconceptions about Morocco, forget them, this is 2023. Morocco is modern, vibrant, peaceful and proud with a monarchy that understands its people and embraces the age we live in. When it comes to golf, I found places there's no crowded timesheets, the courses are terrific, the welcome is warm and genuine and the food, oh my goodness the food, is the best in the World!
Three Locations To Check Out
Our EGTMA (see more details at the end) trip took in the Northwest coast of Morocco from El Jadida south of Casablanca to Rabat and up to Tangier which is a half hour trip on the ferry from Spain! Morocco's road system is excellent, motorways if driving, the TGV bullet train on the tracks.
El Jadida
Hotel: Mazagan Beach Resort
Base yourself at the Mazagan Beach Resort, trust me. A beautiful 5-star family hotel right on the beach. This is one of those hotels with EVERYTHING on site, I almost felt guilty that I was there just to play golf, there was so much more to do!!
Several beautiful restaurants (we ate at The Olives and Beach Barbecue), countless activities for kids and family....wait for this....the largest casino in North Africa and of course the Mazagan Golf Course which I'll get onto below.
But suffice to say the value you will get for your money here, would knock the socks off anything you might get in Europe. And a special word for our host Khadija El Idrissi , thank you for the amazing welcome and hospitality. We could've opened a small shop with all the gifts showered on us!!
Golf: Quick Stop At Royal Golf El Jadida
Before taking on the big challenge of Mazagan we warmed up with 9 holes at Royal Golf El Jadida and what an enjoyable evening we had. After a great welcome from Ismael and team we hit off for the back 9 in buggies.
The course was all out in front of you off the tee, fun and inviting, tricky where it needed to be but with loads of birdie chances even for us double digit handicappers.
It gave us a real feeling of what a golf club away from the hotels is like in Morocco and we left feeling like Tour professionals! A real "feel good" golf course.
Smashing evening with Danny and Jo playing the back 9 holes at Royal Golf El Jadida. Great welcome, beautiful golf course on the sea, with a clever mix of tricky and inviting holes. A really enjoyable start to the Morocco trip. Thanks to Ismael and his team for having us. ❤️🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/dWUz70MyJs
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 9, 2023
Golf: Mazagan Beach Resort
When we are talking the golf course at Mazagan Beach Resort we are talking a stunning "next level" proper big test. Before you even step on the course, you're blown away with how pristine everything here is; the fixtures, fittings, pro shop, lockers, restaurant, the staff in every area...... and that all feeds in to the feeling of "wow this place is top class."
We were welcomed by Golf Director Marwann Chamsseddine, aka Ian Woosnam!! Pictured here with Jo!!
We played Mazagan off the most forward yellow tees but Gary Player made sure there were at least two more if not three tee boxes if you needed more of a test. You're by the sea, and while the course is not links, it has all the bumps and grinds and twists and turns of a seaside test with better greens than you'd find at any links!!
You'll find yourself teeing the ball up and having a lash off the tees, there's plenty of room with the driver before you run out of it with your irons, if you get me. If you play to your handicap at Mazagan you're doing well, but however you play you'll come off this course happy. A truly top class course in a top class hotel.
Incredible golf and hospitality at @MazaganResort. What a stunning course! Thanks to Khadija and team for making our @EGTMA_MEDIA group feel so welcome. 🇲🇦❤️⛳️ pic.twitter.com/gltHpFKpEB
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 9, 2023
Bouznika
Golf: Bahia Golf Beach
I'd love to spend a whole lazy golfing day here at Bahia Golf Beach. The food at the golf course was just sensational and sitting out on the balcony of the big beautiful clubhouse was just fab.
We were hosted by Golf Director Jamal Iahyaoui, who is a gentleman and hits a fine drive himself!! Make sure to ask Jamal for a lesson if you have time.
The course itself was fun start to finish, if you're playing well you'll do great here. You'll go a long way to find better tee box complexes than at Bahia Golf Beach, they were like greens!
What a fun day.
Bouznika is beautiful!! Hugely enjoyable golf and stay at Bahia Golf Beach. No pressure at your leisure the way it should be. With Jo Jim and Roland on our @EGTMA_MEDIA trip of discovery around Morocco. pic.twitter.com/KrNdAUYKnt
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 12, 2023
Rabat
Golf: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red Course)
We were honoured to play Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and what a day we had. This is the BIG venue, this is THE place that holds Tour events!! In 2023 the Red Course hosted the Trophy Hassan II on the PGA Tour Champions with the Ladies European Tour on the Blue Course.
The venue is very much a mixture of the old and the new from the clubhouse to the course. The restaurant and bar are super modern and stunning, the locker rooms are more old school and functional. Again the warmth of the welcome and hospitality was truly amazing. We spent time chatting with Moroccan Federation members- Mounia El Khettar Mouline who looks after Communications and Hassan El Mansouri the Second Vice President and volleyball legend in his day!!
Mounia even invited us back for the 2024 Trophee Hassan which was amazing. And former Tour player Michel Besanceney gave us a Tour of the amazing new academy being built on site. This is Hicham Berdai, Director of Golf who welcomed us to his amazing venue.
Caddies are essential on the Red Course. Grizzled and furrowed and friendly my looper had only been there 37 years! Jo's man even longer! He showed me lines of putts that I couldn't believe, but he was right. Every single time. And a gentleman to put up with some of my terrible golf!
What a course, totally playable by all, and some of THE best greens I've ever played. Stephen Ames winning score of just 9 under tells you everything you need to know about the incredible quality of the greens complexes and how they can test the best. Simon the Aussie greenkeeper, take a bow! That man is a genius!!
Huge honour to be invited to play the Red Course Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat yesterday. A true Tour test with the best greens in the world. Thanks to Hassan, Mounia, Michel, Simon the greenkeeper and all the team. The Tour of beautiful modern Rabat topped off a gr8 day. pic.twitter.com/nTewYFunos
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 12, 2023
Tanger
Golf: Royal Country Club De Tanger
The highlight of the trip for me. Stepping back in time with an easy feel around at the historic Royal Country Club De Tanger dating back to 1914. We were welcomed by the club President Chawad Yaquine. With the stunning dining room area dressed up in flowers and its Michelin Star worthy food we knew it was going to be a great day!
Our bellies full, it was off to the rough and ready twisting turning plunging changing old course oozing class out of every pore, it was pure joy to play.
And.....just a half hour from Spain on the ferry. You will love it!
The oldest golf course in Morocco. Royal Country Club De Tanger, with massive tree lined fairways, plunging elevation drops, a 230 yard par-3 and a splash of Crans on 18. Take it as you find it, a grand old lady full of class. Oh and food, oh my God food to die for. 🤩 Tangier pic.twitter.com/GvF5SN0jLx
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 13, 2023
Golf: Hilton Al Houara Golf Resort
From the old to the brand new Al Houara Golf Resort and an insight again into what a beautiful product Morocco has for the tourist, golf or otherwise.
A big modern open resort golf course right on the coast with a stunning Hilton hotel you'd love to stay at for a week with the family. And I will be coming back here with mine!!
Here's Roland with Pierre Pasquier Golf Director at Al Houara and a gentleman.
Incredible final day at Al Houara Golf Club outside Tangier. Stunning resort course, academy and beautiful hotel. The welcome was so amazing and the food was out of this world. Perfect end to an amazing trip. pic.twitter.com/JBvWafPPSI
— ᴅᴏᴄ - GOLFCENTRALDAILY.com (@DonalDocHughes) May 13, 2023
Thanks
Thanks to everyone who made this trip possible, especially Jo Maes, President of the EGTMA. Jo is an amazing man, he is the visionary who saw long ago, how powerful alternative media would become and its potential to promote the game of golf around the World. Jo works tirelessly putting together trips like this, and every one who participates gives back using their media skills and various platforms.
A word of thanks too for our host Khalid from the Moroccan Tourist Board. One of THE finest and most gracious gentlemen I've ever had the pleasure to meet. And to our quietly spoken yet super efficient driver Hamsa. Our best wishes to you both. Check out Visit Morocco for more details on Golf in Morocco here.
Our wonderful EGTMA group of Jo, Carla, Elisa, Vera, Danny, Jim and Roland were a delight to be with and it's the people that also make these trips so special. Well done and thanks to Carla who took many of the photos used in this piece. I hope to see you all again soon!!
And finally a special word for Women's Golf Day headed by Elisa Gaudet, one of our party. Women's Golf Day is an amazing initiative which introduces women and girls to golf and celebrates existing players by joining them together irrespective of gender, race, religion, language, ethnicity, or location.
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