MOROCCAN SPICES
RESIDENT TEA-MAKER AZIZ IGOUZOULEN APPEARED THROUGH AN ARCHWAY WEARING A FLOWING WHITE ROBE AND A MAROON FEZ...
Morocco is a fascinating mosaic of cultures and traditions, desert landscapes, authentic Kasbahs, spice bazaars and sumptuous palaces. For decades, places like Marrakech and Agadir have been attracting artists, writers, travelers and more recently golfers in search of the exotic.
The first port of call for our five-day Moroccan golf journey was the Palmeraie Palace, an oasis of luxury and refinement nestled in the heart of a lush, cool palm grove ten minutes’ drive from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech.
This exquisite property is richly decorated in intricate Moorish designs that feature large archways, opulent furnishings and a décor in rich earth tones. After checking in we were asked to make ourselves comfortable on a collection of carpets and cushions by a water fountain in the tiled foyer area.
Before long, resident tea-maker Aziz Igouzoulen appeared through an archway wearing a flowing white robe and a maroon fez hat, carrying a silver tray with an elegant metal teapot packed with fresh mint leaves, tea and sugar. After the tea had brewed for a few minutes, Aziz made a spectacle of pouring the fragrant golden liquid from a great height into the small decorative glasses. With a grin wider than Tiger Woods after winning the 2019 Masters, he handed us the tea, overflowing with the delicious aroma of fresh Moroccan mint saying, “Welcome to Marrakech and I hope you play some good golf.”
Although the mint tea was certainly refreshing, we were keen for a di erent kind of tee time at the hotel’s Palm Golf Marrakech Palmeraie. This 27-hole layout (the first holes were designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr in the early 1990’s) is a good introduction to Moroccan golf and laid out on a spacious valley featuring generous fairways bordered by hundreds of palm trees and several lakes that come into play. Numerous sand hazards add the pearly whiteness of the Atlantic beaches to this lush scene, with the ochre walls and green tiles of the magnificent Moorish styled clubhouse forming a striking centrepiece to the whole design. Caddies are available for hire to add some local colour and knowledge to your round.
MAGICAL MARRAKECH
In the late afternoon we visited the centre of stunning and exotic Marrakech, founded more than 1,000 years ago with its distinctive ochre ramparts, Andalusia-inspired arches, souk marketplaces and distinctive skyline of mosques set against the majestic snow-capped High Atlas Mountains.
We got thoroughly lost in the souks of the medina, where labyrinthine passageways and
lanes seethed with a human tide of endlessly streaming humanity. Covered bazaars were crammed with fruit and spice stalls and workshops of every kind, where artisans worked away fashioning slippers, weaving rugs, dyeing textiles and hammering metals.
In the heart of the city is the world famous Djemaa el-Fna – a town square named by UNESCO as part of Humanity’s Universal Heritage. This cultural and artistic crossroads is used not only as a meeting place for local people, but also for storytellers, acrobats, musicians, healers, fortune tellers, magic potion sellers and snake charmers. We grabbed a prime seat and a chilled drink at Le Grand Balcon overlooking the square and watched the drama unfold – it was frantic non-stop activity that overloaded our senses.
As the orange sun travelled across the sky and the minarets and palms gradually fell into silhouettes, chefs began to cart in the makings of some hundred-food stalls and before long the
WHEN THE SUN FINALLY SET, ALL THE MUSIC IN THE MEDINA CEASED FOR ONE OF THE MOST EVOCATIVE OF TRAVEL SOUNDS, THE MUEZZIN’S CALL TO PRAYER.
aroma of barbecued meats, kebabs, meatballs and harira (a thick soup of meats, garbanzos, tomatoes and lentils) filled the air. When the sun finally set, all the music in the medina ceased for one of the most evocative of travel sounds, the muezzin’s call to prayer. Soon, another muezzin in another mosque started up, then another and another until the entire city was filled with these evocative and fervent sounds.
In addition to street eats, Marrakech oers some wonderful fine-dining opportunities at palace restaurants most of which are converted riads (a traditional house or palace with an interior garden). Part of the charm of these places is that they are dicult to locate, and the Narwama restaurant is no exception hidden away down a narrow alleyway covered in Berber rugs, a short stroll from the medina. Situated in a glorious 19th century riad with 21st century Zen décor, the Narwama oers an award-winning combination of Moroccan and Thai cuisine and the best Moroccan mint mojito in town. After
your meal relax in the rustic bar that has hookah pipes at each table.
“The food we serve is Fez cuisine, the finest in Morocco and one of our house specialties is lamb tajine with pears,” the restaurant owner said. “The tajine is one of Morocco’s most famous dishes and the name refers to the conical-lidded pot in which it is prepared, as well as the intricately spiced stew of meat and vegetables, sometimes with dried fruits and nuts, cooked very slowly over a charcoal fire.”
GOLF BENEATH THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS
Moroccan golf courses are renowned for their visual appeal and the 27 holes at the Amelkis Golf, a short car ride from our hotel through olive groves and orange trees, is possibly one of the most eye-catching and exciting to play. Located at the foot of the ever-present Atlas Mountains, the Amelkis owes its name to the queen of a Berber tribe in the Atlas.
Designed by Cabell B.Robinson, this is an expansive course with undulating fairways, seductively mounded and heavily bunkered, to say nothing of the lakes, fountains and the unique waste bunkers created from crushed rock whose colour complements the landscape. The large greens are relatively easy to find, but three putts are not unusual. Paul seemed to really take to Amelkis Golf and shot a very memorable all-time best round of 10 strokes less than his 20 handicap.
Amelkis Golf’s next-door neighbour is the Royal Golf de Marrakech created in 1923 by the Pacha of Marrakech and the second oldest course in Morocco. Throughout the club’s history distinguished players such as Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Ike Eisenhower and his late Majesty King Hassan ll have trodden its fairways and greens.
This is a course that suits players of all standards and the main attraction here is the lush setting with fairways lined with standing cypress, eucalyptus, olive, orange, apricot and palm trees. A new addition of nine holes called the Menara now complements the original two nines (the Koutoubia and Agdal).
On the Menara nine look out for the 481-metre par-5 4th. It plays over a lake, that’s an exact replica of the Menara of Marrakech, bordered by hundreds of olive trees and ending with a superbly defended dogleg. When we stood on the tee of this unique hole, we were in two minds whether to pull out the driver or change into our swimming trunks. Other memorable holes include the par-4 4th (Agdal) with the snowy Atlas summits in the background and the 173 metre par-3 9th (Koutoubia) that’s got more curves than Scarlett Johansson. The green is hidden behind two grassy mounds separated by a bunker plus an additional hazard of two high palm trees blocking the angle of the tee shot.
In the last decade, there has been some heavy investment in some excellent new golf courses helping to establish Marrakech as the Moroccan city oering the most for visiting golfers. Firstly there’s the Samanah Golf Club ( a Jack Nicklaus
Signature design, that has won numerous awards for its excellence and quality and a must-play), Assoufid Golf Club (designed by Niall Cameron and built on a naturally undulating desert landscape complete with a stunning Atlas Mountains backdrop and luxurious clubhouse) and Golf Al Maaden (a links-style/parkland layout designed by Kyle Phillips, and featuring luxury on-site self-contained accommodation in the form of traditional Moroccan riads).
“The golf course has been designed in grand rolling terrain, placed at the foot hills of the nearby Atlas Mountains,” Phillips said about Golf Al Maaden. “Strategically placed bunkers give players multiple lines of play from the tee and tightly cut spill o areas around the greens gather errant shots, providing a variety of exciting recovery opportunities. Keeping with the traditions of golf, Al Maaden is designed as a walker friendly course, with a surrounding designed landscape and geometric water features that give a feeling of playing through a Moroccan garden.”
Other Marrakech courses worth building into your golf itinerary if you have the time include: Royal Palm Golf and Country Club, The Montgomerie Marrakech Golf Club, Palm Golf Marrakech Ourika and Noria Golf Club with its amazing signature par-3 8th hole – featuring a rectangular Biarritz green, which lies between a reflecting pool and a traditional Moroccan bell tower.
THE ROAD TO AGADIR
The next day we loaded our clubs into the hire car and headed to Agadir. As the last dwellings of Marrakech were left behind, expansive stony plains opened up and o ered a window into Moroccan rural life. Berber nomads sat on rocks keeping a watchful eye on their goats and sheep, women carried bundles of firewood back home and kids played football on dusty pitches at the foot of soaring mountains, where simple earthen houses clung defiantly to their precipitous slopes.
Sitting by a vast sweep of protected beach, with an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, Agadir is perhaps best known as a short stay holiday destination for European package tourists. However, Agadir is fast developing into its own golfing centre with plenty of options to choose from including Agadir Royal Golf Club (nine holes), Golf les Dunes Agadir (27 holes), Golf Du Soleil (36 holes), the Golf de l’Océan (27 holes) and Tazegzout Golf (18 holes) – a spectacular coastal layout designed by Kyle Philips.
Our home in Agadir was the five-star Tikida Golf Palace, where the luxury suites open onto Golf Du Soleil’s splendid 36 holes (Championship Course and Tikida Course) that feature water fountains and several lakes with water coming into play on 10 holes. There are plenty of bunkers to negotiate and if you take a caddie, get used to one of their favourite comments: “You’re in the Sahara again.” The beauty here is that you can just stroll from your room to play a few holes, which is especially pleasant later in the afternoon when it starts to cool down.
With warm weather, an exciting culture, only a short flight from the major European countries, and a strong golf development program with many big name designers, Morocco is set to become an increasingly popular destination for the travelling golfer.