The Best Golf Courses in Marrakech: Complete Guide

Teeing off at sunrise between century-old palms, with the snow of the High Atlas as a backdrop, is the image that sells Marrakech as a golf destination. The substance behind it is more interesting: the city now has more than fifteen courses, several designed by architects with international reputations, in a climate that allows play almost every day of the year. This guide reviews the eight that matter, with indicative green fees, the booking lead times that actually apply, and the practical questions — season, dress code, moving between clubs — that decide whether a golf trip here works.

In brief

• Best season: October to April, with daytime temperatures of roughly 15 to 25 °C. From May to September, play before 9 am.
• If you play only one: Royal Palm Golf Marrakech, named Morocco’s Best Golf Course at the 2024 World Golf Awards.
• If you want history: the Royal Golf de Marrakech, opened in 1927 and among the oldest courses on the African continent.
• If you want the toughest test: Al Maaden, at about 6,569 metres, or Samanah, a Nicklaus Design championship layout.
• Green fees run roughly from 37 euros at the lower end to 150 euros at the top, well below European prices for comparable courses.
• Book three to six months ahead for March to May and September to November, which are the busiest months.
• You do not need to fly with your clubs: essentially every club here rents clubs, shoes and buggies.
• Dress code is enforced at every club in the city: collared polo, golf trousers or tailored shorts, proper shoes.
• Do not hire a car just for golf. Private transfers from your hotel, or transfers arranged by the club, are easier than parking in Marrakech.

Why Marrakech works as a golf destination

The city’s rise as a golf destination is not an accident. Five things combine, and the first two are the ones that decide a winter trip.

• The climate. Marrakech gets roughly 300 to 340 days of sunshine a year, which keeps playing conditions good almost all year. Mild winters, between about 15 and 20 °C, make it a natural destination from November to April, when northern Europe is wet.
• Access. Marrakech Menara airport takes direct flights from dozens of European cities, Paris, London, Madrid, Amsterdam and Brussels among them, and transfers to the main courses take under thirty minutes.
• The design pedigree. The courses carry names such as Cabell B. Robinson, Kyle Phillips, Niall Cameron, Steve Forrest and Nicklaus Design, and several clubhouses are built to resort standard.
• What you do between rounds. Few golf destinations put a UNESCO-listed medina, a mountain range and a desert within reach of the same week.
• Value. Green fees sit well below European levels for courses of equivalent and sometimes better quality.

Royal Golf de Marrakech: the 1927 course

The Royal Golf de Marrakech is more a living monument than a sports facility. Opened in 1927, it is among the oldest courses on the African continent, and it is said to have hosted Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George among many other figures over the following century. That history, combined with rigorous maintenance, makes it a fixture of any golf trip to the city.

The course and the setting

There are 27 holes, including the historic Old Course, a par 72 of 6,420 yards, or 5,871 metres, laid out by Gustave Golias and Arnaud Massy. More than 15,000 trees stand on the property, most of them mature: tall palms, fragrant eucalyptus, silvered olives and flowering orange trees follow one another hole after hole, so a round plays like a walk through an exotic garden. It is fifteen minutes from Jemaa el-Fna, which makes the classic Marrakech day — golf in the morning, the medina in the afternoon — genuinely easy.

What stands out at the Royal Golf

• A restored art deco clubhouse, recognised for its architecture.
• A junior academy led by the Moroccan professional Maha Haddioui.
• Full practice facilities: driving range, putting green, practice bunkers.
• Warm reception and professional caddies available.
• Suitable for every standard, and particularly recommended for seniors and higher handicaps.

Address: Avenue Haroune Errachid, Marrakech. Telephone: +212 524 40 98 28.

Royal Palm Golf Marrakech: Morocco’s best course in 2024

If you play only one course here, play this one. The Royal Palm Golf Marrakech, within the Fairmont Royal Palm estate on the Amizmiz road, was named Morocco’s Best Golf Course 2024 at the eleventh edition of the World Golf Awards, part of the World Travel Awards family. Twenty Moroccan courses were in contention and six of the nominees were in Marrakech; the Royal Palm won comfortably.

A Cabell Robinson layout

Designed by the American architect Cabell B. Robinson and opened in 2014, this 18-hole par 72 runs across 75 hectares of impeccably kept fairways for 6,608 metres of play. Gently rolling, it is built to combine shot-making with scenery: mature olive trees, bougainvillea, hibiscus and oleander line the holes, and in winter the view of the snow on the Atlas creates a striking contrast behind the greens.

What stands out at the Royal Palm

• Named Morocco’s best course at the 2024 World Golf Awards.
• Exceptional turf, with maintenance holding up all year.
• A country club with 1,500 m² given over to recovery and wellbeing.
• Two places to eat and drink after a round, Le Sabra and the Legend’s Bar.
• GPS buggies and a golf academy with certified professionals.
• Full integration into a five-star resort, which makes it the natural choice for a trip where only one person is playing.

Address: KM 12, Route d’Amizmiz, Marrakech. Telephone: +212 524 487 890.

Al Maaden Golf Resort: contemporary art on the fairway

Al Maaden is an open-air work of art as much as a course. Laid out in 2010 by Kyle Phillips, the architect behind Kingsbarns in Scotland, this 18-hole par 73 marries the spirit of a Moroccan oasis with a distinctly modern Scottish accent. Set in 72 hectares of landscaped parkland, it pays open homage to the Menara gardens through its rectangular basins and architectural water features.

Long, technical and full of sculpture

At 7,184 yards, or 6,569 metres, Al Maaden is one of the longest and most technical courses in Marrakech. Elevated tees, rolling fairways, strategically placed water and a great many bunkers make it a genuine test at every level. Almond, palm and cypress create the atmosphere of an enclosed Moroccan garden, while monumental sculptures by contemporary artists are placed along the route, including the Eye of Marrakech at the third, which turns a round into a walk through an exhibition.

What stands out at Al Maaden

• A 300-metre driving range, putting green, chipping green and practice bunkers.
• Electric scooters available as an alternative to buggies.
• An award-winning modern clubhouse with a restaurant looking out at the Atlas.
• Consistently well rated by visiting players for the clubhouse itself.
• Well suited to groups and to corporate events.

Assoufid Golf Club: desert golf below the Atlas

Regularly ranked among the best courses in Morocco, Assoufid took the title of Morocco’s Best Golf Course at the 2023 World Golf Awards. Built by the Scottish architect Niall Cameron and opened in 2014, it is an argument for working with the landscape rather than against it. Instead of the uniform green of many European clubs, Assoufid sets fairways into ochre desert punctuated by palms, cactus and olive trees, with the snow line of the High Atlas composing a different picture at every hole.

A desert routing

This 18-hole par 72 covers 6,439 metres. Cameron’s routing strikes an unusual balance: generous fairways give way progressively to fast greens and intelligently placed bunkers, which keeps good players interested without punishing beginners. The club is also among the most environmentally considered in the region, which on a desert course is a practical matter rather than a marketing one.

What stands out at Assoufid

• Named Morocco’s best course at the 2023 World Golf Awards.
• A calm, exclusive atmosphere with five-star service.
• Uninterrupted mountain views from every hole.
• An integrated residential resort with contemporary luxury villas.
• The Oasis restaurant, serving Moroccan and international cooking.
• Quiet and refined, well away from the tourist bustle.

Amelkis Golf Club: 27 holes and the best value

Close to the Royal Golf de Marrakech, Amelkis is the reference for players who want something both handsome and demanding. It was designed by Cabell B. Robinson, who also laid out the Royal Palm, and it keeps the natural character of the site, with a fine panorama of the Atlas.

Three loops of nine

Amelkis runs three loops of nine holes that players can combine as they wish. Wide fairways invite you to open the shoulders, but strategic water and deep bunkers are a quick reminder that accuracy still counts. Professionals and amateurs rate the layout equally well, and general condition is judged excellent by the large majority of visiting players, which together with the price makes it the best value in the city.

What stands out at Amelkis

• 27 holes, allowing a wide variety of combinations over several days.
• A comfortable clubhouse with catering and a well-stocked pro shop.
• Prestige residential villas available to rent on site.
• Only a few minutes by car from the city centre.
• Suits every standard, from beginner to low handicap.

Samanah Country Club: the Nicklaus signature

Nicklaus Design, the practice founded by Jack Nicklaus, has built more than 250 courses worldwide, and Samanah is one of its better ones. Set in a 300-hectare estate of which 100 hectares are given to golf, the club offers one of the finest views of the Atlas in the city from fairways kept in consistently good order.

A championship par 72

This 18-hole championship par 72 runs to 6,700 metres and sets a series of technical problems that suit players who like a structured round. It sits fifteen minutes from the airport, which makes it the obvious choice if you are in transit or on a short break and want to play on your arrival or departure day. A supplementary nine-hole loop is available for practice rounds or for playing with family.

What stands out at Samanah

• A championship layout carrying the Nicklaus Design name.
• A modern practice area with both grass and mat bays.
• Certified professionals for lessons and clinics.
• Combined golf and spa packages, popular with couples.
• The closest of the major courses to the airport.

PalmGolf Marrakech: golf inside the palm grove

A few kilometres north of the city, inside Marrakech’s historic palm grove, PalmGolf offers something none of the others do: a round played among thousands of tall palms, in a garden atmosphere you will not find elsewhere in the city. This 27-hole complex combines lakes that turn gold in late light, deep bunkers and mature palms into a setting that is as demanding as it is photogenic.

Twenty-seven holes among the palms

PalmGolf appeals above all to players who want green and shade rather than the more desert character of Assoufid or Amelkis. The 27 holes allow varied combinations, and each loop presents a different problem. After dark, the water on the ninth and eighteenth reflects the lights of the neighbouring Avenue Mohammed VI, which is rare in Moroccan golf and makes the club a natural choice for evening events.

What stands out at PalmGolf

• Complete immersion in the palm grove, a setting unique to Marrakech.
• 27 varied holes that suit every type of player.
• A romantic feel in the evening, which works well for a trip as a couple.
• Close to the luxury hotels of the Palmeraie.
• Butler service included with the resort’s residential villas.

Noria Golf Club: three landscapes in one round

Noria is a genuine surprise for first-time visitors and the cheapest of the eight. Designed by the architect Steve Forrest, this 18-hole par 72 is organised around three distinct atmospheres: orchards and lavender, a desert section, and a planted oasis. That much landscape variety within a single round is unusual and makes the course particularly absorbing. It won the Golfer’s Choice Award in 2016, largely on the strength of the layout and the facilities.

Orchards, desert and oasis

With a commanding view of the snow on the Atlas, Noria has a permanent postcard behind its fairways. The routing alternates technical stretches that demand precision and concentration with more open holes where long hitters can let go. Planting inspired by traditional Moroccan architecture reinforces the change of scene from one section to the next, and the price makes it the sensible choice for a second or third round of the week.

Green fees and when to book

Rates vary by course and by season. The figures below are an indicative range, not a quoted price, and they are the single most perishable part of this guide.

March to May and September to November are the months golfers favour, and for those periods you should book tee times three to six months ahead, especially for the better-known courses such as the Royal Palm or Assoufid. Outside the high season availability is generally good and rates are lower. Book directly with the clubs: the indicative ranges above move with the season and with whatever packages are running.

Practical advice for playing here

The right season, and the right hour

Marrakech is playable all year, but the two halves of the year are not comparable. From October to April, temperatures of roughly 15 to 25 °C make a full round comfortable at any hour, and this is the golf high season, so book ahead. From May to September, temperatures can exceed 40 °C: take the earliest tee time you can, before 9 am, and treat the afternoon as pool time. Month by month, our guide to the best time to visit Marrakech sets out the pattern.

What to bring

• Proper dress is obligatory: a collared polo, tailored shorts or golf trousers, and golf shoes. Every club in the city enforces this.
• Sun protection: factor 50 or above, sunglasses and a cap. The sun here is strong even in winter, which catches out visitors who have come to escape a European January.
• Water, in genuine quantity in summer.
• Nothing else, if you prefer. Essentially all the clubs rent clubs and shoes on site, so there is no need to travel with a full bag. Give your height and your standard when you book so the set matches.

Getting between the courses

Hiring a car is not recommended in Marrakech for anyone unfamiliar with the city, because of the traffic and the parking. Use private transfers from your hotel instead: most of the larger hotels run this service, and the clubs will arrange transfers on request. For short hops, the small taxis are a cheap alternative, provided you agree the fare before setting off. Our guide to private transfers from Marrakech covers the airport leg, which is the one worth booking in advance.

Combining golf with the rest of Marrakech

The real advantage of Marrakech is that golf is only one part of the day. A shape that works for most visitors: play early, while the light is low and the air still cool, and eat at the clubhouse afterwards, since the restaurants at these courses are generally good. Then give the afternoon to the city — the souks, the Bahia Palace, the lanes of the old town — and the evening to Jemaa el-Fna, which becomes a different place after dark. Our list of things to do in Marrakech covers the rest.

If you have a week, give one or two days to the surroundings rather than a fourth round. The Ourika valley and the village of Imlil are about an hour away in the Atlas; Essaouira, on the Atlantic, is two and a half hours by road; and Ouarzazate, on the way to the desert, is around three hours. Where to base yourself for all of this is covered in our guide to where to stay in Marrakech.

How the city is rated internationally

Recognition for the courses here is not limited to the World Golf Awards. Marrakech appears regularly in rankings of leading golf destinations compiled by specialist titles, and Morocco as a whole is treated by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators as one of the more dynamic emerging golf destinations. The Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech has also taken an IAGTO Hotel Experience Award, which speaks to how closely the golf and the hotel are integrated there.

Taken together, these distinctions mark a steady move upmarket since the early 2000s, driven by sustained public and private investment in tourism and sports infrastructure. For a visitor the practical consequence is simple: course condition and clubhouse service here are now closer to a European resort than the price suggests.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to be a good golfer to play in Marrakech?

No. Al Maaden and Samanah are clearly aimed at better players, but most clubs here run academies with certified coaches, shorter loops for beginners and full practice areas. The Royal Golf de Marrakech in particular is recommended for higher handicaps and for seniors. You can take up the game for the first time during a stay here without feeling out of place.

Are the courses open all year?

Essentially all of them are open 365 days a year, with no seasonal closure, which is one of the real advantages of the climate here. In summer, opening hours shift to allow play at the cooler ends of the day, so an early tee time is both available and advisable.

Can you play without bringing your own clubs?

Yes. Every club rents clubs, shoes and buggies, so there is no need to put a bag on the plane and no excess baggage to pay. Specify your height and your standard when booking so the rental set is appropriate, and confirm shoe size at the same time.

Which course is best for a trip as a couple?

Royal Palm Golf Marrakech, at the Fairmont, is the obvious answer for a romantic trip: the best-rated course in the country combined with a five-star resort, a spa and good restaurants, which matters when only one of you is playing. PalmGolf is the other strong candidate, for its green, sheltered setting in the palm grove and its evening atmosphere.

How far in advance should you book a tee time?

Three to six months for March to May and September to November, which are the busiest windows, and especially for the Royal Palm and Assoufid. Outside those months a few weeks is usually enough, and rates are lower. Book directly with the club rather than through an intermediary, which also makes it easier to confirm what the green fee currently includes.

Which course is closest to the airport?

Samanah Country Club, about fifteen minutes from Marrakech Menara, which makes it the practical choice for a round on your arrival or departure day. The Royal Golf de Marrakech is the closest to the medina, fifteen minutes from Jemaa el-Fna, if what you want is golf in the morning and the old city in the afternoon.

In summary

Marrakech has become one of the significant golf destinations in a couple of decades, and the numbers carry the argument: more than fifteen courses of international standard, recognised architects, repeated world awards, sunshine almost every day of the year, and a city that makes the non-golfing half of the trip worth taking. Whether you want the historic prestige of the Royal Golf, the polish of the Royal Palm, the art and the length of Al Maaden or the desert calm of Assoufid, there is a course cut to your handicap and your budget. Book the tee times first, in the October-to-April window, and build the rest of the week around them.

Sources

• World Golf Awards for the 2023 and 2024 Morocco titles.
• International Association of Golf Tour Operators for destination recognition and the hotel award.
• The R&A for the rules of golf, and the Moroccan National Tourist Office for golf tourism in the kingdom.

Informational guide, reviewed in November 2026. Green fees, opening hours and services change frequently and the ranges above are indicative only: confirm directly with each club before booking. This guide is independent and not affiliated with any golf club, hotel, resort or tour operator mentioned.