Amelkis Golf Club

The verdict

Amelkis is one of the established names of Marrakech golf, a course that has matured beautifully since Cabell Robinson built it in the mid 1990s and that long served as the home of the Hassan II Trophy, the country's flagship professional event. It sits a few minutes southeast of the medina, and the setting is the draw as much as the golf, with olive groves, date palms and the ochre of the surrounding land giving way to the dramatic backdrop of the High Atlas, snow capped well into spring.

The club runs to 27 holes, arranged as three nine hole loops that combine into different 18 hole rounds, with the principal championship 18 listed as a par 72. Robinson, who learned his craft with Robert Trent Jones Senior, gave it generous fairways, well placed water and clever, defended greens, so it rewards strategy and a tidy short game rather than raw power. Mature trees and reliable conditioning round out a course that has aged into one of the most enjoyable and dependable rounds in the city.

The holes worth the trip

Amelkis plays as a true desert parkland course, where green fairways and stands of olive and palm are set against bare red earth and the mountains beyond, and the contrast is striking on every hole. Cabell Robinson routed it with width off the tee but real definition into the greens, so the second shot is where the round is decided, with bunkering and water positioned to catch the slightly errant approach.

Several holes use water as the central hazard, lakes and channels that frame greens and force a committed carry, while the par 3s ask for crisp iron play to well guarded targets. The greens are subtly contoured and run true, rewarding the golfer who reads the slope and leaves the ball below the hole, and a sharp short game saves plenty of shots around the course's run offs and bunkers.

With three nines to combine, no two visits play quite the same, and the constant presence of the Atlas Mountains makes even a routine par feel like an occasion. It is a course that flatters the holidaymaker while still giving the better player plenty to think about, which is exactly why it remains a Marrakech favorite.

Where to stay nearby

Marrakech is one of the great city breaks, so most golfers base in the riads of the medina or the resorts and palaces of the Palmeraie and the Hivernage, all a short transfer from the course. It is an easy city to combine golf with culture, with the souks, gardens and restaurants giving non golfers and evenings plenty to do.

Amelkis anchors a strong Marrakech golf trip and pairs well with the city's other leading courses for a multi round stay, from the long established Royal Golf Marrakech to the modern desert links at Assoufid.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in Marrakech.