Golf in Marrakech
North Africa's golf capital, where modern desert layouts and palm fringed fairways sit beneath the snow capped Atlas Mountains. The courses that matter, the winter sun seasons, the costs and how to plan it.
Photograph: Royal Golf Marrakech, Royal Golf Marrakech, via Google
Why golf in Marrakech
Marrakech has quietly become the leading golf city in North Africa. A short flight from much of Europe, it offers warm, dry winters when the courses back home are frozen, a cluster of genuinely good modern layouts within twenty minutes of the medina, and a backdrop, the snow capped High Atlas, that few destinations can match. Golf here dates to 1927, when the Pasha of Marrakech built the Royal Golf Marrakech and welcomed guests from Winston Churchill to Dwight Eisenhower. The modern era brought championship design: Cabell Robinson's selective Amelkis in 1995, Kyle Phillips's Al Maaden in 2010 and Niall Cameron's desert masterpiece Assoufid in 2012, named the best golf club in Morocco at the 2019 World Golf Awards.
The appeal is the whole package. Green fees sit well below comparable European winter sun, the resorts and riads are characterful and good value, and the city itself, with its souks, gardens and restaurants, gives the non golfing partner plenty to do. A trip can be built entirely on quality, with three or four standout rounds across a long weekend or a week, all close together, all framed by the mountains and the desert light. For the affluent golfer seeking somewhere warm, different and easy to reach in the depths of winter, Marrakech is hard to beat.
The areas
The Royal and the Palmeraie
The historic heart of Marrakech golf, with the 1927 Royal Golf Marrakech and the palm grove courses of the Palmeraie north of the city, mature, tree lined and steeped in the destination's golfing history.
The Southern Courses
The modern championship belt south and east of the medina, home to Amelkis, Al Maaden and Assoufid, the trio that has put Marrakech on the international golf map, all within a short drive of the city and the Atlas backdrop.
The Luxury Resorts
The five star resort golf at the Fairmont Royal Palm and the Jack Nicklaus course at Samanah on the road toward the Atlas, polished stay and play estates that pair championship layouts with the city's finest hotels.
The courses that matter
Assoufid Golf Club
Widely rated the finest course in the city and named Morocco's best golf club at the 2019 World Golf Awards, a Niall Cameron design routed through natural desert terrain with the High Atlas filling the horizon, a striking and strategic test unlike anything else in the city.
Amelkis Golf Club
One of Morocco's most established and selective layouts, a Cabell Robinson design from 1995 of palm fringed fairways, water and desert near the medina, a long time host of professional events and a favourite of the city's golfing set.
Al Maaden Golf Resort
A Kyle Phillips design that debuted in 2010, a handsome modern course of generous fairways, bold bunkering and a celebrated lake fringed run home, set within an art filled resort with mountain views from many of the tees.
Royal Golf Marrakech
The historic original, commissioned by the Pasha of Marrakech in 1927 and once played by Churchill and Eisenhower, a mature parkland of towering eucalyptus, olive and palm that remains a charming and atmospheric round steeped in the city's golfing past.
Fairmont Royal Palm
A polished resort course by Cabell Robinson on the road toward the mountains, the centrepiece of a five star Fairmont estate, with broad fairways, lakes and an uninterrupted backdrop of the High Atlas, built for the luxury stay and play traveller.
Samanah Country Club
A Jack Nicklaus design south of the city built to championship standards across a broad desert estate, a long, polished layout with the mountains beyond, the anchor of a luxury residential and golf community.
Noria Golf Club
One of the more unusual rounds in the city, a course that blends orchards and lavender fields, stretches of desert and an oasis setting, a relaxed and scenic layout that makes a pleasant change of pace from the championship tests.
PalmGolf Marrakech
A resort course set among the palm groves of the Palmeraie north of the city, a mature, tree lined layout that has long been a staple of Marrakech golf holidays and pairs easily with a stay in the surrounding hotels.
Designers and opening years verified June 2026 where stated. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| October to April | Warm, dry days, snow on the Atlas, cool evenings | Prime winter sun season, book marquee tee times early |
| March to May and October to November | Warm and settled, the courses in fine condition | The sweet spot for weather and comfort |
| June to September | Very hot, often above 38 degrees Celsius | Dawn golf only, lowest rates, the off season |
Marrakech is a winter destination, busiest and at its best from autumn through spring while northern Europe is cold. Summer golf is for the early riser only.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leading course green fee | Around €60 to €120 | Assoufid, Amelkis, Al Maaden by season |
| Resort and package round | Often bundled with buggy and transfers | Stay and play deals common at the five star estates |
| A week, all in | Around €1,400 to €3,000 per person | Good courses, 4 to 5 star riads or resorts, transfers, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Marrakech Menara airport is one of the easiest winter golf gateways from Europe, with direct flights from across the continent and the city centre just fifteen minutes away. The courses cluster close: Assoufid, Amelkis, Al Maaden and the Royal sit within twenty to thirty minutes of the medina, and the resort courses on the Atlas road are a little further out. Most golfers rely on taxis, hotel transfers or a driver booked through the trip, which is inexpensive and removes any worry about navigating the city. A hire car is rarely necessary for a golf focused trip, though a driver for the week is a comfortable and affordable luxury.
Where to stay
The choice runs from atmospheric to opulent. A riad in the medina puts the souks, gardens and restaurants on the doorstep and gives the trip its sense of place, with a driver ferrying the group to the courses each morning. For golf on the doorstep, the five star resorts such as the Fairmont Royal Palm and the estates on the Atlas road let you stay and play in luxury with the mountains in view. The Palmeraie north of the city offers a quieter, resort style base among the palm groves. Book ahead for the winter high season, when the best riads and resorts fill quickly.
Plan your Marrakech golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Marrakech golf questions
What is the best golf course in Marrakech?
Assoufid Golf Club, a Niall Cameron design from 2012 set in natural desert terrain with the Atlas Mountains behind, is widely regarded as the finest in the city and was named Morocco's best golf club at the 2019 World Golf Awards. Amelkis, the selective Cabell Robinson layout from 1995, and Al Maaden, a Kyle Phillips course from 2010, run it close.
When is the best time to play golf in Marrakech?
Marrakech is a classic winter sun destination, at its best from October to April when the days are warm and dry and the Atlas Mountains are capped with snow. Spring and autumn are the sweet spots. Summer is very hot, often above 38 degrees Celsius, and best played at dawn.
How much does a golf trip to Marrakech cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees run roughly from €60 to €120 at the leading courses such as Assoufid, Amelkis and Al Maaden, with resort packages often bundling rounds and buggies. A week with 4 to 5 star riads or resorts and transfers typically lands between €1,400 and €3,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Marrakech winter sun dates, Assoufid and Amelkis booking windows and the resort packages worth moving on first. Every other week.