Al Maaden: 2026 Access and Booking Update
On the southern edge of Marrakech, with the High Atlas filling the horizon, Al Maaden is a Kyle Phillips design that blends a Moroccan oasis with a links architect's eye, all sculpted ground, contemporary art and bold water. Here is where it stands in 2026, and how to play it.
The news: a Kyle Phillips design in Marrakech
Al Maaden opened in 2010 as a Kyle Phillips design on the southern side of Marrakech, the architect best known for Kingsbarns bringing his sculpted, strategic style to the Moroccan plain. Into 2026 it remains one of the most admired courses in the country, a par 72 of around 7,200 yards that frames the snow capped High Atlas Mountains and threads contemporary art and large water features through a desert setting.
The headline for 2026 is that the design still reads as something distinctive in North African golf. Phillips moved a great deal of earth to create movement and definition on flat ground, so the course has the feel of an oasis with a links architect's strategic backbone, generous off the tee but demanding around greens that sit beside or beyond the water on the signature holes.
The course, and the access reality
What sets Al Maaden apart is the marriage of art and architecture. The course is part of a wider development with a sculpture collection, and the design leans into that, with bold framing, sculpted mounding and water that gathers around several greens to create genuine risk and reward. The Atlas Mountains provide the backdrop on the outward holes, and the wide fairways keep it enjoyable for the resort golfer while the green sites reward precise approach play.
The access reality is welcoming. Al Maaden is a resort course that takes visitor and society play, with tee times booked in advance and the busiest demand in the cooler months. For the full design and access detail see the Al Maaden course profile and the Morocco destination guide.
How to play it in 2026
Marrakech golf is at its best outside the summer, with the prime season running from roughly October to April when the days are warm and clear and the Atlas often still carries snow, while the high summer months can be intensely hot and better suited to early tee times only. For 2026 the practical approach is to book ahead for the popular winter window, take a morning slot, and allow for the water hazards that guard the signature holes.
Al Maaden pairs easily with the other championship courses around Marrakech for a short golf break built off a single city base, with the medina, the food and the wider city on hand off the course. Green fees sit in the mid to upper range for Morocco and move with season and package, so treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking.
Our take
Our take is that Al Maaden is one of the most rewarding courses in Morocco, a Kyle Phillips design whose sculpted ground, mountain backdrop and bold water give Marrakech golf a real architectural identity. It is a course that photographs as well as it plays, which is part of why it anchors so many trips to the city.
For 2026 the advice is about season and timing. Aim for the cooler October to April window, book a morning tee time in advance, and build the round into a wider Marrakech stay, and you experience some of the best golf in North Africa against an unforgettable backdrop.
Plan your Al Maaden and Marrakech golf trip
From Al Maaden to the other championship courses around Marrakech, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge arranges tee times and builds the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Al Maaden and when did it open?
Al Maaden was designed by Kyle Phillips, the architect of Kingsbarns, and opened in 2010 on the southern edge of Marrakech. It plays as a par 72 of around 7,200 yards, with sculpted ground, bold water features and views of the High Atlas Mountains.
What is Al Maaden like to play?
Al Maaden is a championship resort course with generous fairways and demanding green complexes, several of which sit beside or beyond water on the signature holes. Phillips moved a great deal of earth to give the course movement and an oasis feel, with the snow capped Atlas as a backdrop on the outward holes.
Can visitors play Al Maaden in 2026?
Yes. Al Maaden is a resort course that welcomes visitor and society play, with tee times booked in advance. The cooler October to April season plays best and is the busiest, so book ahead, take a morning slot, and confirm access and green fees directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, design history and access verified June 2026 from club, ranking panel and golf travel sources; conditions, access and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.