Morocco Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
Moroccan golf in 2026 is defined less by a single new build than by the modernisation of its crown jewel. The country's most famous club has reshaped both of its big championship courses, and the Marrakech desert layouts keep refining their conditioning. Here is what is changing and why it matters for your trip.
The headline: a reshaped Royal Dar Es Salam
The renovation that shapes Moroccan golf in 2026 is the comprehensive reworking of Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, the country's flagship and long its tournament home. The architect Cabell Robinson led a reshaping of the celebrated Red course, widely described as a tougher, reborn version of Robert Trent Jones Senior's original, and a parallel project on the Blue course that reshaped tees, greens, fairways and bunkers, cleared trees to open angles and reversed the nines.
For the visiting golfer that means the two courses you play today are not the courses of a decade ago. The cork forest setting and the famous water holes remain, but the strategy and presentation have been sharpened. If you have played Dar Es Salam before, it is worth treating it as a fresh round rather than a familiar one.
Quieter work worth knowing about
Beyond Rabat, the Moroccan story is conditioning rather than wholesale redesign. The Marrakech desert courses, set against the snow capped Atlas Mountains, run an intensive maintenance cycle to keep fairways and greens immaculate through a hot, dry climate, and the better resorts keep reinvesting in irrigation and clubhouse facilities to match rising visitor expectations.
This is the pattern across Moroccan golf right now: a handful of high profile courses kept to a high standard, supported by resort infrastructure aimed squarely at the European winter golfer. None of it changes the fundamental appeal of warm weather golf a short flight from Europe, but it does mean the courses are presenting better year on year. Where a course is between projects, confirm current conditions before you commit.
What it means for your trip
If you are planning Moroccan golf for 2026, the reshaped Royal Dar Es Salam Red and its Blue sibling are the obvious centrepiece of a Rabat or Casablanca leg. Many travellers, though, base themselves in Marrakech, where the golf and the city pair so well.
Around Marrakech the desert drama of Assoufid, the polished resort golf at Royal Golf Marrakech, and the coastal option of Mazagan near El Jadida give you range across a week. The classic approach is to anchor on the reborn Dar Es Salam, then build the rest of the trip around Marrakech, where the off course experience is as much the draw as the golf.
Our take
Morocco has always offered a rare combination: championship pedigree, desert and forest scenery, and a culture worth travelling for, all within easy reach of Europe. The reworking of Royal Dar Es Salam is the headline because it modernises the one course every visiting golfer wants to play and signals national ambition. Our advice is straightforward. Use Dar Es Salam as your pedigree round, base the rest of the week in and around Marrakech, and confirm conditions and tee access directly before you book.
Plan your Morocco golf trip
From a pedigree round at the reborn Dar Es Salam to a Marrakech golf and culture week, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Which Moroccan course has been renovated?
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat has had both its Red and Blue courses reshaped, with the architect Cabell Robinson leading a reworking of tees, greens, bunkers and fairways. It remains Morocco's flagship club.
Can visitors play Royal Dar Es Salam?
Yes, it is open to visitors, though it is a busy championship venue. Book ahead and confirm tee availability and current conditions directly, particularly in the European winter high season.
When is the best time to play golf in Morocco?
Autumn through spring, roughly October to April, is the comfortable window, with the Marrakech and Rabat courses at their best. Midsummer is hot, especially inland around Marrakech.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course reshaping details verified June 2026 from architecture and ranking sources; projects, conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.