Adventure Golf – Morocco

Morocco, a land of spectacular landscapes, history and culture, is also home to some spectacular golf courses.

Situated close to the golfing meccas of Portugal and Spain but offering a round of golf for a fraction of the European price, this is an undiscovered jewel in the travelling golfer’s crown.

The country is home to more than 50 courses. Its last King, Hassan II, can take a lot of the credit for the boom in golf course construction. The King loved golf and there are no fewer than 12 Royal Golf courses, that enjoy the patronage of the Royal Family.

Travelling golfer Ian Cross begins his tour at the country’s top golf course, Royal Dar Es Salaam, in the capital Rabat. It’s been home to many European Tour events since the King asked golf course designer, Robert Trent Jones Senior, to design it back in 1971. The King had Roman columns from the ancient site of Volubilis shipped in and they still adorn the landscape between the 11th and 12th fairways. Royal Dar Es Salaam is a narrow and difficult forest course with many bunkers.

Next Ian travels to Casablanca where he plays a spectacular links course designed by Gary Player at the Mazagan Golf Resort, situated on the Atlantic Coast. His partner here is Ayoub Lgurati, the country’s No 1 golfer, who is steadily making his way up the rankings of the European Tour.

The palmeraie and desert landscapes surrounding Marrakech are now home to more than a dozen golf courses and Ian visits one of the best, the Assoufid Golf Course, where he plays a round with the golf pro who designed it, Scotsman Niall Cameron. Niall brought in more than 2000 trees that are now scattered across a course he laid into the contours of the desert.

The final leg of Ian’s golf tour takes him south to Agadir where he plays the Tazegzout course with Maha Haddoiui, the first Arab golfer to play on the European Women’s Tour.

In between the golf Ian checks out places to stay, including a fabulous riad (traditional house) in Marrakech. And because this is Adventure Golf, he also explores the sites, including an old fortress in the little visited town of El Jadida, near Mazagan, and the “new Marrakech”, the small pink city of Taroudant, on his way to Agadir.

Credits

Presenter
IAN CROSS

with thanks to
MOROCCAN TOURIST BOARD
FEDERATION ROYALE MAROCAINE DE GOLF
MAZAGAN BEACH RESORT & GOLF CLUB
ROYAL GOLF DAR ES SALAM
ASSOUFID GOLF CLUB
TAZEGZOUT GOLF CLUB
HYATT PLACE TAZEGZOUT BAY
RIAD SIDI FATAH, RABAT
RIAD HOUMA, MARRAKESH

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Contributors
MARWANN CHAMSSEDDINE
AYOUB LGUIRATI
REDA RAZHALI
NIAL CAMERON
MAHA HADDIOUI

titles & graphics
BIG SQUID

CGI artist
SIMON ROSS

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camera
EMILIO REY
IAN CROSS

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facilities
GUILTFREE POST

dubbing mixer
JOHN PURCELL

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editor
ALEKSANDAR NIKOLIC

title music
MICHAEL CONN

music by
AMANDA KRAMER
COLIN WISTON FLETCHER
MARTYN SWAIN
MICHAEL CONN
PAUL MOUNSEY

post production coordinators
EMILIO REY
JAKE CHRISTIAN

production accountant
RASHIDA PATEL

production manager
MARIA VENTURA