Golf in Marrakech: Courses, Hotels and What to Know Before You Go

Marrakech is not the golf destination most people think of first. That is, perhaps, the best thing about it.

While Portugal and Spain absorb the bulk of European golf tourism, Marrakech has been quietly building a collection of courses that would stand up well against anything the Algarve or the Costa del Sol can offer – and pairing them with a city, a landscape, and a hotel scene that neither destination comes close to matching. For golfers willing to look slightly beyond the obvious, Morocco’s most famous city makes a compelling case.

This guide covers the courses, the hotels, when to travel, and what to know before you go.

The Marrakech Golf Scene

Golf has deep roots in Marrakech. The Royal Golf Club – one of Morocco’s oldest – has been part of the city’s character for a century, attracting players drawn as much by the setting as the sport. In the decades since, the destination has grown steadily: private clubs, resort courses, and layouts that have attracted international professional competition have all been developed on the red-earth terrain that surrounds the city.

The landscape is what sets golf in Marrakech apart from anything you’ll find in southern Europe. Courses here are framed by the High Atlas Mountains – snow-capped for much of the season, always present on the horizon – and the red-earthed desert surroundings give the fairways a visual character that is entirely their own. Olive trees, palms, cacti, and cork oaks line the rough. The light has a particular quality that golf photographers from around the world have made the journey specifically to capture.

For UK golfers, the practical case is similarly strong. Flights from most British airports to Marrakech Menara Airport take approximately 3.5 hours. The city handles international arrivals smoothly, and the transfer from the airport to the course or hotel typically takes 20 to 30 minutes.

The Courses: What’s on Offer

Assoufid Golf Club is the standout course on the current Marrakech circuit. Designed by former European Tour player Niall Cameron, the 18-hole, par-72 layout sits 10 kilometres from the city’s historic centre and is built into a landscape that makes an immediate impression: fairways flanked by cacti, olive trees, and palm groves, with the snow-capped Atlas Mountains visible throughout the round. The routing works across undulating terrain with genuine elevation changes, strategic bunkering, and a variety of holes that reward course management rather than simply rewarding power. The clubhouse is a proper destination in itself – a fine-dining restaurant with panoramic views of the course, a well-stocked pro shop, and practice facilities that include a full driving range, chipping area, and putting green. Assoufid is an essential round for any golfer visiting Marrakech.

Royal Golf Marrakech is one of Morocco’s most historic clubs, a course that carries the history of the destination and continues to draw visitors who want to play somewhere with genuine character and provenance. The layout offers a different feel from Assoufid – more traditional in its presentation, with mature trees that have shaped the course over decades. Elite Golf Breaks offers all-inclusive packages at Royal Golf Marrakech from £299 per person.

Samanah Golf Club is a more recent addition to the Marrakech golf scene, set in the Jbilet foothills to the west of the city. It operates more as a country club than a resort course – quieter, more private in feel, and positioned at the premium end of the local market. The course presents a different challenge from Assoufid’s desert terrain, with a more varied landscape and a layout that plays differently in the cooler and warmer parts of the season.

Iberostar Waves Club Palmeraie Marrakech offers all-inclusive golf packages from £299 per person, positioned in the Palmeraie – the famous palm grove area approximately 10 kilometres north of the medina. The Palmeraie has long been Marrakech’s luxury hotel corridor, and the Iberostar property sits within it with full resort facilities and golf access arranged as part of the package.

Agadir, Morocco’s other major golf hub three hours to the south, also features in the Elite Golf Breaks offering via Iberostar Waves Founty Beach – an all-inclusive option from £349 per person for those who want to extend their Moroccan golf trip or prefer a more coastal, beach-resort setting.

Where to Stay: The Hotel Question

Marrakech has one of the strongest luxury hotel scenes in Africa, and where you choose to base yourself shapes the holiday significantly.

Sofitel Marrakech Palais Impérial & Spa offers accommodation in the Hivernage district – one of the city’s most considered addresses, close enough to the medina to explore it easily but removed from the intensity of the souks. The Sofitel brand in Marrakech operates at a genuinely high level: the pool, the gardens, and the French-influenced service all deliver at the standard the positioning suggests. Elite Golf Breaks offers bed and breakfast packages from £349 per person.

For those who want the all-inclusive model, the Iberostar Waves Club Palmeraie is the resort option most suited to golfers who want everything arranged in one place – courses, transfers, meals, and accommodation – with access to the city available when the mood takes them.

It is worth noting that Marrakech also has an exceptional riad culture. For golfers travelling as a couple or a small group who want a more intimate base, a private riad in the medina paired with a golf itinerary arranged through Elite Golf Breaks offers an experience that is genuinely different from any resort golf destination in Europe.

When to Visit: The Golf Season in Morocco

Marrakech plays year-round, but the sweet spot is October through to the end of April. During these months, temperatures are ideal for golf – warm enough to be comfortable in a light layer, cool enough to play through the morning and early afternoon without issue.

The summer months – June, July, and August – bring exceptional heat. Midday temperatures regularly exceed 38°C and the courses, while open, are best left for early morning rounds. Most UK golfers planning a golf-first trip choose to avoid July and August entirely.

October and November offer some of the best conditions of the year: the summer heat has broken, the courses have recovered, and the city is at its most vibrant after the quieter summer months. March and April bring a freshness to the landscape and the courses – grass is at its greenest, the mountains still snow-capped – and are a particularly strong choice for golfers who also want to use the evenings to explore the city properly.

Beyond the Golf: Why Marrakech Works as a Destination

Golf aside, Marrakech is one of the world’s great cities for a few days of serious enjoyment. The medina – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is a compact maze of souks, mosques, and riads that rewards wandering and resists being rushed. Jemaa el-Fna, the main square, is one of the few places in the world that genuinely delivers on its reputation at night. The food scene has matured dramatically in recent years, and the best restaurants – whether traditional Moroccan or international in their approach – are worth planning an evening around.

For golfers travelling with non-golfing partners, this matters. Marrakech offers as rich an off-course programme as any European city, which makes it a rare golf destination that works equally for the player and the person who’d rather spend the morning in the medina.

Browse our full range of Morocco golf holidays – from Assoufid and Royal Golf Marrakech to all-inclusive stays at the Iberostar Palmeraie and beyond. Courses, transfers, and accommodation arranged as one package.