Fairmont Royal Palm Marrakech

Fairmont Royal Palm Golf & Country Club lies to the south of Marrakech, next door to Samanah Golf Club, a short 25-minute drive from the city centre. Residents of the luxury hotel and villa owners within the Royal Palm Domaine have priority on the 1st tee but casual visitors are also accommodated here without any problem.

Designed by Cabell Robinson, with input from former French professional and then Director of Golf Michel Besanceney, the course extends to 6,608 metres from the back markers, playing to a par of 72. Holes are routed around five sparkling lakes on a property that extends to around 185 acres, with Bermuda fairways and tees and A4 bent grass greens in play.

Opened in 2013, it’s hard to now imagine that more than three quarters of a million square metres of earth was moved during construction because the fairways blend so well into the landscape. In addition, a variety of shrubs, flowers and trees that bloom at different times of the year have been planted around the course, giving it the ever-changing appearance of a botanical garden.

Feature holes include short par fours at the right doglegged 3rd and the left doglegged 14th, whilst the par four 8th and par three 12th share a large, crescent-shaped double green. Michel Besanceney's favourite hole is the long par four 15th – rated stroke index 1 – which veers left and downhill to a long green that’s guarded by bunkers on three of its four sides.