Royal El Jadida

The coastal city of El Jadida – known as Mazagan under Portuguese rule from 1502 to 1769 – was established by its colonial rulers as a West African staging post for explorers heading to South America and beyond. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, the city’s fortification, with its bastions and ramparts, is a fine example of Renaissance military design.

The Royal El Jadida course lies right next to the sandy bay that stretches north from the city towards Azemmour and it’s part of a 121-bedroomed hotel and spa complex that recently changed hands from Sofitel to Pullman. Playing to a par of 72 with an overall length of 6,848 yards, the fairways of Royal El Jadida were carved through a small forest of pine and eucalyptus trees by American architect Cabell B Robinson in 1993.

Robinson, a former associate of Robert Trent Jones, set up his own business in 1987 to pursue the European projects that were coming his way like La Cala which opened in Spain in 1990 and Limère, France in 1992. His other Moroccan projects include Golf les Dunes in Agadir (1991), The Royal course in Fez (1994) and Amelkis in Marrakech (1995). In more recent times, Robinson’s Royal Palm course to the south of Marrakech opened to much critical acclaim in 2013.

The El Jadida course was the venue for the European Challenge Tour’s Moroccan Golf Classic over a three-year period, starting in 2008 when Michael Hoey won the first of these events. The layout has since hosted three Alps Tour and four European Professional Development Tour competitions.