Here’s an edited extract (since deleted) of what I wrote when I was last here seven years ago:

“The Red course was renovated by Cabell Robinson prior to the re-hosting of the Trophee Hassan II in 2016 when new tees were installed on ten holes, putting surfaces were enlarged on four greensites and new bunkers were put in place on another four holes.

The lake between holes 11 and 12 was also reconstructed and a new water cascade feature built into the middle of this large water hazard – it’s a little ostentatious but fits in rather well with the conspicuous Roman columns that sit alongside one side of the lake.

It’s a wonderfully routed course, with holes gently rising and falling across pleasantly undulating terrain, and it’s not until the par fours at the 15th and 16th that fairways run parallel to one another.

There’s no doubting the quality of the course conditioning here, with the Moroccan authorities appearing to spare no expense when it comes to showcasing their national golfing treasure.”

Architect James Duncan has since revamped the layout. The routing is still the same but green complexes have been totally reimagined, creating cavernous sand craters next to wildly undulating putting surfaces.

I can understand if not all the senior pros playing in the recent Trophee Hassan II European Legends event took to the greens (maybe they did) but, for the ordinary golfer, the roller coaster contours of the putting surfaces are an absolute delight.    

I walked the downhill 8th with head greenkeeper Simon Rees, a young Australian guy who left the Middle East in late 2021 to take up his new position, and he told me he’s currently overseeing a project to convert the fairways to kikuyu grass.      

For me, the Red course is truly a world-class layout, easily rivalling the Palais du Royal in Agadir for the accolade of top track in Morocco. It might lack a little on detailing like unkempt paths and poor signage around tee boxes – so what, everything else about the course makes up for such minor deficiencies.

Jim McCann