A golf trip to Morocco's Big Five - Part 2
After show trip to Rabat, Meknes and Fez
My travel diary is now well filled with sightseeing hotspots, Moroccan lifestyle and culture and delicious recipes to cook at home. What I missed out on a little was golf, of course, as it was originally supposed to be a golf trip. What the heck - the itinerary of this trip would make up for it with a combination of golf and culture in the royal cities. Rabat, the capital of the kingdom, is our first destination. Less than 15 minutes from the city center is one of the most beautiful 45-hole courses in the country, the Royalo Golf Club Dar Es Salam. Designed by golf icon Robert Trent Jones Sr, it is divided into the Blue and Red Course with 9 extra holes. The extremely long 6702-metre Red Course is one of the most spectacular courses in Africa. The perfectly manicured fairways are lined with thousands of cork oaks, eucalyptus trees, cypresses, papyrus and banana trees as well as a Roman temple column on hole 11. The golfing highlight is the shot onto the island green in the middle of the large water lily pond on hole 9, which numerous flamingos have chosen as their favorite spot.
We only have the opportunity to play 9 holes in the middle of a pine forest with flowering bushes and quite a lot of water due to the overly sumptuous but extremely delicious lunch. And although all 3 courses are on the same terrain, they are by no means similar or even boring. We are thrilled. The Hotel View, where we are staying, is new and stylish and delivers what the name promises - a wonderful view over the city to the sea.
Day two brings us a huge surprise in Meknes. Not only is the oriental old town from the 10th century surrounded by a 40 km long wall, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, like the Djamaa el Fna in Marrakech, has a lot to offer. We discover the 9-hole Royal Golf Meknes course behind a magnificent gate in the city wall that surrounds it. During our quick game on the relatively easy course with a water hole on the 9th green, I first see the many caves in the wall and the storks nesting on top. But the real highlight is located in the town of Ifrane in the Middle Atlas at an altitude of 1600 meters and is called Michlifen Ifrane Suites & Spa. None other than the king's brother had this luxury hotel - originally designed as a ski resort - built in the Art Deco style. The 70 suites, the 3 restaurants and the 3500 square meter spa and pools are elegant and XXL. And the heated Berber tent, where we enjoy a special meal with a romantic oriental flair. We are simply surprised and delighted, because the next highlight awaits us at 1600 meters. Just 30 minutes away from this luxury resort, golf icon Jack Nicklaus has built his first North African 18-hole golf course in the middle of Ifrane National Park. And what can I say - only one year old, this course is already one of the top 100 courses in the world and will remain in every player's memory forever. Not only because of the great views of the Atlas Mountains, which the builder himself raves about: "With a breathtaking view of the Azrou plain, holes 9, 17 and 18 are the ones that allow most people to enjoy the beauty of the Michlifen landscape to the full". How true, his premiere in Africa was a great success and the professionals who played the "Open Michlifen" for the first time on their Pro Golf Tour also appreciate this.
After 30 km, day three takes us to Fes, where we finally have time for a guided tour of the medina. Unfortunately only briefly in the rain, because the next golf course is already waiting. We quickly see what the "Fassis" are so proud of: Their centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship, the oldest university and library in the world from the 9th century and the perfect Moorish architecture of the many Koran schools and mosques from the 13th century. We walk through the "Bab Bou Jeloud" gate, tiled in the color of the city in blue, and are promptly in the labyrinth of alleyways of Fès el Bali, the oldest quarter of the city, where donkey carts still make their way instead of mopeds. Around 13 kilometers south of the lively medina, we reach the "Royal Golf de Fès", whose 18 holes were designed by the American Cabell B. Robinson at the foot of the Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 700 meters. Normally, a round on this challenging course with its undulating fairways, five ponds, numerous bunkers and well-defended greens should be just the right way to relax after an extensive visit to the medina. Unfortunately, we only have the "pleasure" of a flying visit in the rain, but are treated to delicious food in the brand new clubhouse shortly before our departure. Our thanks for this interesting excursion go first and foremost to King Hassan II, one of the country's most committed golf patrons. It is thanks to his personal commitment to the game that Morocco can rightly call itself a "kingdom for golfers". And last but not least, Alexandra Gore from Spotlight-PR, who organized the group programme for us.
Further information:
marokko.de/staedte-kultur/
www.theviewhotelrabat.com
www.michlifen.com
www.golfreisen-marokko.de www.spotlightcoms.com/
