Royal Golf Dar es Salam

Hassan II was a serious golfer and commissioned Robert Trent Jones Senior to build a course in the cork oak forest of Zaers outside Rabat; it opened in 1971 with a Red course, a Blue and a shorter Green added, and the Trophée Hassan II has been played on the Red since that year, making it one of the longer-running tournaments in Africa. The Red is the one that matters: about 6,700 metres from the back tees, cut as corridors through mature cork oak so that the trees are the defence on almost every hole, with water on several and a par-three island green at the ninth that is the signature. The forest keeps it cool and quiet and the birdlife is substantial. It is open to visitors with a booking and green fees are high by Moroccan standards. Morocco has a considerable golf infrastructure built on royal patronage, of which this is the origin.

History

King Hassan II wanted a flagship 36-hole complex in the capital, and a 440-hectare estate in a cork oak forest was chosen; designed by Robert Trent Jones with Cabell Robinson, it opened in 1971. The Red Course has hosted the Trophée Hassan II since then, an invitational event until it joined the European Tour in 2001, and it was redesigned in 2017-2018 by James Duncan (Wikipedia, Royal Golf Dar Es Salam).

What you'll find

• Corridors through cork oak - mature forest as the defence on nearly every hole.
• A 1971 Trent Jones design - built on royal commission and unchanged in character.
• The island green - the par three that is the course's signature.
• A continuous tournament - the Hassan II Trophy played here since the course opened.

When to go

October to May; summer is hot even under the trees. A day.

Things to know

Booking is required and green fees are high. Dress code is enforced. Tournament weeks close the Red course to visitors. It is outside the city and needs a car.

Nearby

Rabat is north-west; the Zaers forest continues south.

Key facts