Palmgolf Ourika

Overview: PalmGolf Marrakech Ourika is a desert-style 18-hole course south of Marrakech, with the Atlas Mountains forming the backdrop beyond broad, rolling fairways. Neil Haworth and Stéphane Talbot designed the layout around a semi-desert landscape, using sculptural waste bunkers, planted olive trees, palms and cypresses to shape the playing corridors. The course is par 72 and measures 6,692 metres, approximately 7,323 yards, from the longest listed markers. Generous fairways invite a confident start, but sandy expanses, lakes and the contours around the greens reward careful club selection and an ability to control both direction and trajectory.

History: PalmGolf Marrakech Ourika opened to public play in 2015 as the second PalmGolf Morocco course developed by Palmeraie Development Group and operated by Troon. The architects inherited a largely flat site and created movement through shaping, planting and the placement of sand and water. Its opening added a modern desert option to Marrakech’s growing golf circuit, complementing older parkland courses while making the Atlas view part of the course’s identity.

Did You Know? The 17th is the signature visual hole, with an island green surrounded by sand rather than a conventional water moat. The design team used that contrast to make the hole look like a desert oasis: the target is green, the hazard is pale sand, and the mountain horizon sits behind the shot.