Assoufid Golf Club Review

Father and son duo Kevin and Freddie Paver recently enjoyed a memorable trip to Morocco where they had the opportunity to play several of the leading golf courses in the country. Starting with Assoufid Golf Club, the guys review the course for us, which you can access yourself through our travel partners Golfbreaks.

If you want to see more of Freddie's adventures in the game - you can follow him on TikTok.

Just 20 minutes drive from the old town of Medina, lies the wonderful Assoufid Golf Club. A relatively new course, designed by the former European Tour player Niall Cameron and opened in 2014. His aim when creating Assoufid was to deliver a course that had a classic desert-style but also felt natural with the surroundings. And what a great job he did! The course is surrounded by hundreds of trees ranging from olive, palm and also cacti. Cameron also cleverly took advantage of the undulating terrain he was presented with, using the hills, and the large areas of sand and rock.

Pre-Round Thoughts

Once you have made your way through the busy streets of Marrakech, you arrive at Assoufid and are quickly greeted by the golf team who will take your clubs ahead of your round. As you make your way into the clubhouse, you’ll quickly get a feel for how modern this venue is. With some fantastic modern art dressing the walls, a stunning large restaurant and terrace, you could easily be in a high end venue in the city. Make sure you book in for some food before or after your round and enjoy cuisine from their award winning chef.

Once you have checked in at the pro shop, you can head down to the first tee. As you walk down to the first tee, and past the terrace overlooking the course, you get your first glance of what is to come.

Front 9 Overview

The front nine begins with a tricky 1st hole. A par 4 playing 380 yards from the white tees, with many bunkers strategically placed to gobble up your ball. If you’ve not had a practice before your round, be wary of the super quick greens. Walking away with a par on the first will certainly ease the nerves!

The 2nd and 3rd holes are significantly easier, preparing you for the 4th. One of the many incredible holes on this golf course, playing 393 yards it requires a large uphill carry over a dune just to reach the fairway. There are also two cleverly placed fairway bunkers to catch both short and longer hitters. You then play up to an elevated two tiered green that is framed by the Atlas Mountains behind.

The par 5 8th hole gives the longer hitter a great chance of birdie. A dogleg right to left gives you a chance to cut the corner. But, if you don’t have the distance, you’ll have a difficult shot from the desert! Reaching the green in two is no easy task, with a green well protected by three large bunkers.

Back 9 Overview

The back nine begins with a bang. The 387 yard 10th hole has a left to right dogleg with a large desert ditch running alongside the fairway. You really need to choose your club wisely as it all runs down towards it (you definitely don’t want to be in it!). You can’t get too aggressive with your second shot either as there are multiple trees blocking the green. If you haven’t made it far enough down the fairway, the safer play is to play out to the right which leaves a simple chip to the green.

The par 5 14th is a real beauty. Playing 472 yards with a fairway split by palm trees, leaving you with a decision to make. Play up the left and have a longer shot but a better look at the green, or go to the right, which leaves a shorter shot in, that could leave you blocked out by more large palm trees. Whichever way you decide, you will be finishing on a tight green with large bunkers to the left. A fantastic but tough hole.

15 and 16 are both shorter par 4s that give some great birdie chances before getting to the signature 17th. This was my favourite hole on the golf course. From an elevated tee 50m above the green, you can see every hazard that could catch you out. Measuring 147 yards (but playing a club less) you have a large green to aim at. But… be mindful of the bunkers front and back that guard it quite brilliantly. Before you hit your shot, just take a moment and enjoy the views of the stunning Atlas Mountains that frame the hole. It’s definitely one to remember.

Finally, you make it to the 18th. A strong finishing hole, with a left to right dogleg. By this point in the round, this 389 yard hole shouldn’t present you with too many problems. Playing your second shot towards the green with the terrace watching from behind does add a little pressure, but you do have a good chance to finish with a par.

Verdict

Assoufid Golf Club is a fantastic golf course and it’s no surprise that it has won so many awards. It really tests your ability and the choice of tees available allow all levels of golfers to enjoy it. The condition of the course was exceptional, and the greens were particularly fast and very true.

No matter how you play, you will still enjoy your round because of the views. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Atlas Mountains provide such a stunning backdrop.

If you are in Marrakech and looking for some golf, Assoufid is definitely one you should be playing.

For more information, please visit https://www.assoufid.com/en/home/.