Gary Player Design to Remodel Morocco's Royal Golf de Marrakech


Gary Player Design will handle the upgrade and redesign of the 27-hole Royal Golf de Marrakech in Morocco.

"This is going to be a really fun and interesting project." said Player."We visited Morocco earlier this year and spent time at the Royal Golf de Marrakech golf course. It is a beautiful property and I am honored to have been chosen as the designer for this project. Morocco is a wonderful country and I am really looking forward to returning on a regular basis as the design plan progresses."

Royal Golf de Marrakech was founded in 1923 by the Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Hadj Glaoui Mezouari and is considered to be one of the finest golf properties in Morocco. Towering eucalyptus and cypress trees line the fairways and there are stunning views of the Atlas Mountains throughout the course. Over the years the facility has hosted the likes of President Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George and was one of His Majesty King Hassan II's favorite courses.

With an eye on hosting the 2013 Hassan II Trophy tournament, now a European Tour event, the operators of Royal Golf de Marrakech wanted to create a championship course capable of testing the best golfers in the world. "The course as it is right now is quite nice, but with the changes in club and ball technology over the years some of the holes are too short for championship play." said Marc Player, CEO of the Player Group.

"Our plan is to protect the integrity of the existing course and incorporate modern design techniques with special attention being paid to environmental sensitivity. We are respecting existing corridors and trees as much as possible, but updating the course by adding length where possible, repositioning tees, re-contouring greens and fairways, improving visibility, introducing strategic elements, and implementing today's technology in terms of drainage, irrigation and maintenance techniques. The final course will be playable for all levels of golfers and present a stiff challenge for professionals playing from the back tees." added Scott Ferrell, president of Gary Player Design.

Upon completion, the venue will feature an 18-hole championship-caliber layout and another nine holes. The championship 18 will be built with enough flexibility that it will feature tournament tees as well as other blocks to offer different lengths and angles of play. The renovations and upgrades will be phased-in to keep one nine-hole track open for member play.

For more information about Royal Golf De Marrakech visit www.royalgolfmarrakech.com.