Women's golf in Marrakech: red tees, ladies' events and trip tips
- 15 October 2026
On the scorecards Marrakech clubs publish, the red tees measure between 4,662 and 5,190 over 18 holes (metres at Assoufid and Samanah), which is 71 to 77% of the length from the back tees. For competitive golf, the published 2026-27 season offers a ladies’ classification at the Marrakech Golf Festival (29 November to 6 December 2026) and, from 10 to 20 December 2026, Ladies European Tour Q-School on six of the city’s courses. What we did not find, on the clubs’ and the Moroccan federation’s pages, is a women-only competition open to visitors this season.
Women's golf events in Marrakech, 2026-27
On 15 October 2026 we went through the pages of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation (FRMG), the clubs and the event organisers. The FRMG describes its women’s club team event as one of 12 all-female competitions in its annual programme. The ones we found, though, are for licensed members of Moroccan clubs, not for a visiting golfer.
| Event | Published dates | Marrakech courses | For a visiting golfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marrakech Golf Festival (ladies’ classification, open to senior ladies) | 29/11 to 06/12/2026; entries close 30/10/2026 | PalmGolf Ourika, Palmeraie Golf, Noria, Amelkis, Akenza | Open to amateur men and women with a valid handicap |
| World Left-Handed Golf Championship (Ladies division) | 22 to 27/11/2026 | Al Maaden, Royal Golf Marrakech, Akenza, Samanah | Entries closed, according to the organiser |
| Ladies European Tour Q-School, Pre-Qualifier | 10 to 12/12/2026 | Noria, The Montgomerie, Samanah, Akenza | For players chasing an LET card; one to watch |
| Ladies European Tour Q-School, Final Qualifier (90 holes) | 16 to 20/12/2026 | Al Maaden, Royal Golf Marrakech | As above |
| FRMG women’s championships | January to October; Noria hosts the 18 June round (year not stated) | Noria | For licensed members of Moroccan clubs |
| FRMG women’s club team event (Open Féminin des Clubs) | 2024 edition: 19 and 20/10/2024; 2026-27 not published | Noria (2024) | Moroccan club teams |
Marrakech Golf Festival: the one ladies' classification you can enter
Run by a Marrakech-based travel company, the festival takes between 30 and 72 players, men and women, over five rounds of individual Stableford. Its 2026 rules set separate prizes for men and for ladies, gross and net; the organiser describes the event as open to men, ladies, senior men and senior ladies. Ladies play from the red tees with a playing handicap capped at 36.0, against 28.0 for men: a player above the cap can still enter and simply plays off the maximum. The green fees and social programme package costs 995 euros (about £840) per golfer. Entries close on 30 October 2026; the full schedule and conditions are in our guide to amateur golf tournaments in Marrakech.
Ladies European Tour Q-School in December
The Ladies European Tour has published its 2026 qualifying schedule, the Lalla Aicha Q-School. The Pre-Qualifier runs from 10 to 12 December 2026 over four courses: Noria Golf Club, The Montgomerie, Samanah and Akenza. The 90-hole Final Qualifier follows from 16 to 20 December at Al Maaden and Royal Golf Marrakech, with the final round at Al Maaden. Player entries close on 9 November 2026. The LET says nothing about spectator access, and if your trip falls in December we check with the clubs which tee times are still available on those dates.
The Lalla Meryem Cup, in Rabat
Morocco’s flagship women’s event is not played in Marrakech. Created in 1993 and on the Ladies European Tour since 2010, the Lalla Meryem Cup is held every year at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat; in 2026 it ran from 21 to 23 May, during Hassan II Trophy week.
Red tee lengths at Marrakech courses
The length you actually play changes everything: Samanah, 6,735 m from the blacks, measures 5,190 m from the reds. Five clubs publish a scorecard that gives the red tee length, and we read each one. The last column compares the reds with the furthest-back tees on the same card. Only Assoufid and Samanah state the unit (metres); we have kept the figures as published.
| Course | Red tees (18 holes) | Par | Published ladies’ rating | Reds vs back tees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samanah Golf Club | 5,190 m | 72 | SSS 73, slope 134 (not labelled men or women) | 77% (blacks 6,735 m) |
| Assoufid Golf Club | 4,966 m | 72 | Ladies’ slope 128 (reds), 135 (blues) | 77% (blacks 6,440 m) |
| Palm Golf Ourika | 4,784 (unit not stated on the card) | 72 | Not published | 72% (blacks 6,619) |
| Amelkis Golf Club | 4,662 to 4,808 depending on the two nines played (unit not stated) | 72 | Ladies’ SSS 69.3 to 70.1, slope 117 to 121 | 71% (blacks 6,564, Blue and Red nines) |
| Atlas Golf | 3,558 (nine holes played twice, 2016 card, unit not stated) | 66 | Not published | 75% (blacks 4,760) |
For Al Maaden, Royal Golf Marrakech, The Montgomerie, The Tony Jacklin, Noria, Akenza, Fairmont Royal Palm and Golf Club Rotana, we found no red tee length on the official pages we checked.
Three things stand out. Amelkis is the shortest published 18 from the reds, and the only club to publish a ladies’ SSS and slope for every combination of nines: its Red and Green combination, at slope 117, is the gentlest on the card. Assoufid publishes a ladies’ slope of 128 from the reds and 135 from the blues (5,483 m), so a strong player who wants the longer version knows what she is taking on. Samanah is the longest from the reds at 5,190 m, but it also has a purple tee at 4,443 m.
Want courses that suit the length you hit it? We build the trip to measure: courses, tee times, accommodation and transfers.
Reds, blues or purples: picking your tee
Of the scorecards we checked, only Samanah’s recommends a tee by ability and driving distance. For women it reads as follows:
| Handicap index | Driving distance shown | Recommended tee at Samanah | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladies 0 to 15.4 | 160 to 180 | Blue | 5,696 m |
| Ladies 15.5 to 36 | 140 to 160 | Red | 5,190 m |
| Ladies 37 to 53 | 120 to 140 | Purple | 4,443 m |
| Beginners | Under 120 | Orange | 2,632 m |
The club’s own wording is that you should tee off from the colour matching your level of play, your age and your gender or the length of your drive. In other words, the colour is not fixed by gender: a low-handicap woman can play the blues, a player off 37 to 53 the purples and a beginner the oranges. If you are in a mixed fourball, ask the starter which tees are in use that day.
Handicap, dress code and caddies: the rules that apply to women
Handicap
Two Marrakech courses set a written limit. Assoufid caps handicaps at 35 and asks for a certificate at reception before you pay the green fee. Fairmont Royal Palm restricts its course to players with a valid golf licence and a handicap of 28 or better. Neither limit distinguishes between men and women. A player off 30 can play Assoufid but not Royal Palm; off 36, neither. We found no published limit at the other clubs, but always pack your handicap certificate.
Dress code
Of the club rules we checked, Assoufid’s are the only ones that spell out what women should wear: traditional golf shirts with or without collars or sleeves, golf blouses, golf trousers, golf shorts or skirts no higher than 2 inches above the knee, and golf shoes. Other clubs’ rules and the full list of what is refused are in our article on handicap, dress code and caddies in Morocco.
Caddies
An FRMG circular dated 29 May 2025 requires caddies on every golf course in Morocco. Bring some dirhams in cash.
Locker rooms
Fairmont Royal Palm lists men’s and women’s locker rooms in its clubhouse. The other clubs do not describe their changing facilities online.
Lessons and academies: what clubs publish
Several Marrakech clubs have an academy: Samanah (Olivier Edmond’s academy), Assoufid (academy with golf pros), Noria (PGA professionals), Fairmont Royal Palm (private, semi-private and group sessions) and Royal Golf Marrakech (golf school). Madaëf Golfs, which runs Noria, lists the development of women’s golf among the four priorities of its academies. However, on 15 October 2026 we found no lesson or clinic on any official Marrakech site advertised as taught by a female professional, and no women-only course. If you would like to work with a female coach, it is a question for the club, and we can ask it for you. Our guide to golf lessons in Morocco compares the schools and their published prices.
Women travelling together in Marrakech: the official advice
The two governments we checked give similar advice. The UK Foreign Office (advice updated 19 August 2026) notes that women may receive unwanted attention in Morocco, especially when travelling alone. The French foreign ministry (security page updated 15 September 2026) goes slightly further, saying that women, particularly alone, are often the object of insistent attention that can amount to harassment, and it advises dress and behaviour that respect local customs.
The rest of the advice applies to everyone:
- In Marrakech and Casablanca, thieves on motorbikes snatch handbags and phones from pavements, so carry little cash and few valuables.
- Use official taxis, and agree the fare in advance or check the meter is running.
- Avoid deserted places at night.
- People posing as official guides are common in the medinas; a real guide carries an official badge.
On a golf trip, most of this is about getting around. A booked transfer between hotel and course avoids hailing taxis in the street, and staying on a golf resort cuts down on late-night journeys. Our guide to Marrakech golf hotels shows which resorts are really on a course.
Planning a ladies' golf trip
A trip with friends works like any group golf break, with two choices specific to women players. First, the courses, chosen on red tee length and each player’s handicap: Amelkis and Palm Golf Ourika for higher handicaps, Assoufid and Samanah for those who want a longer test or a published slope. Second, the dates: late November and early December bring both the amateur festival and Ladies European Tour Q-School. We build the trip to measure: courses, tee times, accommodation and transfers. Tell us how many players, their handicaps and your dates on our golf holidays in Marrakech page.
Planning a ladies’ golf trip to Marrakech? We build the trip to measure: courses, tee times, accommodation and transfers.
Frequently asked questions
How long are the red tees on Marrakech golf courses?
According to the published scorecards, 4,662 to 5,190 over 18 holes: Amelkis 4,662 to 4,808 depending on the nines, Palm Golf Ourika 4,784, Assoufid 4,966 m and Samanah 5,190 m. That is 71 to 77% of the length from the back tees.
Are there ladies' competitions open to visitors in Marrakech?
We found no women-only competition open to visitors published for 2026-27. The Marrakech Golf Festival, from 29 November to 6 December 2026, has a ladies’ classification, open to senior ladies, with handicaps capped at 36.0; entries close on 30 October 2026.
Can you watch the Ladies European Tour in Marrakech?
LET Q-School is played in Marrakech from 10 to 12 December 2026 (Noria, The Montgomerie, Samanah, Akenza) and from 16 to 20 December (Al Maaden and Royal Golf Marrakech). The LET does not publish spectator arrangements.
What handicap does a woman need to play golf in Marrakech?
The same limits as men: 35 maximum at Assoufid, 28 or better with a valid licence at Fairmont Royal Palm (club website offline on 16 October 2026). We found no published limit at the other clubs. Bring a handicap certificate.
Is Marrakech safe for a women's golf trip?
UK and French official advice warns that women, especially alone, may receive unwanted or insistent attention, and that bag and phone snatching happens in Marrakech. The French advice recommends official taxis, care at night and dress that respects local customs; the UK advice suggests agreeing taxi fares in advance.
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