Trophée Hassan II: Morocco’s historic golf event and how to watch
- 09 October 2026
The Trophée Hassan II is a professional golf tournament founded in 1971 by King Hassan II and played on the Red course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. Since 2023 it has been a PGA Tour Champions event; the 50th edition was won by Australia’s Scott Hend in May 2026, and spectators got in free. The dates of the 2027 edition had not been announced when we checked on 9 October 2026.
Why the Hassan II Trophy was created
The tournament’s own history puts golf in Morocco back to 1914, but it was in 1971, at the urging of King Hassan II, a keen golfer, that the game took off with the creation of the Trophée Hassan II. The same year, Robert Trent Jones Sr. opened the Red course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, the layout that still hosts the event.
The organisers list Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Ernie Els, John Daly, José María Olazábal and Francesco Molinari among the players who have competed, along with plenty of names British and Irish golfers will know: Sam Torrance, Pádraig Harrington and Danny Willett. In 1993 a women’s event, the Coupe Lalla Meryem, was added, played the same week.
The key dates, as published by the tournament itself:
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1971 | King Hassan II creates the Trophée Hassan II |
| 1993 | Creation of the Coupe Lalla Meryem, the women’s event |
| 2002 | Creation of the Association du Trophée Hassan II, chaired by Prince Moulay Rachid |
| 2003 | Santiago Luna wins his third Trophée Hassan II, a record |
| 2010 | The Trophy joins the European Tour, the Coupe joins the Ladies European Tour |
| 2011 | The Trophy moves to Agadir, at the Golf du Palais Royal |
| 2016 | Both events return to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam |
| 2023 | First edition as a PGA Tour Champions event |
| 2026 | 50th Trophée Hassan II and 29th Coupe Lalla Meryem |
So the Trophy has not always been played in Rabat: it spent the years from 2011 to 2015 in Agadir before coming home in 2016. Since the move to the PGA Tour Champions, the field is made up of over-50s, and the PGA Tour Champions says the 2026 field included World Golf Hall of Fame members and major winners. The winners in that era: Stephen Ames (2023), Ricardo González (2024), Miguel Ángel Jiménez (2025) and Scott Hend (2026). The winner receives the Khanjar, the tournament’s emblematic trophy.
Where it is played: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam
Royal Golf Dar Es Salam lies about fifteen minutes from the centre of Rabat, on a 440-hectare estate in a cork oak forest, with 45 holes on three courses. The Red is the tournament course. Its signature holes are the 9th, a par 3 to a large island green, and the 11th, decorated with columns from Volubilis.
| Course | Holes, par, length | Handicap required | Caddie rule | Public green fee (club’s 2025 rates) | Role in tournament week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 18 holes, par 73, 6,702 m | Under 18 | One caddie per player, compulsory | 1,200 MAD (18 holes) | Trophée Hassan II |
| Blue | 18 holes, par 72, 6,205 m | Under 28 | One per player or per team of two or more | 850 MAD (18 holes) | Coupe Lalla Meryem |
| Green | 9 holes, par 32, 2,170 m | None published | One per game | 300 MAD (9 holes) | Hassan II Kids Cup in 2026 |
The club gives the Red as 6,702 metres; the tournament’s own site describes it as more than 6,800 metres after its upgrade, with redefined greens and rebuilt bunkers. Either way, with a handicap limit of 18 and a compulsory caddie for each player, it is a serious test, and the club describes it as intended for professionals.
How to watch the Trophée Hassan II
Dates. In 2026 the event week ran from 18 to 24 May, with the 54-hole Trophy itself played from 21 to 23 May. No date for 2027 had been published by the organisers or the PGA Tour when we checked, so do not book anything around the tournament until the dates are official.
Tickets. In 2026 entry to Royal Golf Dar Es Salam was free throughout the week of the Trophy and the Coupe. A free public car park was available on site, and free shuttles ran every ten minutes from car park P6 to the course entrance. The gates opened at 07:30. Check the organisers’ visitor page for the next edition, as arrangements can change.
On site. The 2026 edition had a tournament village with food stands, walking routes, entertainment and golf taster sessions for the public. Free entry and a field of famous names make it an easy professional event to watch at close quarters.
Weather. Rabat in May averages a high of 23.6°C and a low of 13.3°C, with fewer than three days of rain in the month (WMO 1991-2020 averages): comfortable for a day walking the course, but bring a layer for the morning.
Want to build a golf trip around the next Trophée Hassan II? We build the trip to measure: courses, tee times, accommodation and transfers.
The Coupe Lalla Meryem: the women's event
Morocco runs its men’s and women’s events side by side. The Coupe Lalla Meryem, created by King Hassan II in 1993 and part of the Ladies European Tour since 2010, is played the same week on the Blue course while the men play the Red. The 29th edition in 2026 was won by Canada’s Anna Huang. Past champions and players include Laura Davies, Gwladys Nocera, Nuria Iturrioz and Maja Stark, and Suzann Pettersen and Annika Sörenstam have both played it. Instead of a cup, the winner receives a jewelled minaudière, a small evening bag.
For a spectator, that means two professional events on one site, on the same ticket, which in 2026 was no ticket at all.
Playing Dar Es Salam yourself
Watching is free; playing is another matter. Outside tournament week the Red course is open to visitors who meet the handicap rule, at 1,200 MAD on the club’s 2025 public rates, which were still the rates displayed in October 2026. Practical points from the club’s rules:
- Bring proof of handicap: under 18 for the Red, under 28 for the Blue.
- Budget for a caddie for every player on the Red; the caddie rate on the 2025 grid is 200 MAD for 18 holes.
- Book a tee time: reservations are compulsory, at reception, by phone or online.
- Soft spikes only, no metal studs; no jeans, tracksuits or short shorts.
- The estate is closed on Mondays.
The tournament’s 2026 site names the Red for the men, the Blue for the women and the Green for the Kids Cup, so do not count on a round of your own at Dar Es Salam during tournament week. Plan your golf for the days either side, and use other courses nearby: Bahia Golf Beach at Bouznika publishes a 950 MAD green fee for 18 holes.
For a wider trip, you can combine Rabat with Marrakech, where we cover 13 courses. Our golf holidays in Marrakech run on one base and a different course each day, and our guide on when to play golf in Morocco covers the weather month by month.
Want to play the Red course, or combine Rabat with Marrakech? We build the trip to measure: courses, tee times, accommodation and transfers.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Trophée Hassan II played?
On the Red course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1971. The Trophy was played in Agadir from 2011 and returned to Rabat in 2016.
When is the next Trophée Hassan II?
The 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked on 9 October 2026. The 2026 edition was played from 21 to 23 May, within an event week running from 18 to 24 May.
How much are tickets for the Hassan II Trophy?
Entry was free in 2026, for the whole week of the Trophy and the Coupe Lalla Meryem, with free on-site parking and free shuttles from the P6 car park. Check the organisers’ visitor page for the next edition.
Who won the Trophée Hassan II in 2026?
Scott Hend of Australia won the 50th edition on 15 under par, 204, five shots ahead of Steven Alker and Tommy Gainey. Canada’s Anna Huang won the Coupe Lalla Meryem the same week.
Can I play the Red course at Dar Es Salam?
Yes, outside tournament week, if your handicap is under 18. A caddie is compulsory for each player, tee times must be booked, and the club’s 2025 public green fee for 18 holes is 1,200 MAD.
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