Marrakech or the Algarve? What actually changes
- 14 September 2026
If you already know the Algarve, you know what a golf destination is supposed to feel like: one base, a short drive to a different course each morning, and a season that runs when home is cold. Marrakech works the same way. What changes is not the format — it is the golf, the price of the day, and what happens when you put the clubs away.
This page does not try to tell you what the Algarve costs; you know that better than we do. It tells you precisely what Marrakech is, so you can hold the two side by side.
One base, fourteen courses
This is the part people do not expect. Marrakech has fourteen courses, nearly all within about thirty minutes of the city: Assoufid, Amelkis, Al Maaden, Samanah, Royal Golf Marrakech, Atlas Golf, Noria, Oasis, Palm Golf Ourika, Rotana, Argan Golf Resort, Fairmont Royal Palm, The Montgomerie and Golf Akenza.
You can play a different course every day for a week and sleep in the same bed. No other Moroccan city comes close — Agadir has four, and everywhere else has one or two. If you have read that “Morocco” is a golf destination, the honest version is that Marrakech is one, and the rest of the country is a series of good days out.
The names on the scorecards
You will recognise the architects. Kyle Phillips laid out Al Maaden. Nicklaus Design is here. Tony Jacklin’s name is on Argan. Gary Player designed at Mogador on the coast. These are not municipal courses dressed up for tourists — they are the same signature work you would be paying for anywhere.
The caddie, and why it changes the round
Here is the difference you will feel on the first tee. In Morocco the caddie is usually included in the green fee, and at some clubs is compulsory. That is not how European golf normally works.
What it means in practice: you walk, someone who plays that course every day carries your bag and reads your line, and you tip them 100 to 150 MAD (£8–12 / €9–14) at the end. A buggy is a separate 200 to 400 MAD (£16–32 / €18–37) and most people do not bother outside summer. It is a more sociable round than you are used to, and usually a better-scored one.
The season is the inverse of yours
Marrakech sits at 18–24 °C through the middle of the day in December and January, with little rain. That is the high season here, precisely because it is not at home. March and April are better still — 20–25 °C, courses at their greenest — and it is the window that books out first.
The trade is summer. June to August, Marrakech reaches the mid-thirties and beyond; you tee off at seven or you do not play. If your holidays fall in July, this is not your destination — the coast or the Atlas is, and that is a different trip. Full detail in our month-by-month guide.
Green fees, in the one currency we can vouch for
We will not put a number on the Algarve. What we can tell you is what Marrakech charges: 600 to 1,200 MAD a round (£47–95 / €55–110) in high season at the courses above, dropping 30 to 50 % in summer. Compare that against whatever you paid last time — the arithmetic is yours to do, and it is usually the reason people try Morocco once and come back.
Our green fee guide breaks it down by city, and the week-long budget prices the whole trip line by line.
What you do on the days you don't play
This is where the two destinations genuinely diverge, and it is worth being honest about it. The Algarve gives you the Atlantic, good restaurants and an easy, familiar rhythm. Marrakech gives you something less restful and more memorable: a medina that has been trading for a thousand years, the High Atlas within an hour, and the stone desert of Agafay about the same.
If you are travelling with people who do not play, that matters more than any green fee. A non-golfer has a considerably fuller week in Marrakech than beside a course.
The practical differences, plainly
You fly to Marrakech Menara and you are on a course in half an hour. No visa for UK or EU passports. Currency is the dirham — cards work, but carry cash for caddies and clubhouses. Club staff work in French and generally English. A handicap certificate is rarely asked for, occasionally at the championship venues. Dress code is what you would expect: collared shirt, no denim, soft spikes.
One thing to know that has no Algarve equivalent: Ramadan, which in 2026 runs 19 February to 19 March. Courses stay open and you play normally; clubhouse catering is reduced during daylight and the staff around you are fasting. Our booking guide covers it.
Who should not come
If you want to walk from the hotel to the first tee and never think about a car, a purpose-built resort does that better. If you travel in July and August, go somewhere cooler. If the point of the holiday is familiarity, Marrakech will be work.
If you want fourteen courses off one base, signature architecture at a fraction of what you are used to paying, a caddie on every round, and a city worth the flight on its own — that is the case for Marrakech, and it is a strong one.
Frequently asked questions
How many golf courses are there in Marrakech?
Fourteen, nearly all within about thirty minutes of the city centre, which is what makes Marrakech a single-base golf destination rather than a country you tour.
Is the golf in Marrakech good, or just cheap?
Both. The architects include Kyle Phillips, Nicklaus Design and Tony Jacklin, and the conditioning in winter and spring is at its best exactly when European courses are not.
When should I go?
December to April for warmth when home is cold; March and April for the best playing conditions of the year. Avoid July and August in the city itself.
Do I need a caddie?
You will usually have one, included in the green fee, and at some clubs it is compulsory. Budget 100–150 MAD as a tip per round.
Is it a good trip for a mixed group of golfers and non-golfers?
Better than most golf destinations. The medina, the Atlas and the Agafay desert are all within an hour, so the non-players have a real holiday rather than a wait.
Plan your golf trip in Morocco
Courses, dates, number of players: tell us what you have in mind and we come back with a proposal. We answer in English.