Royal Golf Dar Es Salam

33°55′01″N 6°49′52″W / 33.917°N 6.831°W / 33.917; -6.831LocationRabat, MoroccoEstablished1971Total holes45Events hostedTrophée Hassan II
Lalla Meryem CupWebsiteroyalgolfdaressalam.comRed CourseDesigned byRobert Trent Jones
Cabell RobinsonPar73Length6,980 m Blue CourseDesigned byRobert Trent Jones
Cabell RobinsonPar72Length6,467 m Green CoursePar64Length4,340 m

Royal Golf Dar Es Salam is a golf club located in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. It has hosted tournaments on the European Tour, Ladies European Tour, Asian Tour and PGA Tour Champions.

History

The late King Hassan II wanted to build a flagship 36-hole complex in Morocco's capital, Rabat. A sandy, tree-lined property with a rolling contour was chosen, and the 440 hectare domain in the heart of a cork oak forest became Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (House of Peace). Designed by Robert Trent Jones and his long-time European-based associate, Cabell Robinson, it opened in 1971. According to the journal Golf Course Architecture, the Red Course is a strong contender for the title of best course by Jones.[1]

The Red Course is arguably the best known tournament course in Morocco, having hosted the Trophée Hassan II since it opened. It was ranked among the World's Top 100 courses as recently as the early 1990s.[2] It was redesigned in 2017–2018 by James Duncan, a long-time associate with Coore and Crenshaw design, focused on tree removal, bunker reconstruction and green enlargement.[1]

Before the Hassan II Golf Trophy became a European Tour event in 2001 it was held on an invitational basis from 1971. Past winners include Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Vijay Singh, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie and Ernie Els.[3]

Tournaments hosted

Tour Tournament Year(s)
European Tour Moroccan Open 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001[4]
European Tour Trophée Hassan II 2001–2019
Ladies European Tour Lalla Meryem Cup 2010–
Pro Golf Tour Open Dar Es Salam 2015
Challenge Tour Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour 2019
Asian Tour International Series Morocco 2022, 2024
PGA Tour Champions Trophy Hassan II 2023–

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Lawrence, Adam (4 September 2018). "Reborn and brutal: Royal Golf Dar Es Salam's Red course". Golf Course Architecture. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Royal Golf Dar Es Salam". Planet Golf. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  3. ^ Shipnuck, Alan (18 November 1996). "Toast of the casbah a merry band went all the way to Morocco to find a tournament fit for a king". Sports Illustrated. United States. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Tournament results: Moroccan Open". Where2Golf. Retrieved 3 October 2021.

External links

  • Official website