MOROCCO
MAGICAL MARRAKECH
In the late afternoon we visit the
center of stunning and exotic Marrakech, founded more than 1,000 years ago with its distinctive ochre ramparts, Andalusia- inspired arches, souq marketplaces and distinctive skyline of mosques set against the majestic snow-capped High Atlas Mountains. We get thoroughly lost in the souqs of
the medina, where labyrinthine passage- ways and lanes seethe with a human tide of endlessly streaming humanity. Cov- ered bazaars are crammed with fruit and spice stalls and workshops of every kind with artisans at work fashioning slippers, weaving rugs, dyeing textiles and ham- mering metals. In the heart of the city is the world
famous Djemaa el-Fna, a town square named by UNESCO as part of Human- ity’s Universal Heritage. This cultural and artistic crossroads is used not only as a meeting place for local people, but also for storytellers, acrobats, musicians, healers, fortune tellers, magic potion sell- ers and snake charmers. We grab a prime seat and a chilled drink at Le Grand Bal- con overlooking the square and watch the drama unfold—frantic non-stop activity that overloads the senses. As the orange sun travels across the
sky and the minarets and palms gradually fall into silhouettes, chefs begin to cart in the makings of some 100 food stalls and before long the aroma of barbecued meats, kebabs, meatballs and harira (a thick soup of meats, garbanzos, tomatoes and lentils) fills the air. When the sun finally sets, all the music in the medina ceases for one of the most evocative of travel sounds, the muezzin’s call to prayer. Soon, another muezzin in another mosque starts up, then another and another until the entire city is filled with these fervent sounds. In addition to street eats, Marrakech
offers some wonderful fine-dining op- portunities at palace restaurants most of which are converted riads (a traditional house or palace with an interior garden). Part of the charm of these places is that they are difficult to locate. The tajine is one of Morocco’s most
58 NCGA Golf SPRING 2010
famous dishes and the name refers to the conical-lidded pot in which it is prepared, as well as the intricately spiced stew of meat and vegetables, sometimes with dried fruits and nuts, cooked very slowly over a charcoal fire.
Golf under the Atlas Mountains
Moroccan golf courses are renowned
for their visual appeal and the 27 holes at the Amelkis Golf Club, a short car ride from our hotel through olive groves and orange trees, may be one of the most eye- catching and exciting to play. Located at the foot of the ever present Atlas Moun- tains, the Amelkis owes its name to the queen of a Berber tribe in the Atlas. Designed by Cabell B.Robinson this
is an expansive course with undulat- ing fairways, seductively mounded and heavily bunkered, to say nothing of the lakes, fountains and the unique waste bunkers created from crushed rock whose color complements the landscape. The large greens are relatively easy to find, but three putts are not unusual. The Amelkis’ next-door neighbor is
the Marrakech Royal Golf Club cre- ated in the 1923 by the Pacha of Mar- rakech and the second oldest course in Morocco. Throughout the club’s history distinguished players such as Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George, Ike Eisenhower and his late Majesty King Hassan II have trodden its fairways and greens. This is a course that suits all levels
of ability, and the main attraction here is the lush setting with fairways lined with standing cypress, eucalyptus, olive, orange, apricot and palm trees. A new addition of nine holes in 2008 called the Menara now complements the original two nines (the Koutoubia and Agdal). On the Menara nine look out for the
526-yard par 5 fourth that plays over a pool of water, that’s an exact replica of the Menara of Marrakech, bordered by hundreds of olive trees and ending with a superbly defended dogleg. Standing on the tee of this unique hole, we’re in two minds whether to pull out the driver or change into our swimming trunks. This trio of established layouts will
soon be joined by two new exciting 18-hole developments that will make Marrakech the Moroccan city offering
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