# Golf holidays

In Dubai, Sabaro recommends a beach resort near the Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates, which host two European tour events every winter; in Egypt, Sabaro selects hotels built on their own course, in Soma Bay, El Gouna, Makadi and Marassi, for winter golf in the sun; in Morocco, resorts in Marrakesh, Rabat, Taghazout and Ifrane, next to courses by Robert Trent Jones, Cabell B. Robinson or Jack Nicklaus. In Tunisia, golf is played from autumn to spring, from Tabarka to Djerba, at hotels with their own course or a few minutes from one.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/themes/golf/

A golf trip to Egypt and a golf trip to Morocco are organised differently. In Egypt, you choose a hotel built in the middle of its course, on the Red Sea, and play every day without getting into a car. In Morocco, you choose a city, Marrakesh above all, and play several neighbouring courses during the week. In Dubai, you stay by the beach and reach two championship clubs in a quarter of an hour, home to two European tour events. All three destinations share a mild winter, which makes October to April the golf season for Europeans.

## Egypt: the hotel in the middle of the course

On the Red Sea, the courses were laid out at the same time as the resorts, and the hotels in Sabaro's selection open straight onto the fairways.

- **Soma Bay** has two courses. The Cascades course, designed by Gary Player and opened in 1998, is a par 72 with several holes along the sea; Hidden Coves, by the British architect Tim Lobb, is opening in stages. The wind, present almost every day, is part of the game.
- **El Gouna** also has two courses: the Steigenberger Golf Resort course, by Gene Bates and Fred Couples, and Ancient Sands, by Karl Litten, whose lagoons act as water hazards. At the Steigenberger, 18 holes cost hotel guests €85 from October to April and €50 from May to September, and a handicap of 45 or less is required in winter.
- **Makadi**, south of Hurghada, combines a championship course by John Sanford with the Steigenberger Makadi, a 93-room hotel for guests aged 16 and over: the choice for couples and golfing friends who want peace and quiet.
- **Marassi**, on the Mediterranean coast west of Alexandria, surrounds the Address Marassi Golf Resort, a 48-room hotel beside an 18-hole course designed by Peter Harradine's firm. Here spring and autumn suit better than summer, when the north coast fills up.

Around Cairo, Madinaty and Allegria let you add a round to a cultural stay; Sharm el-Sheikh has the Jolie Ville course.

| Course | Location | Holes | Architect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascades | Soma Bay | 18, par 72 | Gary Player |
| Hidden Coves | Soma Bay | 18 (holes 10–18 open, 1–9 due late 2026) | Tim Lobb |
| Steigenberger Golf | El Gouna | 18, par 72 | Gene Bates and Fred Couples |
| Ancient Sands | El Gouna | 18 | Karl Litten |
| Madinat Makadi | Makadi Bay | 18, par 72 | John Sanford |
| Marassi | North coast | 18 | Peter Harradine |
| Madinaty Golf Club | New Cairo | 18 | Robert Trent Jones Jr. |
| The Allegria | Sheikh Zayed (Giza) | 18, par 72 | Greg Norman |
| Jolie Ville | Sharm el-Sheikh | 18, par 72 | Sanford Golf Design |

## Morocco: one city, several courses

Morocco has around forty courses spread over seven regions, according to the Moroccan National Tourist Office. The first greens were laid out in Tangier in 1914; the large-scale golf programme began in the early 1970s under King Hassan II, and the Hassan II Trophy is played at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat.

**Marrakesh** has most of the courses: a dozen between the Palmeraie and the Ourika road. You stay on one course and play the others. The Fairmont Royal Palm sits in the middle of its own, a par 72 by Cabell B. Robinson facing the Atlas, open to licensed players with a handicap of 28 or less; its packages add the Noria and Assoufid. Amanjena is next to Amelkis, 27 holes, and its "Golf Break" package also includes the Royal Golf and a round at Assoufid. At Club Med La Palmeraie, a 9-hole pitch and putt and a driving range are a place to start. Sabaro's trip idea "Golf in Marrakech in 7 days" organises three courses in a week.

**Rabat** has Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, 45 holes on three courses by Robert Trent Jones, beside which the Ritz-Carlton opened in 2024.

**Agadir and Taghazout** offer winter golf by the ocean: three courses around Agadir and, at Taghazout Bay, the Tazegzout course, designed by Kyle Phillips, with holes perched on 80 m cliffs above the Atlantic. The Fairmont Taghazout Bay is five minutes away.

**Ifrane**, in the Middle Atlas, offers the opposite: a course at 1,650 m among cedars and holm oaks, Jack Nicklaus's first in North Africa, at the Michlifen hotel. You play in the cool in summer, when Marrakesh goes above 37 °C.

| Course | City | Holes | Architect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Golf Dar Es Salam | Rabat | 45 | Robert Trent Jones Sr |
| The Montgomerie Rabat | Sidi Bouknadel | 18 | Colin Montgomerie |
| Royal Golf Marrakech | Marrakesh | 27 | Arnaud Massy |
| PalmGolf Marrakech Palmeraie | Marrakesh | 27 | Robert Trent Jones Sr |
| Amelkis | Marrakesh | 27 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| Al Maaden | Marrakesh | 18 | Kyle Phillips |
| Assoufid | Marrakesh | 18 | Niall Cameron |
| Noria | Marrakesh | 18 | Steve Forrest |
| Royal Palm | Marrakesh | 18 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| The Montgomerie Marrakech | Marrakesh | 18 | Colin Montgomerie |
| The Tony Jacklin Marrakech | Marrakesh | 27 | Tony Jacklin |
| PalmGolf Ourika | Marrakesh | 18 | N. Haworth and S. Talbot |
| Golf de Mogador | Essaouira | 18 | Gary Player |
| Tazegzout | Taghazout | 18 | Kyle Phillips |
| Golf du Soleil | Agadir | 36 | Muela and Courbin |
| Golf de l'Océan | Agadir | 27 | Belt Collins |
| Golf des Dunes | Agadir | 27 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| Mazagan Golf Club | El Jadida | 18 | Gary Player |
| Royal Golf El Jadida | El Jadida | 18 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| Bahia Golf Beach | Bouznika | 18 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| Casa Green | Casablanca | 18 | Jeremy Pern |
| Royal Golf Fez | Fez | 18 | Cabell B. Robinson |
| Oued Fez | Fez | 18 | Jonathan Gaunt |
| Michlifen | Ifrane | 18 | Jack Nicklaus |
| Royal Golf de Tangier | Tangier | 18 | Cotton & Pennink |
| Cabo Negro | Tetouan | 18 | Hawtree & Sons |
| Al Houara | Tangier-Assilah | 27 | Graham Marsh and Vijay Singh |
| Lacs Golf Saidia | Saidia | 18 | F. Segalés |
| Teelal Saidia | Saidia | 18 | N. Joakimides |

## Dubai: the beach and two tournament clubs

In Dubai, Sabaro recommends staying at a beach resort in the [Marina](/en/dubai/dubai-marina/) and playing the nearby courses. Two clubs each host an event on the DP World Tour, the European professional golf tour.

**The Emirates Golf Club** is 8 km and 13 minutes from [Banyan Tree Dubai](/en/hotels/banyan-tree-dubai/), according to the hotel, and Al Fardan Exchange station on the metro's Red Line is right outside its entrance. It has two 18-hole, par-72 courses: the Majlis, its flagship, and the Faldo, opened in 1996. There is also a par-3 nine-hole course, an academy and Topgolf. The Majlis hosts the [Hero Dubai Desert Classic](/en/events/dubai-desert-classic/), founded in 1989 and the region's longest-running professional tournament, from 21 to 24 January 2027; general admission costs AED 85 (UAE dirhams) in advance, about €20.

**Jumeirah Golf Estates** has two courses designed by Greg Norman, Earth and Fire. Earth hosts the [DP World Tour Championship](/en/events/dp-world-tour-championship/), the season finale for the top 50 in the rankings, from 12 to 15 November 2026 and then from 11 to 14 November 2027; entry is free on Thursday with registration, and always free for under-18s.

**On the Creek**, the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club adjoins the [Park Hyatt Dubai](/en/hotels/park-hyatt-dubai/), which gives its guests access to the driving range and putting green; the hotel is closed for renovation and plans to reopen in the first quarter of 2027.

| Course | Club | Of note |
|---|---|---|
| Majlis | Emirates Golf Club | 18 holes, par 72, 7,301 yards; Hero Dubai Desert Classic, in January |
| Faldo | Emirates Golf Club | 18 holes, par 72, 7,052 yards; opened in 1996 |
| Earth | Jumeirah Golf Estates | Greg Norman; DP World Tour Championship, in November |
| Fire | Jumeirah Golf Estates | Greg Norman |
| Dubai Creek | Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club | Next to the Park Hyatt, on the Creek |

A golf week in Dubai fits November, for the tour finale, or January, for the Desert Classic. The [Dubai Marina](/en/dubai/dubai-marina/) page presents the district's hotels.

## Before you go

- **The season.** In Hurghada, the average high is 22.2 °C in January and 37.5 °C in August; in Marrakesh, 19.1 °C in January and 37.7 °C in July. From October to April you can play at any time of day; in summer Sabaro recommends the first tee time of the morning. Agadir stays around 27 °C in summer, thanks to the trade winds. In Dubai, the average high ranges from 24.4 °C in January to 41.9 °C in August: play from October to April.
- **Handicap.** Bring your licence and proof of handicap: several courses ask for them at the first tee, such as the Royal Palm in Marrakesh or, in winter, the Steigenberger course in El Gouna. Beginners go through the academies found at most courses in the selection.
- **The non-golfer.** Almost all the golf hotels in the selection have a spa and a beach or a large pool: thalassotherapy at The Cascades, a 3,500 m² spa at the Michlifen, a beach a few minutes away by shuttle at Makadi, a 500 m private beach and a spa at Banyan Tree Dubai.

## Tunisia: golf and thalassotherapy by the sea

Tunisia has golf courses all along its coast, from Tabarka to Djerba. The season runs from autumn to spring, and the green fees recorded range from about €24 to €112 for 18 holes. The guide [Golf and thalassotherapy in Tunisia](/en/guides/golf-thalasso-tunisie/) presents the courses.

**Near Tunis.** In Gammarth, [The Residence Tunis](/en/hotels/the-residence-tunis/) has its own 18-hole course, designed by the American architect Robert Trent Jones II between the sea and a salt lake, with a golf academy, as well as a thalassotherapy centre. Carthage and Sidi Bou Said are close by ([the region](/en/tunisia/carthage-sidi-bou-said/)).

**[Tabarka](/en/tunisia/tabarka/).** [La Cigale](/en/hotels/la-cigale-tabarka/) has a par-72, 6,306-metre 18-hole course at the foot of the hotel, opened in 1992, winding between forest and sea. The course is closed to bookings on some tournament days, including 24 and 25 October 2026.

**Port El Kantaoui and Djerba.** Near [Sousse](/en/tunisia/sousse/), the [Iberostar Selection Diar el Andalous](/en/hotels/iberostar-selection-diar-el-andalous/) is next to the 36-hole Port El Kantaoui golf course. On [Djerba](/en/tunisia/djerba/), Djerba Golf Club is a few minutes' drive from the [Radisson Blu Palace](/en/hotels/radisson-blu-palace-djerba/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Where can I play golf in Egypt?

Mainly on the Red Sea, in Soma Bay, El Gouna and Makadi, where the hotels are built on the courses. Around Cairo, Madinaty and Allegria round off a cultural stay; Marassi, on the Mediterranean coast, suits spring and autumn.

### Where can I play golf in Dubai?

At the Emirates Golf Club, with the Majlis and the Faldo, at Jumeirah Golf Estates, with Greg Norman's Earth and Fire courses, and at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. From the Marina, the Emirates Golf Club is about 13 minutes away.

### Can I watch a tournament in Dubai?

Yes: the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, from 21 to 24 January 2027 at the Emirates Golf Club, and the DP World Tour Championship, from 12 to 15 November 2026 and then 11 to 14 November 2027 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

### Which hotels have on-site golf?

In Egypt, The Cascades in Soma Bay, the Steigenberger Golf Resort and Ancient Sands in El Gouna, the Steigenberger Makadi, for guests aged 16 and over, and the Address Marassi. In Morocco, the Fairmont Royal Palm in Marrakesh and the Michlifen in Ifrane; Amanjena, the Ritz-Carlton in Rabat and the Fairmont Taghazout Bay are next to a neighbouring course.

### Which season for golf?

October to April on the Red Sea, in Marrakesh and in Dubai. In summer, play early in the morning; Ifrane, at 1,650 m, and the Atlantic coast stay cooler.

### Where can you play golf in Tunisia?

At The Residence Tunis in Gammarth and La Cigale in Tabarka, which each have their own 18-hole course; at Port El Kantaoui, near Sousse, and on Djerba, on courses a few minutes from the hotels. The season runs from autumn to spring.