Islamic Geometric Ornament: The 12 Point Islamic Star. 4: Alternate TIlings, Square Repeats.
unspoilt beauty ofSunday Star, 12 July 2015 42 TeeUp Sunday Star, TeeUp 43 A general view of the...
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SUNDAY STAR, 12 JULY 2015 42 TeeUp SUNDAY STAR, 12 JULY 2015 TeeUp 43 A general view of the Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech. At dusk the square comes alive and is packed with thousands of people who come to eat and enjoy the panoramic terraces. Unspoilt beauty of Morocco This north African nation has some fine courses, coupled with loads to do for the whole family Mazagan Golf Club The golf club is part of the sprawling Mazagan Beach Resort located at El Jadida on the Mediterranean coast. Designed by Gary Player, it features a true links-style experience, somewhat akin to playing golf in Scotland. With a total length of 6,885m, it’s the longest golf course in Morocco and probably one of the toughest. Other than the deep and strategically placed bunkers, the tricky wind conditions are an ever-present hazard. Several tee-off options give all skill levels of golfers the chance to enjoy their game. Royal Golf Mohammedia Most of the fairways of the Royal Mohammedia in the port city of Mohammedia, are located on the seashore. On it’s first nine holes, the side winds and the severity of its roughs require long and accurate shots. Designed in 1930 and revamped by Hugues Lambert, the holes run through avenues of pine and eucalyptus trees, progressing to a more links-like terrain with small dunes and tumbling fairways. The golf club is about a 45-minute drive from Casablanca. Golf de Mogador What a golf course! Designed by Gary Player, dunes replace bunkers and each natural element contributes to enhancing the beauty of the stroll and the intensity of the game. This course is a smart combination of holes on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, close to the 16th century town of Essaouira. The most difficult hole on the course is kept for the very last. The par-4 18th plays to a very long 408m and is protected by a cluster of fairway bunkers and a fall-away green. Marrakech Golf Club – Assoufid A brilliantly laid out course with a variety of holes that will test your shot-making abilities. The course plays through diverse vegetation with olive trees, palm trees and various types of cacti. Designer Scott Niall Cameron did a wonderful job of taking advantage of the hills on the site facing the snow- covered peaks of the Atlas Mountains. This top quality par-72 layout offers players an enriching experience adapted for all proficiency levels. Be warned though, the undulating fairways are dotted with numerous waste bunkers. CONSIDERING the size of our golfing population, Malaysian golfers have gained a reputation of travelling far and wide to experience some of the best courses one can find. Malaysians have long been making frequent golf excursions to neighbouring nations of Thailand, Indonesia and China but have over the last few years, expanded their travels to golf clubs in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. There are a number of dedicated travel agencies offering golf packages to these locations, yet surprising- ly the ancient land of Morocco appears for some reason to be off the radar. This is unfortunate, because in recent years the Kingdom has gained a reputation amongst Europeans as an accessible, affordable and all-year-round destination. Golfing holidays here are proving to be an alter- native to Portugal, Spain and Turkey. With a wide range of courses in beautiful surroundings and great weather, Morocco is defi- nitely a serious consideration for a golf break. Steeped in history and culture, and with a year- round climate it’s very easy to see the attraction. There is so much to do in Morocco that it would be a shame just to play golf. This is a country with a rich vibrant her- itage – Casablanca and Marrakech are well-known to travellers, but the coastal towns of El Jadida and Essaouira should also be on your travel itinerary. Only a few countries can lay claim to having snow-capped peaks like the famous Atlas mountain range, where you can ski in the morning and then take a drive down south to the Western Sahara and experience a desert safari in the afternoon. And it is in this diverse geogra- phy that Morocco has produced an amazing variety of golf cours- es – links style, mature parkland courses, high-altitude tracts and also lush, water-surrounded lay- outs. September to April is the best time for golf even though it is available all-year-around. The people here are warm and friendly, and even though most of them speak Arabic and French, a large number speak English too. Golf is definitely cheaper here than in Europe and it is growing at a tremendous rate. In 2014 alone, seven new courses opened. All the major cities boast a wide range of three, four and five-star accommodation, available at attractive rates. Non-golfers or golfers with families, will not be left out as there are plenty of historical sites to see, sporting activities to engage in and shopping trips to the local souks to enjoy. These are just some of the things to keep you occupied on your non-golfing days. Spas, sightseeing and mul- ti-cultural cities are all there for the golfer with a family. To make it easier for first-time visitors, the type of golf courses can be divided into four. They are the cultural experiences – nine magnificent golf courses to enjoy while soaking up the impe- rial capitals of the Alaouite dynasty, the Atlas experience – golf in the foothills of the famous mountain range, including Marrakech and La Palmeraie Golf Club, the Mediterranean experience – courses located at Tangier and Tétouan, the Arab- Andalusian city classified as world heritage site by Unesco, and finally, the Sun experience – the Agadir and the Souss region have three golf courses and an immense choice of beach activi- ties and places to discover. A group of travel agents and myself, recently had the oppor- tunity of playing golf in Morocco and it turned out to be an unbe- lievably good experience. We chose four very different types of courses and I would highly recommend them to any first- time visitor to Morocco. Bestour & Travel (M) Sdn Bhd is offering an introductory golf package to Morocco for seven days and five nights for RM7,988. This includes return air tickets, bed & breakfast, and three rounds of golf. For details, call: 03-2142 1741 (Connie). story by BRIAN MARTIN
Transcript of unspoilt beauty ofSunday Star, 12 July 2015 42 TeeUp Sunday Star, TeeUp 43 A general view of the...
Sunday Star, 12 July 2015
42 TeeUpSunday Star, 12 July 2015
TeeUp 43
A general view of the Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech. At dusk the square comes alive and is packed with thousands of people who come to eat and enjoy the panoramic terraces.
unspoilt beauty of Morocco This north African nation has some fine courses, coupled with loads to do for the whole family
Mazagan Golf ClubThe golf club is part of the sprawling Mazagan Beach Resort located at El Jadida on the Mediterranean coast. Designed by Gary Player, it
features a true links-style experience, somewhat akin to playing golf in Scotland. With a total length of 6,885m, it’s the longest golf course in Morocco and probably one of the toughest. Other than the deep and strategically placed bunkers, the tricky wind conditions are an ever-present hazard. Several tee-off options give all skill levels of golfers the chance to enjoy their game.
royal Golf Mohammedia
Most of the fairways of the Royal Mohammedia in the port city of Mohammedia, are located on the seashore. On it’s first nine holes, the side winds and the severity of its roughs require long and accurate shots. Designed in 1930 and revamped by Hugues Lambert, the holes run through avenues of pine and eucalyptus trees, progressing to a more links-like terrain with small dunes and tumbling fairways. The golf club is about a 45-minute drive from Casablanca.
Golf de Mogador What a golf course! Designed by Gary
Player, dunes replace bunkers and each natural element contributes to enhancing the beauty of the stroll and the intensity of the game. This course is a smart combination of holes on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, close to the 16th century town of Essaouira. The most difficult hole on the course is kept for the very last. The par-4 18th plays to a very long 408m and is protected by a cluster of fairway bunkers and a fall-away green.
Marrakech Golf Club – assoufid
A brilliantly laid out course with a variety of holes that will test your shot-making abilities. The course plays through diverse vegetation with olive trees, palm trees and various types of cacti. Designer Scott Niall Cameron did a wonderful job of taking advantage of the hills on the site facing the snow-covered peaks of the Atlas Mountains. This top quality par-72 layout offers players an enriching experience adapted for all proficiency levels. Be warned though, the undulating fairways are dotted with numerous waste bunkers.
CONSIDERING the size of our golfing population, Malaysian golfers have gained a reputation of travelling far and wide to experience some of the best courses one can find.
Malaysians have long been making frequent golf excursions to neighbouring nations of Thailand, Indonesia and China but have over the last few years, expanded their travels to golf clubs in Australia, Europe and the Middle East. There are a number of dedicated travel agencies offering golf packages to these locations, yet surprising-ly the ancient land of Morocco appears for some reason to be off the radar.
This is unfortunate, because in recent years the Kingdom has gained a reputation amongst Europeans as an accessible, affordable and all-year-round destination. Golfing holidays here are proving to be an alter-native to Portugal, Spain and Turkey.
With a wide range of courses in beautiful surroundings and great weather, Morocco is defi-nitely a serious consideration for a golf break. Steeped in history and culture, and with a year-round climate it’s very easy to see the attraction.
There is so much to do in Morocco that it would be a shame just to play golf. This is a country with a rich vibrant her-itage – Casablanca and Marrakech are well-known to travellers, but the coastal towns of El Jadida and Essaouira should also be on your travel itinerary.
Only a few countries can lay claim to having snow-capped peaks like the famous Atlas mountain range, where you can ski in the morning and then take a drive down south to the Western Sahara and experience a desert safari in the afternoon. And it is in this diverse geogra-phy that Morocco has produced an amazing variety of golf cours-es – links style, mature parkland courses, high-altitude tracts and
also lush, water-surrounded lay-outs.
September to April is the best time for golf even though it is available all-year-around. The people here are warm and friendly, and even though most of them speak Arabic and French, a large number speak English too.
Golf is definitely cheaper here than in Europe and it is growing at a tremendous rate. In 2014 alone, seven new courses opened. All the major cities boast a wide range of three, four and five-star accommodation, available at attractive rates.
Non-golfers or golfers with families, will not be left out as there are plenty of historical sites to see, sporting activities to engage in and shopping trips to the local souks to enjoy. These are just some of the things to keep you occupied on your non-golfing days.
Spas, sightseeing and mul-ti-cultural cities are all there for the golfer with a family.
To make it easier for first-time visitors, the type of golf courses can be divided into four. They are the cultural experiences – nine magnificent golf courses to enjoy while soaking up the impe-rial capitals of the Alaouite dynasty, the Atlas experience – golf in the foothills of the famous mountain range, including Marrakech and La Palmeraie Golf Club, the Mediterranean experience – courses located at Tangier and Tétouan, the Arab-Andalusian city classified as world heritage site by Unesco, and finally, the Sun experience – the Agadir and the Souss region have three golf courses and an immense choice of beach activi-ties and places to discover.
A group of travel agents and myself, recently had the oppor-tunity of playing golf in Morocco and it turned out to be an unbe-lievably good experience. We chose four very different types of courses and I would highly recommend them to any first-time visitor to Morocco.
Bestour & Travel (M) Sdn Bhd is offering an introductory golf package to Morocco for seven days and five nights for RM7,988. This includes return air tickets, bed & breakfast, and three rounds of golf. For details, call: 03-2142 1741 (Connie).
story by Brian Martin
