Gary Player Design has been awarded the contract to upgrade and re-design 27-holes at Royal Golf de Marrakech in Morocco.
“This is going to be a really fun and interesting project.” said Gary Player.
“We visited Morocco earlier this year and spent time at the Royal Golf de Marrakech golf course. It is a beautiful property and I am honoured to have been chosen as the designer for this project. Morocco is a wonderful country and I am really looking forward to returning on a regular basis as the design plan progresses.”
Royal Golf de Marrakech was founded in 1923 by the Pasha of Marrakech, Thami El Hadj Glaoui Mezouari and is considered to be one of the finest golf properties in all of Morocco. Towering Eucalyptus and Cypress trees line the fairways and there are stunning views of the Atlas Mountains throughout the course. Over the years the course has hosted the likes of President Dwight Eisenhower, Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George and was one of His Majesty King Hassan II’s favorite courses.
With an eye on hosting the 2013 Hassan II Trophy tournament, now an officially sanctioned European PGA Tour event, Royal Golf de Marrakech wanted to create a championship course capable of testing the best golfers in the world. “The course as it is right now is quite nice, but with the changes in club and ball technology over the years some of the holes are too short for championship play.” said Marc Player, CEO of The Player Group.
“Our plan is to protect the integrity of the existing course and incorporate modern design techniques with special attention being paid to environmental sensitivity. We are respecting existing corridors and trees as much as possible, but updating the course by adding length where possible, repositioning tees, re-contouring greens and fairways, improving visibility, introducing strategic elements, and implementing today’s technology in terms of drainage, irrigation and maintenance techniques. The final course will be playable for all levels of golfers and present a stiff challenge for professionals playing from the back tees.” said Scott Ferrell, President of Gary Player Design.
The final course will feature 18-holes of championship caliber plus an additional nine holes. The championship 18 is being designed to challenge professionals during tournament play, but once the tournament is concluded allowing all levels of golfers to enjoy the course. This will be accomplished by creating multiple sets of tees, resulting in different lengths and angles of play. The renovations and upgrades will be phased-in in stages to leave one nine open for members.
For more information about Royal Golf De Marrakech please visit www.royalgolfmarrakech.com.
For more information please contact Guy DeSilva, Media Director, Black Knight International, +1 561 624 0300, or guy@garyplayer.com.
About Gary Player Design
Widely recognized as the world’s most successful golf course architectural firm, Gary Player Design established by Marc Player in 1983 today boasts over 325 championship courses spanning the globe. With an ever-increasing number of courses stretching across five continents and encompassing more than 35 countries, the firm is renowned for its select and ecological approach to design.
Magazines such as Golf Asia, Travel & Leisure, Golf Digest, Golf Week, Golf World Worldwide Golf, and The Complete Golfer have consistently listed Gary Player courses among the top places to play. Travel & Leisure Golf named Leopard Creek in South Africa one of the top ten Best International Courses; Geneva National was referred to by Golf Week as the best course you can play in America; and Golf, Inc. named Blacksearama in Bulgaria the 2010 International Development of the Year. Awards and accolades such as these are numerous, and for good reason. Gary Player Design doesn’t simply design the course and walk away; they also provide the consulting services that will guide a newly established project through the implementation steps necessary to ensure success. The results are premier golf courses & resorts that provide golfers with a unique style of luxury, the challenge of risk versus reward, and a truly memorable experience.
Although Gary Player’s golfing expertise influences every project, Gary Player Design offers three tiers of golf course design service; Black Knight Design™, Player Design™, and Gary Player Signature Design™. On Signature Design projects, Mr. Player is involved in every phase of design and development. With over 50 years of professional golf experience, Player, The World’s Most Traveled Athlete™ has visited and studied most of the great golf courses of the world so he understands that the design of a course takes both vision and respect for existing conditions. His design philosophy, and also that of The Player Group, is to create challenging yet playable courses that enhance the existing resources and retain the natural beauty of the land. Environmental sensitivity is a cornerstone of Gary Player’s passion for golf course design.
Gary Player, often referred to as the Black Knight, is one of the century’s greatest golfers and one of the original inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He is one of only five golfers to ever win the Grand Slam on the PGA Tour and the only golfer to win the Grand Slam on both the regular and Champions Tour. Over the course of his career, Player participated in 438 Tour events, placed in the top 25 in 281 of them, and won 165 worldwide tournaments. Player, whose career earnings exceed $15 million, is a legend in his own time. Currently serving as The Global Ambassador to the World Golf Hall of Fame, he has been a three-time President’s Cup Captain and is ranked by Golf digest as one of the top ten all-time golf greats. Player’s iconic status in sport adds immeasurable marketing value to all golf course design assignments he accepts. His legacy will most certainly ensure Gary Player’s Design success for many years to come.
For further information on Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate or Black Knight International, visit www.garyplayerdesign.com or contact Scott Ferrell at + 1-864-477-2720.
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