This year’s Trophée Hassan II is set to pose a new challenge for the stars of the European Tour when the event tees off from April 19-22, after recent renovations on the Red Course at the famous Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.
Host of the Trophée Hassan II on three previous occasions, the Red Course has witnessed pure drama over the last two years, with both Jeunghun Wang and Edoardo Molinari securing the coveted dagger trophy in sudden-death play-offs.
The par-72 course is regarded as one of the top golf venues on the African continent and spans more than 7,600 yards which traverses through a forest of cork, oak and eucalyptus trees.
The tenth green at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam
Course architect James Duncan has worked in partnership with His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Golf and the team at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in renovating all 18 greens at the regal venue.
The collaboration has seen greens enlarged, creating additional pin placement opportunities, and adding internal contours to place a premium on strategy, approach play, recovery and the short game during next month’s tournament.
Duncan’s hope is that players will find the greens a challenge but not a source of frustration, staying true to Robert Trent Jones Sr’s original designs.
The third green at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam
"We are honoured to have assisted HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam and the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Golf in renovating their famous Red Course,” said Duncan. “An original and largely untouched Robert Trent Jones Sr design that was commissioned by His Majesty King Hassan II, the course simply needed an update which we hope to have succeeded in providing.
“We built new greens on the basis of Mr. Jones' sketches and renovated all the bunkers while extensive improvements were also made to the irrigation and drainage systems on the course. The course is revered for its difficulty. We hope to have maintained this reputation during the renovation while also having made the golf course more flexible, beautiful and enjoyable."
