Isly Golf Club in Oujda: A Sporting Gem in Eastern Morocco

Oujda rarely makes it onto the Morocco shortlist. Most travellers fly into Marrakech, head south to the dunes, and call it a trip. But tucked away in the far northeast of the country, this understated city has been quietly doing its own thing for years, and the Isly Golf Club is one of the best reasons to finally pay attention. A well-maintained course, a relaxed atmosphere, and an entire city worth exploring once you put the clubs down. Whether you are a serious golfer or just someone who likes the idea of combining sport with travel, Oujda has more going for it than most people realise.

Where is Isly Golf Club and How Do You Get There?

Oujda is the capital of the Oriental region, sitting in the northeast of Morocco close to the Algerian border. That geography gives the city a distinct personality, a cultural blend that you feel in the food, the architecture, and the general pace of life. It does not feel like the rest of Morocco, and that is a good thing.

From Casablanca, the train is a perfectly comfortable option. ONCF runs regular services from Casa-Voyageurs, with a journey time of around nine hours. It is a long ride, but Moroccan trains are clean, reasonably punctual, and first-class tickets are genuinely affordable. Good for a night train if you want to save on accommodation.

From Fès, you are looking at roughly four hours by road, cutting through mountain scenery that makes the drive worthwhile in its own right. The train also covers this route, though the road gives you more flexibility.

From Marrakech or Agadir, flying is the only sensible choice. Oujda-Angads airport is well connected, with Royal Air Maroc and several budget carriers operating regular flights from the main Moroccan hubs. Check prices early and you will often find very decent fares.

Once you land or arrive in Oujda, getting to the golf club is straightforward. A taxi from the city centre takes around ten minutes, and the fare is modest. If you have hired a car, the club is well signposted and easy to find without the usual urban maze that makes navigating Moroccan medinas such an adventure.

About the Club

Isly Golf Club is an 18-hole course set on well-maintained grounds, with a lush, green landscape that feels almost surprising given the semi-arid terrain of the surrounding region. The course was designed to work for a range of players, with holes that are approachable for mid-handicappers alongside more technical stretches that will test anyone playing off a low index.

The clubhouse is the heart of the place. Spacious and unfussy, with a terrace overlooking the fairways, it is where you settle in before a round and decompress after one. The atmosphere is relaxed. No stuffiness, no dress-code lectures at the door, just a pleasant space where golfers of all levels feel at home.

The pro shop is well stocked with equipment and accessories, and the staff know what they are talking about. A practice area and putting green let you warm up properly before heading out, which anyone who has tried to play 18 holes cold will tell you is not optional. The facilities across the board are kept in good order, which is not something you can take for granted at every mid-size golf club.

The course itself is visually appealing. Fairways are well defined, the greens are in solid condition, and there is enough shade across the layout to make playing in warmer months manageable. For a club in eastern Morocco, it punches well above its weight.

Who is This Course For?

Experienced Golfers

The 18-hole layout offers enough variety to keep low handicappers engaged. Natural hazards, elevation changes, and some cleverly designed holes demand both precision and course management. It is not Augusta. But it is a course that rewards good decision-making and punishes the careless shot, which is really all you can ask.

Beginners and Casual Players

The club actively welcomes newcomers. Introductory lessons are available with qualified instructors, and the layout is manageable enough that beginners can work through a round without losing every ball they brought. It is a good place to start the game, or to get back into it after a long break.

Families with Kids

Children are genuinely welcome here, not just tolerated. Junior golf sessions are available for young players, and the overall atmosphere of the club is family-friendly. For kids who have no interest in hitting a golf ball, the open green space around the clubhouse gives them room to run around while the adults play.

Non-Golfers

Travelling with someone who does not play? The clubhouse terrace is a pleasant enough place to spend a morning. And Oujda itself is just a short taxi ride away, with plenty to keep a non-golfer busy for a full day.

Fees and Booking

Green fees at Isly are competitive compared to the major golf resorts in Marrakech or Agadir. The club recommends contacting them directly for current pricing, as rates vary by season and day of the week. Weekday rates are generally more attractive than weekend ones, as is the case at most clubs.

Equipment rental is available at the pro shop. Clubs, shoes, and buggies can all be hired on site, which makes the club very accessible for travelling golfers who are flying in light. No need to wrestle a golf bag through airport check-in.

Membership packages exist for residents and longer-stay visitors. Worth asking about if you plan to be in the region for several weeks.

Booking is done by phone or in person. For weekends and public holidays, calling ahead to secure a tee time is strongly recommended. On weekdays, you can generally walk in without a prior reservation and get out on the course without much of a wait.

When to Go

Oujda has a continental climate, which means hot summers and cool winters with comfortable springs and autumns in between. For golf, the timing matters.

Spring, from April through June, is the prime window. Temperatures are pleasant, the course is at its greenest, and the conditions are as close to ideal as they get. If you can only go once, go in spring.

Autumn, from September to November, is an equally strong option. The summer heat has broken, the days are warm without being brutal, and the club is quieter than during peak season. A good time to play at your own pace without feeling rushed off the course.

Summer is a different story. Oujda regularly hits 40 degrees or above in July and August, and playing golf in that kind of heat is less a sport and more a test of character. If summer is your only option, get out early in the morning, drink water constantly, and be off the course before midday. This is not dramatic advice. It is just sensible.

Winter is underrated and often overlooked. Daytime temperatures are mild and the sun usually shows up, making for perfectly enjoyable rounds. Nights get cold, but that is not your problem if you are playing during the day. Fewer crowds, lower prices in some cases, and a quieter version of the city. A solid choice for European golfers escaping a grey winter at home.

What to Do Around the Club

Oujda rewards the traveller who looks beyond the golf course.

The Medina

Oujda's old city is compact, lively, and refreshingly free of the harrassing souvenir-selling that can make some Moroccan medinas feel like a contact sport. You can wander at your own pace, get a little lost, and eat very well. The central souk picks up energy in the late afternoon and is worth timing your visit around.

Local Food

Eastern Moroccan cuisine has its own identity. Rfissa, slow-roasted mechoui, grilled brochettes, and local pastries that you will not find on menus in Marrakech. The city centre has plenty of honest, unpretentious restaurants serving this food at prices that will surprise you. Ask at your hotel for current recommendations.

Saidia and the Mediterranean Coast

About sixty kilometres north of Oujda, Saidia sits on the Mediterranean with long sandy beaches and clear water. It is an easy and very enjoyable day trip, particularly for families with children who want a break from sightseeing. Drive up in the morning, spend the day on the beach, and head back to Oujda in the evening.

The Beni Snassen Mountains

The Beni Snassen Mountains, tucked between Oujda and Saidia, are largely unknown to foreign visitors and all the better for it. This compact but dramatic range hides gorges, limestone caves, and landscapes that look nothing like the rest of Morocco. A half-day drive through the Beni Snassen Mountains is enough to understand why locals are quietly proud of them. Worth the detour if you have the time and the curiosity.

Where to Stay

The accommodation scene in Oujda covers the full range without breaking the bank.

For a comfortable base close to the golf club, several three and four-star hotels in the modern part of the city offer solid value. Chains like Ibis have a presence here, and independent hotels in the same category are competitive on both price and quality.

For something with more character, riads and guesthouses in and around the medina offer rooms with genuine personality, home cooking, and the kind of personal welcome that a chain hotel cannot replicate. Airbnb has a decent selection of these in Oujda, ranging from budget-friendly rooms to beautifully restored traditional houses. For hotels and more conventional accommodation, Booking is the most reliable platform for comparing options, reading recent guest reviews, and securing a room without any surprises on arrival.

Families travelling with young children should look for hotels with a pool, especially in the warmer months. Several properties in Oujda offer this, and the rates are significantly lower than equivalent options in Marrakech or Agadir.

Practical Tips

The dress code on the course is standard golf club fare. Collared shirt, golf trousers or tailored shorts, proper golf shoes. Beach shorts and sports trainers are not appropriate. Nothing unusual there.

Pack a high-factor sunscreen, a hat or cap, a refillable water bottle, and lightweight breathable clothing. Outside of spring and autumn, the sun on an open fairway is not something to underestimate.

The overall budget for a golf trip to Oujda is genuinely reasonable. Accommodation, green fees, meals, and a couple of day trips will cost you noticeably less than an equivalent itinerary in Marrakech, while delivering an experience that is arguably more authentic and less crowded.

Arabic and French are the languages of daily life in Oujda. English is less common here than in the main tourist cities, but the staff at Isly Golf Club are accustomed to international visitors and communication is not an issue.

Isly Golf Club is the kind of address that golfers stumble across by accident and then wonder why it took them so long to find it. A quality course, a city with real character, and a region that has been quietly waiting for travellers to look a little further east.

Oujda does not chase tourists. It simply exists, with its golf club, its medina, its food, and the Mediterranean sitting an hour up the road. That self-sufficiency is part of the appeal.

If your idea of a golf trip is starting to feel repetitive, stop defaulting to the usual suspects. Eastern Morocco is patient. It will still be there when you are ready to make the drive.