Amateur golfer from Newton Aycliffe just missed out on a prestigious national title when he competed in the singles final of the 2016 Morocco Matchplay, powered by HowDidiDo, in Marrakech. Coachbuilder Neil Stein, 43, a 12-handicapper, who plays at Ramside Hall GC, won two of his matches at the Robert Trent Jones-designed PalmGolf Marrakech Palmeraie to finish third. He still enjoyed the experience in Morocco, where he received complimentary return flights from Gatwick, courtesy of the event’s partner British Airways; five nights’ luxury bed-and-breakfast accommodation in the fivestar Palmeraie Palace; four rounds of championship golf; a welcome cocktail reception; and a gala dinner and prize presentation. He said: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic week. Everybody’s been spot on, especially the four of us in the singles.
We’ve had such a laugh. We’ve taken our golf seriously, but we’ve enjoyed excellent camaraderie. I can’t recommend it highly enough for people to enter it, because it’s been superb. “It cost me £25 to be here. My club paid for the two matches at home and the guy paid for me when I went away, so I’ve Aycliffe Golfer Misses Out on National Title had a superb week in the sun for £25. The organisation’s been brilliant too; the hotel is fantastic, top drawer: the rooms, the golf course, the facilities, all outstanding. And I’m going back to the UK with a sun-tan, I let myself down on the first two days by losing my two matches, but pulled it back in the last two to finish third. I’m disappointed to not have won it, but third out of the many hundreds of people around the country who entered feels superb. You want to win the golf when you’re here, but we all won, because we got a free holiday.”
The stunning course offers beautiful scenery – with views of the Atlas mountains and 11 lakes – while still demanding technical prowess. Just 25 minutes from the international airport, the Troon Golf-managed course was voted Africa’s best, in the World Travel Awards, for 10 consecutive years from 2006 to 2015. The elegant, yet contemporary, five-star Palmeraie Palace offers 314 rooms and suites, each with a terrace or balcony overlooking the swimming pool, golf course or gardens. It also has four restaurants and bars for relaxing ‘off course’. Morocco has 37 golf courses to be enjoyed in year-round sunshine plus eight more under construction and, with flight times of less than 3½ hours from the UK and Ireland, it is a hugely attractive alternative to the more traditional golf destinations of Europe. Around 2,000 golf clubs and more than 547,000 golfers currently use the HowDidiDo system. www.howdidido.com www.moroccomatchplay.co.uk
