Global Golf Post, April 17, 2017

globalgolfpost com APRIL 17 2017 MENS PRO NOTEBOOK EUROPEAN TOUR B across the Atlantic for the Trophée Hassan II where he missed the cut DAGGER DUDES Though they have never won majors Spaniard Santiago Luna and American Erik Compton both boast victories in this tournament and each owns a bejeweled dagger the trophy Prince Moulay Rachid traditionally presents to the champion along with a hefty check Luna the only threetime winner in tournament history and the current head coach for the Royal Morocco Golf Federation won the Trophée Hassan II in 1998 2002 and 2003 while Compton who has received two heart transplants and is playing mostly on the Web com Tour these days prevailed in 2005 But neither was able to make it to weekend play this time around This years field also featured two past international winners of the U S Amateur tournament winner Molinari who triumphed at the Merion Golf Club in 2005 and Scotsman Richie Ramsay who prevailed the following year at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota Ramsay who missed the cut last week is also a past winner of the Hassan II Trophy taking that tournament two years ago when it was staged on the immaculately maintained palace course in the coastal city of Agadir RED RENOVATION This year marked the 44th playing of the Trophée Hassan II which is named after its founder and longtime benefactor the late King Hassan II a golf fanatic who counted Claude and Butch Harmon and Billy Casper among his playing partners and swing doctors through the years The tournament has been part of the European Tours Race to Dubai since 2010 and for the past 23 years has been played at the same time and in the same city as the Lalla Meryem Cup Named after King Hassan IIs eldest child and first of three daughters that event is now part of the Ladies European Tour and is contested on the Blue Course at Royal Dar Es Salam The Trophée Hassan II has been staged for all but five of its editions on the Red Designed nearly 50 years ago it is laid out in a vast rolling forest filled mostly with cork oak and eucalyptus trees The red sand bunkers are a signature feature as is the par 3 ninth hole which features an island green In addition columns from the ancient Roman city of Volubilis some 60 miles to the east rise between the fairways of the 11th and 12th holes Regularly ranked among the top 100 golf courses in the world and regarded as one of the best layouts in Africa the Red is currently being renovated under the direction of architect James Duncan who has worked with Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw for the past 20 years The project was instigated by King Hassan IIs youngest son Prince Moulay Rachid an avid golfer who shares his late fathers belief that the game can serve as a way to bring tourists to his homeland And the idea is to upgrade all 18 holes in part by modifying and expanding greens that Duncan describes as being uncharacteristically small and not quite the size that Trent Jones originally intended while also enhancing the bunkering The hope is that once the project is complete the members and stakeholders will have a golf course that is greatly improved and yet essentially the same Duncan says In addition he will oversee the installation of a new irrigation system that will use recycled wastewater l John Steinbreder Santiago Luna Royal Dar Es Salam