Villa Mandarine, Rabat Morocco

On my recent trip to Morocco I had the opportunity to stay at some truly special and unique places, and I’m excited to share those places and experiences. Today’s review/share is of the Villa Mandarine, in Rabat Morocco.

Location

Before I cover the Villa itself, let’s get some geography information. Rabat is the capitol of Morocco. It is located on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, about one hour northeast of Casablanca.

The city’s population is roughly 580,000. I’ll cover nearby attractions and activities later.

Villa Mandarine Overview

Villa Mandarine is a small, secluded oasis minutes from all the action in Rabat. It’s practically in a residential area, hidden behind a wall around the edge of the property, which is traditional in much Moroccan architecture.

The Grounds

Inside the grounds is a practical rain forest of vegetation, immaculately maintained. The three-acre estate features 700 orange trees and tons of flowers.

Small trails wind around and lead to sitting areas, sculptures, activities, and of course the villas themselves.

The Villas

There are 31 villas and 5 suites at Villa Mandarine. Each villa has a large main room, entry, large bathroom and fantastic terrace overlooking the grounds.

The quarters are very warm and welcoming, as are the hotel lobby, restaurants, and bar. The luxury rooms are so inviting and relaxing, it’s hard to decide whether to stay in or venture out to the terrace, or the grounds to soak in the mellow vibe.

If you can’t relax here, there’s probably no hope for you.

Amenities

Along with the beautiful and serene gardens, guests can lounge at the swimming pool and hot tub.

If you fancy a game of ping pong, you’re covered. I had a great match with fellow golf blogger and golf buddy John Duval, from IntoTheGrain.com.

Food & Beverage

The restaurant at Villa Mandarine is fantastic. I enjoyed several meals there, featuring traditional moroccan dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are selections for every possible palette, including a kids menu. Lunch out on the terrace was particularly great, between the excellent food and the fabulous environment.

Villa Mandarine’s bar/lounge is great. Every possible drink is served and the atmosphere is very warm and inviting. I could kick myself… well I have actually been kicking myself, for not enjoying some of the Cuban cigars there.

Nearby Attractions and Activities

There is some fantastic golf nearby, at Dar Es Salaam Golf Club. Dar Es Salaam is an award winning Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design, lined with mature trees and featuring some tremendous golf holes.

In the city of Rabat one can find fantastic shopping and dining at the Medina. Be sure to rock the Kasbah. For sightseeing I recommend visiting the historic Hasaan Tower, and the Mausoleum of Mohammad V. Don’t forget to visit the Royal Palace.

Mausoleum of Mohammad V, Rabat Morocco

Last but not least, Rabat is on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Visit the beaches and you’ll see why Morocco is a well known secret haven for surfing huge waves.

Conclusion

A visit to Morocco should be on everyone’s bucket list. The sights, tastes, sounds, golf, and experiences will be remembered and cherished for a lifetime. Villa Mandarine fits right into that formula, providing a tremendous, welcoming, and comfortable home base.

Salted Nut Rolls – Official Snack of Golf… and Skiing

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, February 16th, 2017
Categories: Golf • Golf For Women • Reviews
Tags: Salted Nut Roll

Even before I received a box of Salted Nut Rolls for review, the product has been one of my go-to snacks on the course and elsewhere. I don’t like peanuts either. Though I can’t stand peanuts somehow when they’re in a Salted Nut Roll I like them. The only other time that happens is with my aunt’s greek honey-nut triangles. This is but one of the many bizarre culinary facts about this golf blogger I’m sure people are dying to read about.

So fine. I have a box of Salted Nut Rolls to review. Hard work. Golf and eat one. Golf and eat one. They provide a great boost on the course and some needed salt. I’ve been saved several times by having one in the bag when my energy is lacking and I need a pick-me-up.

But perhaps the best save by a SNR happened not on the golf course, but skiing a couple of weeks ago. My cousin came into town in the morning on a Friday and we headed up to the resort, about 30 min from HOG World Headquarters. My cuz wanted to get a ski lesson and the timing of our arrival and the lesson meant we were going to miss lunch. The problem is that skiing all day, and having a lesson in some very tough terrain, was a calorie burner. Fortunately I threw a couple of Salted Nut Rolls in my pockets, just in case. Boy was that a good choice.

There was one tough thing about that day and the Nut Rolls. It was about 1 degree outside. When they’re cold Salted Nut Rolls are VERY hard to chew!

The SNR’s saved the day and helped me keep my energy level up on a high energy day when I missed lunch.

Conclusion

Realistically a Salted Nut Roll could save a golfer strokes. Hear me out! No energy, no lunch, ran to the tee from the parking lot, bla bla bla. A few rolls in the bag could help a golfer keep the energy level up and help prevent some weak golf, physically and mentally.

Keep a few Salted Nut Rolls handy, just in case.

Golf, We Have a Problem

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, February 10th, 2017
Categories: Golf

Temperatures here in northern Utah have increased and the snow has melted. Well, not in the mountains above x-thousand feet though. Still plenty of great skiing snow there. But down below mountain level we are now seeing two things we haven’t seen in months, grass and dirt. Some golf courses are now open.

It is at this point in time that I typically post about my excitement for the upcoming golf season. Typically when these conditions happen I’ll even get out and play golf on the soggy and sometimes frozen courses. By this point in any winter over the last 15-20 years, I will have been lamenting the cold and dying to get out and golf.

This winter is different. I don’t miss golf. I don’t have that ache to return to golf.

When winter fell upon us here at the end of 2016 I welcomed it, unlike previous years where I hoped it would never come. I was somewhat relieved when winter came; to not “have to” golf, spend the money, spend the time, experience the frustration, and feel like I’m not being productive.

It’s a weird feeling. I almost feel like I’m obligated to golf or obligated to like golf. Right now I’m quite apathetic toward it. I’m not sure what to say at this point, other than I’ll just see how things pan out as spring approaches.

Tiger Woods in Ski Marketing

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, February 8th, 2017
Categories: Golf • Tiger Woods
Tags: Skiing • Tiger Woods

Unless you’ve been on another planet which doesn’t have WiFi, you’ll know I’m on a big skiing binge right now. Hooked on Skiing. I bought some new skis last week and when shopping for them, I did a lot of research. I came across a description for a ski/skier type which had me laughing bad. It would seem that Tiger Woods’s reputation crosses over from golf to skiing.

Ironically I ended up buying skis that were 98mm in the waist. So I guess I “accumulate vertical feet like Tiger accumulates notches in his belt.”

Golf Course Design or Penis Design? You Be the Judge

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, February 7th, 2017
Categories: Golf Course Architecture

I saw a discussion between Zac Blair (local Utahn actually) and Links Magazine on Twitter, related to golf course design. When I saw the image below, all I could see was a penis.

I showed it to the lovely bride and asked her, what is this? “A penis,” she said.

That settles it. Golf course design is the same as penis design.

Below is the original tweet:

Great pleasure talking course architecture with @z_blair for an article in @LINKSMagazine. He's itching to move some dirt at @TheBuckClub. pic.twitter.com/HZUrjIrWdO

— Tony Dear (@tonyjdear) February 8, 2017