Nicolas Barraud – the Cluster GM of Marrakech’s Al Maaden Golf Resort and the recently-opened Akenza Golf Resort – contemplated the approach of May’s final days, and lamented the subsequent lull in visitor numbers that each venue will experience.

It would be natural but wrong to assume that his disappointment was purely a matter of finance, although that is a consideration during an off season running from the end of May to October.

Barraud’s dismay is because the fallow period lessens the impact he can make in extolling not just the delights and attractions of Al Maaden and Akenza as high-class golfing destinations, but also the allure of Morocco, and its culture.

He was born in La Rochelle, France, but his mother was born in Morocco, and his passion for the North African country and its way of life is so deeply embedded in both his DNA and psyche that he sees himself in the supplementary role of ambassador as well as GM to Al Maaden and Akenza.

“I have been here for 15 years, and I have a long history with Morocco because my mother was born here,” said the 47-year-old. “[His family] were like Spanish immigrants in Morocco, so since I was super young I have this Moroccan culture. We would have a tagine or couscous every other Sunday.

“The first job I got in Morocco, when I got the offer my whole family was super happy that I had this opportunity.”

The drop off in green-fee paying tourists does give him a window in which to be more keenly focused on matters other than the courses, and although he initially tried to share his six-day working week equally between Al Maaden and Akenza, the latter – the “baby” – has demanded more attention since opening last October.

“The season has been amazing,” he enthused, anticipating going back to spreading his time equally between two courses that he believes complement one another perfectly, offering as they do completely different golfing challenges and environments.

He describes Al Maaden’s layout as a “fun and unique golf course to play.” The fairways are wide, making it accessible for all levels, but it still offers a good challenge for experienced players.

“Akenza is way more tricky and makes you think a lot more. A lot of holes you have to think where to drive in order to have a good second shot. At Al Maaden, I would say you drive, and then you figure it out.”

Al Maaden will intrigue all first-time players with water hazards that are rectangular – “a tribute to the Menara Gardens, which was the first pond used to grab the water from the Atlas mountains to irrigate the whole city” – and its role as an al fresco art gallery, including among its 18 holes a dozen huge sculptures by African artists.

Oakmont-style church pew bunkers at Al Maaden’s 18th provide a visually dramatic finale to a round as well as a historical nod to the seven tombs and seven saints of Marrakech.

“Akenza’s landscaping,” said Barraud, “took a lot of inspiration from Arizona desert courses, but also I went around Marrakech, and checked what sort of trees and bushes were there naturally without irrigation, to see also the dry rivers that go through a lot of the Marrakech suburbs, and so all this helped design and shape the landscaping at Akenza.”

Those who built the course at Akenza were told that their involvement did not have to conclude when it opened.

“My goal was to make them really involved and to tell them, ‘you are not just going to be here to build the course; we will also teach you how to maintain a golf course.

“You are not just here for a year-and-a-half or two years, I want you to be our greenkeepers.’ Making them feel that it is their baby and they are going to be here to make him walk and grow.”

All 30 took up the opportunity to stay on. “They are way more implicated and involved because of this, and some of them know exactly where all the pipes go, what time this grass was planted, how it grew. They saw the rocks before the golf course and they have their history of this place.”

Al Maaden and Akenza are located just five miles apart, and are a constant source of pride to Barraud who is equally as happy to brag about Marrakech’s other top courses such as Fairmont Royal Palm, Assoufid, and Royal Golf, all destinations that are members of the growing worldclass.golf portfolio.

He is pleased to point Al Maaden’s and Akenza’s visitors in their direction as additional places to play, and discourages a mindset of cocooning themselves within the resort throughout a stay in Marrakech.

“Especially with UK golfers who are keen to stay in an all-inclusive environment – because they don’t want to think about anything else than playing golf, eat and drink – I’m trying to get them to explore a bit of the city, to go out and discover restaurants, bars, clubs, because it is insane. I really want them to see this part of Morocco.

“I think for the good of the destination it is really important that people discover and enjoy the other golf courses, too, because at the end of the day we work as a golf destination and it is not me competing with the other golf courses.

“We are trying to grab the attention of all of Europe and the US, to come to Marrakech.”

He added: “I was in the Algarve on a golf trip, maybe ten years ago, and I saw this full plane of golfers arriving, and so many golf bags at the airport, and I thought, ‘this is what we want for Morocco.’

“With the help of the tourism board, we really pushed on the UK market. I wouldn’t say we have cracked the code, but we are getting there, making sure that every UK golfer knows that Morocco and Marrakech is a great golf destination.”

Basketball was, and remains, Barraud’s first sporting passion, and he had only superficial knowledge of golf when, in 2003, he applied for the job as director at Pau, France’s first golf club and the oldest in Continental Europe.

“I had no clue about golf,” he reflected. “I had a sports management masters degree. During my education, I had one semester where we had a one-hour group lesson every Thursday.

“The president of Pau, during the interview, said, ‘look, I have the curriculum of 100 scratch golfers who really want to come here, but I’m going to take you because I know you are not going to spend your days playing golf’.”

So why did he leave a job marketing his beloved basketball for a sport with which he had the briefest of dalliances?

“First of all it was the region, Pau, the oldest golf club in Continental Europe, it was near Spain, near Biarritz. They also have a very good basketball team, and it was more to develop my management skills, my operating skills, as it was totally different from what I did in basketball.”

He did take up the game, but plays just the occasional nine holes after work in the off season. “I work six days a week, and the last thing I want on my day off is to spend four hours on a golf course. I’m not crazy about golf. I like to play, but I would not want to ruin my family life by playing golf.”

He has an eight-year-old daughter, Lily, and Barraud does get to practise his driving – taking Lily to after-school activities such as track and field, yoga, dance, theatre and Thai boxing. “I thought it was a good idea that she tries a little bit of everything, just to open up her mind so she can see which she likes best.”