For golf holidays, Italy pretty much has it all: epic scenery, fabulous climate, superb food (and wine) and stunning golf courses. Plus the fact that very few golfers choose to take their golf holiday in Italy, means that midweek you may well find you have the pick of the Italian golf courses to yourself - che fortuna! The rolling hills of Italy, richly fertile and bathed in sunshine, coupled with its wealth of artistic and historic (not to mention culinary) heritage have made Italy a world renowned tourist destination. Add some beautifully designed golf courses to the scenery and you have yourself the perfect golf holiday destination. Bear in mind also that most Italian Golf Clubs are secluded, private establishments, that effuse exclusivity from the moment you arrive - a further contrast to the more commercial European golfing destinations.
You will find golf courses throughout Italy, some mature Golf Clubs around the major cities: Rome, Milan, Turin etc. And newer courses designed in the nineties by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player et al, that are now blossoming under the golden Italian sun. So far these have only been discovered by the more intrepid golfer. No doubt the secret will one day get out, so we say now is the time to make the most of the empty Italian golf courses and enjoy some millionaires' golf - midweek in particular.
After your golf, all the sights, sounds and smells of Italy are around to tantalise your senses. Most Italian Golf Clubs you will find a swimming pool, so bring your cossie. If not the Adriatic or a lake is never far away for taking a dip. The small Italian villages with their shady narrow streets are fascinating for strolling, sipping a cappuccino, enjoying a gelato, or browsing boutiques crammed with the latest Italian fashions. They all have weekly markets too, although these are normally in the mornings.
Lake Maggiore, Lake Como and Lake Garda all make superb golf holiday destinations. Each lake enjoys that perfect combination of excellent golf courses, stunning scenery, nearby airports, plenty to see and do, plus each lake has its own unique personality too.
Como is the largest town on the lakes, a medieval walled city wedged into a cleft in the steep mountains all round the lake. It also has the greatest choice of courses - a dozen lie between Lake Como and Milan. Very easy to get to as well with Milan's two airports just an hour away. In our opinion, Lake Como is one of Europe's best golfing holiday destinations., if you have never played golf in Italy, Como is a great place to start the adventure.
Arguably the most aquatically interesting of the Italian lakes with its three islands of Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Pescatore to visit via the frequent ferries. Stresa is the main tourist destination on Lake Maggiore - a busy town in season. We therefore favour the slightly smaller town of Arona for golf holidays. It is closer to the best courses for a start, small enough to get to know quickly, yet large enough for a week-long holiday. Not to mention only twenty minutes from Milan's Malpensa airport.
Over on the eastern side of Italy, Garda is close to Verona airport (plus Venice and Bergamo too), has some lovely golf courses, and rather tastily sits in the heart of Prosecco and Valpolicella country. The place to stay for golf is on the southern shores of the lake at Desenzano del Garda, which has quite a youthful, lively feel - especially over the Summer weekends when most of Verona seems to arrive - with fun in mind!
For many, Tuscany defines Italy: dusty hills, warm sunshine, cypress trees scraping the endless blue skies, quintessential Italian scenery: dreamy scenes. Marry this with a little fabled Tuscan cuisine and maybe a glass of Chianti and you have yoursel the perfect Italian holiday. Golfwise, in this hilly region of the country, Golf Clubs are a little more dispersed across the landscape than elsewhere so some driving is inevitable, but take your time, sit back, enjoy the scenery and relax your way to your round.
The best Tuscan golf courses lie in a band between Pisa and Florence, so we always recommend staying half-way between these two cities. Happily, here you can choose between a quaint spa town - Montecatini Terme or a 'mini-Florence' in the delightful town of Pistoia. Both are handy for Arnold Palmer's Le Pavoniere G.C. (the best in Tuscany) and Montecatini has a course too that wends through the olive groves. Pisa and Florence are within range for a daytrip as are the other good courses in the area: Ugolino (the Tuscan original) and Poggio dei Medici (a modern resort complex).
We are often asked whether Rome is a good place to go for a golfbreak. Our answer is always that it can be if you know the right places to stay. It's a big, busy, noisy city, crammed full of historic sights wreathed in grid-locked traffic: it's not a place you want to take your car! We therefore suggest staying outside the city closer to the golf courses that are spread around the outskirts of the city. The best collection of Golf Clubs are to the Southeast of Rome around the extinct volcanoes and Papal residence at Castelgandolfo. From here, you can hop on the train into the centre of Rome and soak-up the sights on foot (much easier) or via taxi (very exciting), yet be within easy access of the three or four Golf Clubs in this neck of the Roman woods.
Ryder Cup fans will no doubt want to play Marco Simone to the East of Rome. It's an entirely new course these days with 2023 in mind, however the neighbourhood is not the best for tourism (bit like Le Golf National in Paris), so we would suggest making the trip to and from Castelgandolfo to play there.
Aaaaah Puglia: some of the finest coastal scenery in Italy, superb weather with cooling Adriatic breezes, a cuisine all of its own and some intriguing sights to see; no wonder people return to Puglia year after year on holiday, its' an easy place to fall in love with. Mingled amongst all this romanticism are one or two Golf Clubs as well; not a huge amount of golf admittedly, but what there is is high-class indeed (Acaya is world-class). There were two more courses just over into Basilicata at Riva dei Tessali but sadly they closed in 2019 - hopefully one day they will be resucitated.
The fabulous weather makes Puglia a popular tourist spot during the school holidays, but if you can travel in Spring and Autumn you may very well find that you have the place to yourself!
Sardinia is a unique island and a unique Italian golfing destination (although mainland Italians and many Sardinians may dispute the 'Italian' credentials!). The island of Sardinia has a warm climate, perfect for golf holidays practically all year round and there are three-and-a-half very good golf courses. However, the Sardinian Golf Clubs are spread far-and-wide across this larger-than-you-think island, which necessitates some driving if you wish to play all the Sardinian golf courses. Therefore, we recommend planning on a two or three centre golf holiday in Sardinia.
Sicily, with its near-African climate, volcanic interior and long, long coastline has enormous potential for golf holidays. So it's wonderful news that its two big resorts - Verdura and Donnafugata - will both be resuming normal service as of early 2021' putting Sicily firmly back on the golfing map. So it leaves the best of the golf to the golf courses around Taormina and Etna on the eastern side of the island. We have visited and reviewed all the Sicilian golf courses and resorts (even ones that aren't yet open!), so if you are thinking of a golf holiday in Sicily this year, we know what we are talking about.
The island is both large and fascinating with its rich history leaving some monumental marks on the landscape at places such as Agrigento with its string of very well preserved Greco-Roman temples. Please be aware that Sicilian cuisine is indescribably delicious (not to mention their unique wines), everyone gains a few pounds over a week or two!
Turin may not be the most obvious golf destination in Italy, it's a big city after all, but there is a cluster of rather good golf courses just to the North of town and a few more dotted further out around the metropolis. So if you've a hankering to visit Turin (or the wonderful winelands to the East), we can create a golfing citybreak for you or, if wine is more your cup of tea, we know some fabulous places to combine the best of the grape and the Green.
There are a few places in the world where one can 'do' wine and golf properly: Monferrato is definitely one of them. The quality of the courses, the wines and the beauty of the countryside is all amazing and all nice and close together: a morning's golf can be followed by an afternoon's wine-tasting quite easily (and very happily!). At La Margara Golf Club there is plenty of very high class accommodation beside their First Tees and it's not far to drive to visit a vineyard or twelve. Alternatively, you could stay at one of the many 'tenutas' and see the wine being made: most have sumptuous rooms and some fine Italian dining too!
Clear Adriatic waters, long sandy beaches, sunshine, pasta, wine and golf: what's not to like?
The Emilia Romagna beaches are some of the longest in the world: mile after mile of soft sands spread north and south of Rimini, lapped by the azure waters of the Adriatic. In the Summer months the beaches are festooned with the sunbeds and parasols of the beach clubs; every square inch taken by an Italian soaking up the golden rays. If you are intent on a golfbreak with a heavy bent on relaxation (golf, lunch, snooze in the sun, long languid dinner) then a golf holiday on Italy's Adriatic coast is the place for you.
Getting to Italy
Nowadays getting to Italy has never been easier with more and more flights (both “lo-cost” and major carriers) - to all the major cities from departure points all across Great Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe.
Driving in Italy
The one thing that may discourage some golfers from visiting Italy is the roads, or to be more precise the Italian drivers, the roads themselves are fine! It cannot be denied, driving in Italy is a bit of an experience. However, as long as you just take your time and let the tail-hogging Fangios and Fittapaldis scream past, you will enjoy the scenic drives from golf course to golf course.
The other option is to let us organise a chauffeured car or mini-coach for your golf tour. Often this is not much more expensive than hiring a car. This way you can sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery and a glass of birra or vino or two after your round. Roads wind through clusters of tightly knit stone houses and cypress studded hillsides bathed in a crystal light and speckled with olives and vines - a seamless stream of scenery to soak up.
