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.
Turin Golf Clubs
There are two main Golf Clubs close to the centre of Turin: Torino and I Roveri. Both have 36 woodland/parkland holes: enough golf between just these two Clubs for a good week's holiday! They are less than half-an-hour from the centre of Turin, so staying in he city centre and travelling out each day is a doddle.
In addition, there are three other Clubs within an hour's drive of Turin. Le Fronde, a little isolated out to the West in the foothills of the Alps and the pocket-sized lake of Avigliana; to the North is the enchanting Le Betulle Golf Club near Biella (with its quiet hotel and phenomenal restaurant); to the Southeast is the unheralded masterpiece of La Margherita - a simple Club with a stunning course.
Heading out East from Turin into the legendary winelands of Monferrato (between Asti and Alessandria), there is another 36-hole Golf Club with plenty of accommodation - La Margara. Probably a little too far from Turin to play as a day trip, it is however the perfect base for an Italian wine and golf holiday. Two courses that you would be happy to play more than once and oceans of fine wine all around (Barolo, Barbera d'Asti, Grignolino, the sparkling wines of Asti, to label just a few).
Or maybe a golf retreat?
If you hanker after total golfing tranquility, there is an exceptional place to stay and play at Biella, in the Piemonte hills an hour or so north of Turin. Here, Le Betulle is a gorgeous golf course, renowned for its picturesque setting amongst the silver birches and encircled by the beginnings of the Alps. Within the Clubhouse lurks an exceptional restaurant and there are twenty delightful bedrooms (more mini-suites really) in a wing of the building that arcs out towards the 18th Green.
If you like the thought of peaceful golf and a fine dinner followed by the owls hooting you to sleep then Biella is just the place for you: the perfect golf retreat.
Where to stay - Turin, Venaria Reale, Monferrato?
We think that there are three kinds of Turin golf holiday: City & Golf; Golf & City; Wine & Golf.
City & Golf
For those who would like to spend some serious time in Turin to make the most of all the town has to offer then the place to stay is clearly the city centre. Here, the luxurious Principi di Piemonte***** is by far the best place to stay: in the thick of the action surrounded by high-class dining and shopping plus all of the sights of Turin are on your doorstep. Within its walls it's a peaceful escape from the hustle-and-bustle outside, with the bonus of a relaxing spa area too.
Golf & City
For a holiday with plenty of time on the course and the odd day spent investigating Turin, the place to stay is out in Turin's expansive La Mandria park and nature reserve. La Mandria is basically a huge royal walled garden on the northern outskirts of Turin that provides a welcome breath of fresh air to the denizens of Turin. There is plenty to see and do in the park - including four golf courses! Part of the park is the fascinating Royal Palace, museum and gardens of Venaria Reale; in front of which is a long street and piazza of bars, restaurants and caffés. 50 metres from the palace is the Cascina di Corte*** a boutique hotel from where you can stroll the restaurants in the evening, be at the Golf Clubs in five minutes or in the centre of Turin in ten minutes: all very handy!
Wine & Golf
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!
Just let us know what style of golf holiday you prefer and we shall advise and arrange accordingly.
Turin - what to see and do
Turin is a big city, one of the industrial driving forces behind the Italian economy, so there are a lot of people dashing hither-and-thither, which all seems a little un-Italian! Besides all this business however, there are quieter parts with large piazzas where you can sip a cappucino and merrily watch the world go by: head for the Piazza Castello ar the narrow alleys of the Quadrilatero Romano (although there's little of the ancient Roman setlement left to see). There are plenty of historic monuments to visit: the Baroque Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama for instance. It's heartwarming to see that Mussolini didn't totally ruin the place!
Two of the sights that you may be familiar with are the Basilica on Monte Superga (above) and the Mole Antonelliana (below), originally a synagogue, now the National Film museum and archive. The spiritual reason to visit Turin is of course to see the Shroud of Turin (book online well in advance).
If you are a car afficionado don't miss the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile; being the home of Fiat has lent Turin a rich motoring history. Those an a smaller budget will be drawn to the endless streets of designer boutiques that run throughout Turin; the place is riddled with all the big names!
Getting to Turin
As Turin is such a hive of commercial activity there are plenty of flights to its (surprisingly small) airport. Once you land, we can arrange a hire-car for you or we can arrange chauffeured transfers for you if you prefer?
Self-drive is also possible from the UK as Turin is about the closest Italian city to Calais! Just about doable in a day but we would recommend an overnight stop both ways as it's a spectacular drive, either over the Alps through Switzerland or skirting most of them through France and via Geneva. And with your own car boot to fill, you may fancy bringing home some tasty Italian delicacies...
