GOLF HOLIDAYS IN TUSCANY
Our guide to golfbreaks between Pisa, Florence & Siena.
Golf holidays in Tuscany
Tourism and Tuscany are inextricably linked for so many reasons: the scenery that seems synonymous with Italy - cypress clad hillsides with ochre daubed hilltop villages, the exceptional food and wine, the art and architecture: a deeply delightful destination. Tuscany is good for golf too, but suits best the golfer who is ready to blend a few games with bouts of sightseeing, cuisine and culture into a sporting and sensual sensation.
Tuscan Golf Clubs are a little more spread around the countryside than in other golfing destinations, so some driving is inevitable. But we say make this part of your golf holiday, take your time and enjoy the ripples of rolling hills bedecked with pencil-slim cypresses, Toscana's fortified hilltop villages, a cuisine that almost defines cucina Italiana and, not least, the extensive vineyards of Chianti (careful if you're driving), on your way to and from the golf courses in Tuscany.
Tuscany Golf Clubs
Tuscany is a hilly region of Italy, although to be honest, most of Italy is mountainous! Suitable terrain for golf is a little hard to find, however it does exist in little pockets here-and-there. But don't let a few inclines put you off Tuscan golf, all the Golf Clubs have buggies, which we are able and happy to reserve for you when we book your Tee-times.
The oldest Golf Club in Tuscany is Ugolino, in fact it's one of the oldest in Italy and lies just south of Florence in the heart of Chiantishire. A good spot for combining golf and culture very easily. Two of the best courses in the region are close to Montecatini Terme. Le Pavoniere is arguably the best in Tuscany, here Arnold Palmer had a rare tract of flat land to work with and created a tough challenge with huge lakes placed all around the course. Nearby, the quintessential Tuscan golf course sits in the hills above Montecatini. Around the beautiful stone farmhouse (now a lovely rustic Foresteria with eleven rooms and a great chef) lies a coures that is pure Tuscany: hills and olives as far as the eye can see. Rumour has it that Leonardo da Vinci grew up around here - we're happy to believe it!
Heading towards the coast at Pisa and Tirrenia you will find two more courses, both on level ground: Cosmopolitan and Versilia. The first was built to entertain the troops at the US military base at Tirrenia but is more than welcoming to all visitors; Versilia on the other hand was designed to cater for more Italian tastes, quite literally in fact as it has a Michelin starred Clubhouse!
North of Florence, near the Ferrari racetrack at Marinello, is the golfing hideout of Poggio dei Medici, complete with hotel and spa. It's a lovely place for those who just want to play and relax. South of Montecatini, lost in the distant Tuscan hills that guard the route to Siena is the tourist complex of Castelfalfi. Another isolated course and hotel (and apartments) run by Tui the big German Tour Operator, so loses a little of its Tuscanality but offers 27 very good holes of golf nevertheless.
Tuscany - Hotels
If you would like to play a variety of golf courses and see as much of Tuscany as possible during your golfing holiday then the best place to stay is about halfway between Pisa and Florence. Here, there are two of the best courses and two rather interesting towns that are pretty central to the golfing and sightseeing activities: Montecatini Terme and Pistoia.
Montecatini is a fascinating Italian spa town with plenty of hotels, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants as well as its highlight the sprawling Thermal Baths in their attractive gardens. In Montecatini we recommend the Tamerici e Principe hotel, family run and right in the centre of town with a little pool in the front garden. (Right next door is the five-star Grand Hotel Pace if you would like some extra luxury). Alternatively you could always stay in the peace and quiet of the Clubhouse rooms with dinner on the olive-shaded patio every night - perfect for small groups who are happy in their own company.
Pistoia on the other hand, is more akin to a mini-Florence with a cathedral and baptistry around its central piazza built in the black-and-white banded marble that was so popular in the 1500s. Pistoia's antique centre is composed of narrow streets lined with the traditional northern Italian Osterias. These are cosy little diners designed for warmth in the Winter months (it can get down to single figure temperatures in a bad Winter!) and street-side dining during the rest of the year: molto toscanese. In Pistoia we are huge fans of the small Patria hotel, a simple three-star establishment that was stylishly renovated in 2016.
Tuscany - What to see and do
Tuscany is like concentrated essence of Italy. In so many ways it personifies this wonderful country with its classical landscapes under the ethereal light that pervades every corner of this large central region that extends from just south of Genoa to just north of Rome. 23,000km2 of rolling hills, ancient towns, olives and vines that enjoy the most wonderful climate: there's never a bad time to visit Tuscany. The capital of the region, Florence (Firenza) is the main draw for many visitors, carmmed as it is with iconic artistic treasures such as Michaelangelo's statue of David and Botticelli's paintings in the Uffizzi gallery next to the magnificent Duomo.
Elsewhere in Tuscany there is plenty to see and do, not least the famous tower of Pisa. As you travel the region you will see nearly every hilltop crowned with an impossibly old fortified village: narrow streets climbing the hillside to the church at the epicentre of every rural community. San Gimignano is a well-known example but there are hundreds, if not thousands, more to stroll.
If you have ever been to Italy you will have noticed just how important food and drink is to absolutely everyone - a nation of foodies if ever ther was one! The Tuscan speciality is the Osteria, a warm and cosy place run by a local family who know where to source the best of the local produce and how to combine it simply and delicately into the most wonderful dishes. If you are here in the late Summer or Autumn don't leave without trying Porcini mushrooms or the wild boar (cinghiale) normally in a ragu with black olives over homemade pasta - indescribably delicious!
Where there aren't olives growing you will normally see vines, this is after all the home of Chianti and there is a huge range of wines to try. Keep an eye out for Morellino from Maremma in the south, a rich and thick red (great with the aforementioned cinghiale). If you really want to push the boat out (or have a course record to celebrate) reach for the Tignanello or the Solaia - just don't expect any change!
Tuscany - Getting there
Perhaps surprisingly Florence is not the easiest airport to get to: a change of flight is normally required from anywhere outside of Italy's main cities. Consequently you will probably find it easier to fly to Pisa or Bologna and then drive across to your Tuscany golf holiday base, which is very easy as a good autostrada connects Pisa and Florence.
Whichever airport in Tuscany you decide to fly to, we shall arrange for a hire-car to be ready and waiting for you at the airport. Or we can arrange chauffeurred transport for you if you prefer not to drive in Italy.
