D e s t i n a t i o n G o l f | ITA L Y
Italy something
for everyone
Italy has long beguiled tourists with its history, architecture and the glories of its countryside. In
this dramatic landscape top architects have laid down some captivating golf courses, which are
proving yet another draw. Here we guide you through three more of Italy’s alluring regions
l o m b a r dy
Liguria
iguria is a coastal region
of north-western Italy
known for its beaches,
towns and more than 210
miles of coastline. Along this coastline
are now dotted 25 Blue Flag beaches,
after Ceriale and Levanto obtained the
designation earlier this year.
The capital of the region is Genoa.
Six miles west of the capital is Genoa
Cristoforo Colombo Airport to which
British Airways and Ryanair fly
frequently from London.
Offering the warmth of the
Mediterranean, Liguria’s mild climate
is perfect for all-year round golf. There
are a wide array of courses, all within
easy driving distance of one another.
The jewels in its golfing crown are the
four 18-hole courses in Sanremo.
Circolo Golf Ulivi is laid out in
a delightful setting on the hills by
Sanremo. This course, which opened in
1932, offers magnificent views out to
sea as its winds a way through a valley.
Garlenda was designed in 1964 by
Brits John Morrison and John Harris.
The club is in the Lerrone Valley – one
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piedmont
of the most picturesque valleys of the
Ligurian hinterland – and surrounded by
ancient olive groves and pine forests.
This valley winds for about 17 miles
inland of the town of Albenga. Albenga
is a well-preserved historical centre of
the western Ligurian riviera, with most
of it still surrounded by ancient walls
and towers, palaces and other fine
medieval architecture.
Sant’Anna Golf was designed by
Robert von Hagge. It is built between
the hills above Aranzano and, with the
layout featuring some tricky hazards,
demands good course management.
Circolo Golf & Tennis Rapallo was
founded in 1931 not far from the
Portofino jet set. It is a very varied
course with holes nestled in wonderful
hills covered in maritime pine trees.
During a visit, take time to have a
peek at the picturesque ruins of the
Monastery of Valle Christi adjacent to
the 7th hole.
Wonderful nine-hole courses can
also be found perched on green hills
overlooking the region’s beaches.
Castellaro Golf Resort is a four-star
Top: Marigola Golf
Club. Above: Camogli
Portofino
liguria
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hotel with 64 rooms, 120 holiday
apartments and a par-33 course with
narrow, undulating fairways.
La Filanda is laid out on flat ground
in the plain between the river and
the hills of Sansobbia Erchi. But the
greens are far from flat, as they have
testing undulations, and hundreds
of olive trees along the way add to
the test as well as providing a typical
Mediterranean ambience.
The nine-hole golf layout at
Arenzano overlooks the Ligurian Gulf
on one side and the area of Mount
Beigua on the other.
Golf Club Marigola at Lerici looks
across the Gulf of Poets and offers
panoramic views from many of the
tees, in particular the 3rd.
The Liguria Golf Association is a
new organisation made up of all the
golf clubs of Liguria. The association
has various offers for golfers, featuring
hotel stays at favourable prices and
special tariffs at golf courses. The
association also offers the opportunity
to purchase the Golf Pass, which allows
holders to play the many wonderful
golf courses of Liguria at a discount.
For information and bookings,
visit www.liguriagolf.com and www.
golfinliguria.it
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ich in history and culture,
Lombardy has ten
UNESCO sites. But it is
also known for its lakes,
mountains, food and the boutiques
of Milan’s fashion district. It is served
by three international airports – Milan
Malpensa, Milan Linate and Bergamo
Orio al Serio ‘Caravaggio’ – with daily
direct flights from the UK and Ireland.
With more than 60 golf clubs
– 28 of which have at least 18 holes –
Lombardy is the Italian region where
golf is most widespread.
Luxury hotels, historic villas
surrounded by parks and gardens
and sceneries of rare beauty make
Lake Como an ideal golf destination.
In this area there is the Menaggio and
Cadenabbia Golf Club, the second
oldest golf club in Italy. The club
was founded in 1907, and its course
redesigned in 1965.
Villa d’Este, set among chestnut,
birch and pine forests, lays claim to
being one of the most difficult par-69
layouts in Europe. The clubhouse has
outstanding views over Lake Como.
Monticello Golf Club has two 18-hole
courses and has hosted the Italian
Piedmont
R
Sacro Monte Varese UNESCO
World Heritage Site
Open seven times. It also features two
restaurants, swimming pools, kids’
club and five tennis courts. Gardagolf
Country Club features 27 holes and has
hosted two Italian Opens.
Lecco Golf Club lies in the foothills
of Monte Resegone and the Grigne,
one of Brianza’s most beautiful areas.
This course has been improved to
raise maintenance to the highest level.
The clubhouse, buvette, bar and Tiara
Restaurant are 17th-century buildings
that have been lovingly restored.
Lake Garda offers beautiful scenery
and wide variety of world-class resorts.
The Arzaga Golf Club is located inside
Palazzo Arzaga, an ancient XVth century
mansion turned into a prestigious
golf and spa resort. Both its courses
lie on the hills facing Lake Garda. The
Top: Golf Club Villa
d’Este. Bottom:
Limone sul Garda
Chervò Golf Hotel
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D e s t i n a t i o n G o l f | ITA L Y
Lombardy
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championship course has typical Jack
Nicklaus II features and its par-36 nine
holes were designed by Gary Player.
Between Sirmione and Desenzano,
amid the splendid scenery of Lake
Garda, rises Chervò Golf Hotel Spa
& Resort San Vigilio. It has 36 holes,
including a nine-hole executive course.
Its four loops of nine feature large
water hazards and deep rough.
Golf Club Milano, founded in 1928, is
one of the oldest courses in the country.
It was designed inside the majestic
Monza Park and, in September, it will
host the Italian Open for the eighth time.
Located in Bubbiano’s Cascina
Bertacca, 20 miles from Milan, Golf
Club Ambrosiano is notable for its vast
greens and numerous bunkers.
Accuracy is more important than
length when playing Green Club
Lainate on the outskirts of Milan.
Also on the fringes of Milan is
Castello Tolcinasco Golf & Country
Club. It was designed by Arnold Palmer
and hosted the Italian Open five years
running from 2004. Le Rovedine offers
a magnificent setting six miles from
Milan. It is the only club to have hosted
both the Italian Open (1995) and Ladies
Italian Open (2009).
Golf dei Laghi is another course that
requires accuracy with its many water
hazards needing careful negotiation.
Lush forests, streams and ponds
are part of what makes Lake Maggiore
perfect for golf. Each course is located
in a charming landscape and the nearby
Monte Rosa range. Of particular note
is Robinie, the only course in Italy
designed by Jack Nicklaus and just ten
minutes from Milan Malpensa Airport.
For more information visit www.
in-lombardia.com
olf is well-established
in Piedmont with more
than 60 clubs around the
region. Many of these are
in areas of outstanding natural beauty
and are a good starting point for
discovering a region with much to offer:
cities rich in art, history and culture,
unspoiled countryside of soaring peaks,
wide valleys and pristine lakes.
Scheduled and low-cost flights
operate from Gatwick, Stansted and
Luton to Turin (Caselle Airport). While
there are no direct flights from Ireland
to Piedmont, Aer Lingus operates
non-stop services from Dublin to
Malpensa airport in Milan. Indeed, a
wide variety of flights are available
from several UK airports to Malpensa.
Turin became the first capital of
United Italy in 1861. Its artistic and
architectural heritage spans from
Roman times to la Belle Époque, and it’s
known for art and culture thanks to its
numerous galleries, churches, palaces,
opera houses, gardens and museums.
Piedmont lies at the foot of more
than 30 Alpine mountains. These
provide a dramatic environment for
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the courses of the region. For example,
Castelconturbia, designed by Robert
Trent Jones Sr, has Mount Rosa as its
magnificent backdrop.
Circolo Golf Bogogno is set in the
countryside between Lake Orta and
Lake Maggiore, boasts a splendid view
of Monte Rosa and enjoys an excellent
microclimate. Its two 18-hole courses
are both characterised by sinuous ups
and downs.
Des Iles Borromees has views
over the Sempione and Val Grande
mountains, and four lakes – Maggiore,
Varese, Monate and Comabbio – all set
against the Canton Ticino Alps.
Gluaco Lolli-Ghetti, founder of
Margara, bought a farm in the late 1960s
and built a driving range and two holes
on the surrounding land. From this has
grown an enterprise that now has two
18-hole layouts that are considered to
be among Italy’s leading courses.
Another club to have expanded is
Cavaglià. Six holes were built in 1998,
and a year later it opened as a ninehole layout with double tees. In 2001,
six executive holes were added. Then
in 2014, work started to transform
Top: Sestrieres Golf
Club. Above: Royal
Park Golf Club
Golf Club La
Margherita
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all these aspects into a single par-68
course which opened in April 2015.
La Margherita hosts national and
international tournaments and is a
permanent fixture on the list of Italy’s
top 20 golf courses. Royal Park Golf
& Country Club has been named as
the best course in Italy by several
publications. Its 36 holes are set in a
mature forest, framed by the Alps in
La Mandria regional park and near the
Royal Palace of Venaria.
Founded in 1924 and transferred
to its current site in 1957, Circolo Golf
Torino encompasses two courses, both
characterised by mature trees fringing
the holes and fairways, and natural
water hazards comprising streams and
small lakes.
Villa Carolina is set in a romantic,
mature park which is more than 200
years old and has 36 holes.
Boves lies along the River Gesso to
the east of Cuneo. Designed by the
Canadian architect Graham Cooke, this
eco-friendly course respects nature
and the natural features of the setting:
streams, water hazards and bunkers all
blend in against the background of the
Maritime Alps.
For more information visit
www.federgolfpiemonte.it and
www.piemonteitalia.eu
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