4 nights at Hotel Ristorante Giardinetto with breakfast plus 2 green fees (GC Castelconturbia and GC Alpino di Stresa)

At 600 meters of altitude, this is the second golf course in Stresa after the historic Alpino, and is nestled in woodlands abounding with a variety of tree species. On those days when a lake gives new meaning to the word “beauty”, golfers often stand bewitched at the starting tee on Hole 18. There you can admire a panorama that sweeps from the Ticino plain to the Alps of the Simplon Pass and Switzerland, and over four lakes – Maggiore, Varese, Monate and Comabbio, the Alps, and on the most fortunate days, even the skyline of Milan. Dating back to 1987, the course is natural and it shows: its difficulties, the differences in level, and its hazards were not custom-built. They have been there for centuries. Architect Marco Croze has only enhanced or adapted them to a course that manages to entertain as well as challenge at the same time. The design of the holes is extremely varied and quite undulating, and this often forces players to adopt a defensive tactic. Your feet are never flat on the ground and each shot can have disastrous effects on the score: in this case, simply console yourselves with the panorama. Technical Details Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6122 meters. Architect: Marco Croze Topography: hilly, narrow course with some interesting water hazards Distinctive features: remarkable either for its play course or for the natural surroundings. Its landscape is itself an added value. Pro’s comments: To understand the beauty and difficulty of this golf course, you must try it: breathtaking panoramas and a very demanding and punishing layout for imprecise golfers

Among the golf courses around Lake Maggiore, the oldest one is Alpino di Stresa Golf Club, high in the hills overlooking the most famous town of the area. From this strategic location you can enjoy the pleasure of an extraordinary panoramic view of the lake and the Alps. You will be welcomed in a friendly atmosphere in this 9 holes only club, designed in 1924 by Peter Gannon. The course has a distinctive trait that distinguishes it from any other: the architect was left-handed and that has been reflected in the project, later developed by the professional Francesco Pasquali, who won the first Italian Open on this very golf course in 1925, followed by two other championships. The layout runs clockwise and the left section becomes punishing, often to the very edge of the out of bound limit. Despite the 700 m. altitude, only holes 1,3, 4 and 9 are uneven. Overall it is a short but quite difficult course, with some narrow and dodgy fairways, many tall trees along the tracks, small and fast greens, protected by bunkers. As a compensation, a unique detail: you will never find a bunker on the fairways, nor any water hazard. Technical Details Course : 9 holes, Par 69, 5397 meters. Architects: Peter Gannon, Francesco Pasquali Topography: hilly Distinctive features: the greens are not so visible when you throw in the ball. Pro’s comments Almost 100 years of history but it doesn’t look it! At Alpino di Stresa Golf Club you can play and have fun on a course with steep slopes, where precision is much more needed than strength; 9 holes to play tiptoeing, without of bounds always at your left. If you don’t hook, delight is guaranteed

In an area – the province of Como – which already had a high-density golf factor, in 1971 the Golf Club La Pinetina opened on 70 hectares in the immense Appiano Gentile Pinewood Parkland. The exclusive, relaxing, and peaceful context consists of woods with Scots pines, birches, oaks, and chestnut trees, some homes well hidden by the vegetation, and all of it far away from roads, noise, and the stress of daily life. The course follows the contour of the land, which is quite undulating with different playing situations. Evocative panoramic views of Monte Rosa and the Lombard Prealps can be glimpsed between the treetops. The club has a strong ecological approach: a photovoltaic plant installed in 2010 and a solar thermal energy system in 2013 have been steps along the club’s long journey of awareness and responsibility towards the environment. Over the years, La Pinetina joined the Committed to Green program, has been awarded environmental certification by the Golf Environment Organization (GEO), and was acknowledged by Federgolf for its commitment to energy conservation. Finally, it has constructed a pool following a bio-architecture project using the most advanced materials from an ecological standpoint. The last of the 18 holes is the game-changer. It is played by amateurs as a short par 5 but, in case of pro tournaments, it becomes the hardest of the entire course, a par 4 of 373 meters, meaning it is very long and what’s more, slightly uphill, with a fairway that slopes to the right and the green – designed on two very pronounced levels – is protected by three bunkers. The lovely clubhouse beside it offers welcome refreshments after the last efforts. Technical Details Course: 18 holes, Par 71, 5823 meters Architect: John Harris Topography: hilly at times, steep slopes, forest Special features: championship course, the first 9 holes are more challenging Pro’s Comments Precision, precision, precision: the three watchwords necessary to face the challenge of the La Pinetina course. Not long but delicate and undulating, this 18-hole course must be dealt with by forgoing power and the urge to risk; in particular, Hole 3, a very narrow and long par 5, has ruined the scores of many a golfer, even experts. If you don’t play long but precisely, La Pinetina is the perfect course to bet against golfers who take pride in their power.

In springtime they are covered with white fragrant flowers. They are the locust trees which give the club its name, trees that are often imposing, also known as acacias, which are easily found in Lombardy woodlands. The club is very close to the Malpensa Airport, a destination that is easily reached due to its proximity to the motorway, where Jack Nicklaus in the early 1990s was asked to decide how to sculpt those flat 70 hectares to create a course that was worthy of his name. The Golden Bear had no doubts as to what was needed to obtain a course able to host international events, a Stadium Course where spectators would have a privileged vantage point to see what was actually happening on the course. So bulldozers moved no less that two million cubic meters of earth and gravel to form a masterpiece of hollows, amphitheaters, terraced bunkers and lakes that would bear his unmistakable signature. The result is a challenging yet not severe course where players of all levels, from beginners to professionals, can have a great time because of the five teeing boxes for each hole, to be chosen according to ability, following the rule of “risk-reward” that Nicklaus likes so much. An attacking game is recommended for top players, but those not wanting to risk can play defensively, enjoying a match with commendable results. Technical Details Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6168 meters Architect: Jack Nicklaus Topography: flat with a lot of water hazards. Distinctive features: aggressive play, if you want to play your handicap. This course has the very typical mark of Jack Nicklaus, with several difficulties. The aspect of a course does not always correspond to its play. This course, which is the only one Jack Nicklaus designed in Italy, is a true master touch! And he has done his best: strategic bunkers, water hazards and ondulated greens. Everything is there. The Scottish-style tricks, like the hidden bunkers, are in the perfect mode of brilliant Nicklaus. Pure pleasure for golfers! Pro’s comments I truly appreciate Nicklaus’s hand as an architect of golf courses and Le Robinie confirms that sentiment. It is a fair course because you must know how to mix power and precision, where each hole makes a lasting impression but you must always stay far away from the deep bunkers scattered all over the course, a real punishment for unskilled players but panoramically and technically flawless. Holes 17 and 18 which surround a large lake are beautiful and if you are willing to gamble, you will be rewarded, but a cautious strategy of staying away from the water is absolutely worth considering, especially if you are defending a good score. A masterpiece, like the many others, created by the skilled hand of the great American champion.

Golf and Varese are old acquaintances. It was 1897 when the first 9 holes of the city were marked out in the park of the Grand Hotel Excelsior in the Casbeno neighborhood, today site of the prefectural offices. After a brief transfer north to Valganna, the Golf Club Varese found its definitive location in Luvinate in 1934. First 9 holes, which then doubled in the 1950s, with views that sweep from Monte Rosa to the three lakes – Maggiore, Varese and Monate – and an immense wealth of century-old trees, as beautiful to see as they are penalizing for imprecise golfers The course is indeed narrow with small and well-defended greens, with undulating sloping fairways that are often breathtaking – such as Hole 18 with an uphill climb to a killer green! Dominating it all, the 12th century monastery from which the clubhouse was created. A stop here is a unique experience. You must cross an ancient cloister, as the Benedictine nuns once did who lived here until the 15th century. Going past the old sacristy, you enter the spacious parlor, the bar and restaurant with coffered ceilings and the other walls covered with wooden panels bearing the names of the winners of the club’s most prestigious tournaments. Each hole is completely different from the others and rarely will you find yourself playing a shot with the ball perfectly level. It is often wise to forgo using a driver from the tee, so as not to run too many risks and place the ball in the wider spots of the fairway with an iron or three-wood. Technical Details Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6054 meters Architects: Gannon & Blanford Topography: rather hilly, wide fairways, many doglegs, veteran trees Distinctive features: the many doglegs are quite demanding and require a precise game: either a 3-wood or a long iron might help. Pro’s comments The Golf Club Varese thrills golfers especially in autumn, when the trees are brightly colored with red, yellow, brown and dark green leaves. A sight not to be missed, just as the tee shot from Hole 10 overlooking Lake Varese, with a truly breathtaking view. For golf aesthetes, a must-see.