5 nights at Hotel Ville Bianchi with breakfast and 2 green fees per person (Golf Club Grado and Golf & Country Club Castello di Spessa)

Designed by the Venetian architect Marco Croze and first opened to the public in 1998, Grado Golf Club boasts the emotions of an international course in the unique and charming setting of an island on the Adriatic coast, in the Friuli region. Harbour to Aquileia in Roman times, the town of Grado expanded from 452 AD when people sought refuge there from Attila the Hun and later gained in political and religious significance. Evidence of its past abounds in the historic buildings and churches. Its charm is enhanced by the big lagoon and many small, enchanting islands, which tourists love to visit. The golf course is located directly on the lagoon and thanks to the mild weather conditions and the perfect drainage, it’s open all year round. The 18 Holes Championship Course, placed in enchanting natural landscape, will challenge and enthrall golfers of all ability levels. Mostly flat, with greens often guarded by water hazards and very large and deep bunkers which test your golfing skills, Grado golf course is the kingdom of water, silence and wind. The stunning signature hole is the 18th, a spectacular par three with an island green, reminiscent of the Players Stadium Course, Grado at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. Finally, at the end of your round, the Clubhouse and the gourmet restaurant “Al Casone”, built in the typical style of the huts of the lagoon, await for you with international and local delicious dishes: the Chef’s shellfish salad is not to be missed! Technical Details Course: 18 Hole Course, Par 72, 5943 m Architect: Marco Croze Topography: Flat with many water hazards and bunkers Distinctive features: It is a challenging golf course with countless water hazards which don´t leave much room for mistakes but it is still great fun to play. Not far from Venice, it could be the right place to stay and play while visiting the area. Pro's Comment If a golf course is located on an island… water surely can’t miss! Lakes, streams and small ditches often intrude on the golfing experience to test your skills. Never too long holes (and this is not to blame), yet never dull. You start with a 350 m par 4 dogleg to the right, protected by water from tee to green on the left side and you finish your round at the 18th with a par 3 featuring an island green in the middle of a lake. These two holes are the perfect synthesis of the course’s style. Great fun in an excellent climate all year round. Make this course a must as part of your Italian golfing experience. To be played at all costs!

Playing golf amidst the vineyards of the Collio area in Friuli: this is what happens if you choose this club as destination in its strategic position on the borders with Austria and Slovenia, in a region renowned for its superb wines. Wandering through the vineyards of the Spessa Castle is exactly where we find the 18 holes of this tortuous course, opened in 2004, which offers panoramas with strikingly different and individual features. The strongest players would do best to leave their drivers in their golf bags, and to study a more prudent strategy for approaching the green. There are differences in level between tee and fairway or between fairway and green that can prove truly challenging. The enormous appeal of the resort becomes even more intriguing when we discover that the rooms of the castle in 1773 provided hospitality to Giacomo Casanova, the universally renowned Venetian writer and adventurer, and for whom the international literary award was named which each summer since 2003 has awarded authors of the finest literature inspired by the values of liberty, tolerance and openness to other cultures. A toast in the cellars used for aging wine right beneath the castle, the oldest of the Collio area, is another experience to indulge in. The clubhouse – whose windows overlook the practice course offering a view of the majestic castle, with origins dating back to 1200 – is located on the upper floor of the Hosteria, one of the resort’s restaurants, where players may enjoy the reassuring comfort of a platter of cold cuts and local cheeses at the end of a match, washed down with fine wine. Technical Details Course : 18 holes, Par 71, 5.540 m Architect : Giacomo Cabrini Topography : strategic position bordering Slovenia and Austria Special Features : the individual holes are significantly different from each other