Golf in Lombardy – Fantastic golf courses between lakes, the Alps and Italian joie de vivre For many, Lombardy is an insider tip when it comes to golfing in Italy. Golfers will discover an exceptionally diverse region stretching between the Alps in the north and the Po Valley in the south. In between: stunning lake landscapes, historic towns and some of Italy’s best golf courses. Whether you are an ambitious sportsman or simply looking for an enjoyable round of golf, Lombardy offers both. Golf courses with character and history There are over 30 golf courses in Lombardy, many of which have a long tradition. The Golf Club Milano in Parco di Monza is legendary – a true championship course that has hosted the Italian Open several times. The course is challenging, beautifully overgrown and offers a pure classic golfing experience. Less well known, but a real highlight for connoisseurs: the Barlassina Country Club. An elegant parkland course maintained with great attention to detail. Quietly located, challenging, with a stylish clubhouse and excellent service. If you love lakes and panoramic views, don’t miss the Bergamo L’Albenza Golf Club – nestled in the foothills of the Alps, this 27-hole course is a scenic dream and offers a variety of play. The perfect blend of sport and la dolce vita What makes Lombardy so special as a golfing region is the density of top-class courses combined with the typical Italian lifestyle. After your round, you won’t find an anonymous 19th tee, but often a small gourmet restaurant with pasta, vino and a view. Many golf clubs offer hotel facilities or are located near charming accommodation, from elegant villas to agriturismo. And when you’re not playing golf, there’s plenty to discover: Milan with its shopping, design and opera. The Franciacorta wine region. Lakes such as Lake Como, Lake Iseo and Lake Garda with their Mediterranean atmosphere. Our conclusion: golf holidays in Lombardy As a golfer, you will find perfect conditions in Lombardy: excellent courses, not too crowded, scenic and combined with Italian hospitality. The region is ideal for a golf trip or an extended golf holiday – both for beginners and experienced players looking for something special. Top golf courses in Lombardy * Golf Club Milano – a classic with a history of tournaments * Barlassina Country Club – a stylish parkland course * Golf Club Bergamo L’Albenza – 27 holes in the hills * Chervò Golf San Vigilio – near Lake Garda, 36 holes with resort * Monticello Golf Club – one of the largest golf clubs in Italy Golf trip to Lombardy – we are happy to advise you Whether it’s a weekend trip or an extended golf holiday, we will put together the right package for you. Just ask us for offers including accommodation, green fees and tips for restaurants, wineries and excursions. Enquire now about a golf holiday in Lombardy – and experience pure Italian golfing bliss!
Foresteria Barlassina
Hotel page
05.02.–12.02. —
7 nights, Dbl room (old-style), BED AND BREAKFAST
Just 20 km from Milan, seven spacious, exquisitely decorated rooms have been built directly onto the beautiful 18 hole Barlassina Golf Course. The Club House was designed by Luigi Vietti, one of the most prestigious architectural firms in Italy. Some rooms have a view of the golf course and the swimming pool, whilst others have a view on the woods. Next to the building, in a romantic setting, you will find a large swimming pool for the guests, where a large beech tree seems to be ready to take a dip in the pool. After an enjoyable round of golf, a visit to the restaurant is a must, whether it be in the elegant dining room with its fireplace or out on the terrace, during Summer. In 1960, Barlassina was chosen by the director Michelangelo Antonioni, for the dance scenes of the film “The Night” with Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau.
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Just 20 km from Milan, seven spacious, exquisitely decorated rooms have been built directly onto the beautiful 18 hole Barlassina Golf Course. The Club House was designed by Luigi Vietti, one of the most prestigious architectural firms in Italy. Some rooms have a view of the golf course and the swimming pool, whilst others have a view on the woods. Next to the building, in a romantic setting, you will find a large swimming pool for the guests, where a large beech tree seems to be ready to take a dip in the pool. After an enjoyable round of golf, a visit to the restaurant is a must, whether it be in the elegant dining room with its fireplace or out on the terrace, during Summer. In 1960, Barlassina was chosen by the director Michelangelo Antonioni, for the dance scenes of the film “The Night” with Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau.
Golf Club Barlassina
Golf club page
06.02. — green fee per player: Hotel's Guests Golf Rates 18 holes (10:00)
From the very first step into the club house, where you can find the trunk of a monumental plane tree, protected by a glass case and with its canopy reaching for the sky above the roof, you gather that the founder of Barlassina in 1958 wanted something unique. Goal achieved, because the club, with its 70 hectares in the countryside between Milano and Como remained for a long time one of the few Italian private golf clubs, defending an exclusivity of which it’s always been proud. But times change and now even the occasional visitor gets to know this gem of Lombardy golf, where the creator, the British architect John Morrison, assisted by Donald Harradine, took advantage of the hilly land, making it even more scenic. The best time to play the 18th holes in the Groane Park is late Spring: azalea and rhododendron bushes of many pink shades convert it into a delightful lush garden. The green of the 9th hole (a 183 m long par 3), surrounded by flowers, wins the “Oscar” for the best set design. Finally, a treat for the enthusiasts of the cinema: in 1960, the halls of the clubhouse, designed by the architect Luigi Vietti, were chosen by director Michelangelo Antonioni as a set for the dance scene of the award winning movie “La notte”, starring Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni. Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6135 meters Architects: Harris, Morrisson Topography: gentle rolling hills, woodland course, numerous bunkers Distinctive features: conceived to suit all levels Pro’s Comments A club of long tradition with a magnificent course. The holes, completely immersed in the woods and in the silence, get better and better. To be mentioned is the 10th, with the tee close to the clubhouse, it’s a very difficult and delicate Par 4 slightly dog-leg to the left, where it’s mandatory to play an accurate tee shot to reach a very far green (from the championship tee, more than 400 meters). A particularity that you will appreciate: no water hazards guarding the greens, but only a few streams in the woods. A joy for the less skilled players. Barlassina is perhaps the only golf club in Italy that still provides members-only lounges in the club-house. For many‚ but not for everyone.
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Golf Club Carimate
Golf club page
08.02. — green fee per player: Green Fee 18 Holes (10:00)
We are midway between Milan and Como, in the heart of the Brianza area, where almost at the same time with the nearby “Barlassina Golf Club”, was created, in 1962, another ambitious project, at the forefront of Italian design. Piero Mancinelli designed the course, Guido Veneziani and Vico Magistretti (personalities that nowadays would be called “archi-stars”) signed the clubhouse project. Keeping the ancient castle of the noble Visconti family (later owned by the Arnaboldi Cazzaniga family ) as its point of reference, a new development of 400 small villas (none taller than the surrounding vegetation) and a golf course were built, in the 60 hectares of woodland. More than 50 years later, the gently undulating course and the club atmosphere confirm their uniqueness, with thanks to the constant evolution and the desire to keep pace with the times. Carimate Golf Club is a very lively club, where the members gather as in a second home and visitors are very welcome. The course, wide and varied, runs amid a botanical heritage of ten thousands plants and has been developed in two different stages: the “Higher” holes, created close to the clubhouse, opened in 1961, and the “Lower” holes, inaugurated three years later. Once seated around the table, at the restaurant, please have a look at the red chairs in wood and wicker: they are rare design pieces, the making of Vico Magistretti, who named them after the Club: Carimate. Since 1962 they are produced by Cassina. Technical Details Place : 18 holes, Par 72, 5850 meters Architect : Piero Mancinelli Topography : flat with very dense vegetation Special features : beautiful course, not to difficult to play, a lust for the eye Pro’s comments A splendid and very tall Atlas cedar makes play on Hole 11, a par 5of over 500 meters, extremely complicated. Positioned in the middle of the fairway around 100 meters from the green, it forces players to be strategically attentive already with the second stroke: better to keep to the right for an easier entrance. A thrilling and unforgettable signature hole.
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Golf Club Villa D'Este
Golf club page
11.02. — green fee per player: Daily Green Fee (10:00)
There are places that remain untouched by time, enveloped in a special aura evoking elegance, tradition and good taste. The Circolo Golf Villa d’Este, protected by the woods of Montorfono and lying 20 minutes south of the Como city shores of the lake is one of these. This is true now more than ever, 90 years after those days in 1926 when English and American tourists – who had already chosen the Larian shores and their microclimate as their preferred holiday destination – began to tread the greens of the 18 holes that the shareholders of Grand Hotel Villa d’Este of Cernobbio decided to build, prompted by the requests of their well-heeled customers. The walls of the clubhouse designed by architect Giuseppe Bergomi – partly destroyed by fire in 1990 but faithfully reconstructed to the original, with hardwood floors fragrant of beeswax, the wood paneling of the bar and the incomparable terrace looking onto the course and the hills – narrate the most wonderful chapters in the history of Italian competitive golf: 12 Italian Opens were played here between 1928 and 1972, 57 editions of the Men’s International Championship and 39 editions of the Ladies’, to name a few. To understand the prestige of this club, we need only glance at the club’s record book to see the names that proudly appear there: for example, the Spaniard José Maria Olazábal, who before becoming the hero of many Ryder Cups in tandem with Seve Ballesteros, as well as captain of the victorious European team in 2012, the first of his two Masters’ green jackets, won the Italian Open twice in 1983 and 1985 on this narrow and undulating course designed by Major Peter Gannon Technical Details Course: 18 holes, Par 69, 5789 meters Architece: Peter Gannon Topography: Tee-off should be exact and straight. You’d better bring along with you a few more balls. Hillside locations make the game difficult. Distinctive features: From the peak of its 440 metres above sea level, this terrain offers good playing conditions also in summer. Pine trees, birches, chestnut trees characterize this course. A charming setting including a par 69 that ranks among the toughest ones in Europe: a true challenge also for the most experienced golfer! Pro’s comments An intriguing yet very complicated course to face if you don’t have experience or the right attitude. Its very deep bunkers and greens with very accentuated differences in level will greatly challenge inexperienced golfers. However, the Villa d’Este’s 18-hole course is a must on the curriculum vitae of any golfer visiting the Lombardy region. A few well-played holes are a guarantee of satisfaction: the enjoyment lies, for once, in overcoming the course’s difficulties.
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