Golf in Italy

The Golf Club Bologna is history, tradition and is even more: the club is the oldest one among those which go on “according to tradition” according to the will of its founder.

Achille Sassoli de Bianchi “wanted it, created it and I know how much he loved it,” his wife Anna says proudly. Today Filippo Sassoli, just as proudly as Achille, runs and loves it.

Its overall shape is reminiscent of British inland courses, with greens well protected by bunkers and nothing particularly original about the layout as a whole. You certainly wouldn’t come here just for the thrills of striking visual beauty, but the moderation in the layout of hazards makes this a pleasant course for almost every player. Only the very best might rue the absence of a tougher challenge.

Le Fonti Golf club is situated in the fascinating Sillaro Valley, with a mild and pleasant microclimate, surrounded by gently rolling hills.

The course, which stretches for a total of 6,480 metres, has 18 holes and is par 72, and is extremely varied and entertaining both for experienced players and beginners. The clubhouse provides catering services within excellent restaurant that develops the local traditions of food and wine with flair and impeccable hospitality.

Together with the surrounding area, the course, overlooking the spa facilities and on the outskirts of the medieval town, offers an ample variety of opportunities for fine dining, recreation, cultural activities, sports and music that allow guests to enjoy a pleasant and unforgettable stay.

Three spectacular, world-class, new golf courses have been built at Verdura, one of very few sites on the rugged, rolling island of Sicily where such an opportunity is possible.

Phillips, who designed the stunning Kingsbarns Links just outside St Andrews in Scotland, and also the immaculate parkland courses at The Grove in Hertfordshire, as well as numerous US projects, is renowned for preserving and accentuating the essential character of the site, through his creative use of both natural and man-made landforms.

The East Course is 7,221 yards long and the West Course is 7,474 yards from the championship tees; the Short Course, a nine-hole par-3, is 1,056 yards. There is also a Composite Championship Course made up of holes from the East and West, should a professional championship be staged in the future, measured at 7,458 yards. Each hole on the East and West has five tee positions to choose from: the minimum length of the East is 5,505 yards, and the West 5,753 yards. Tee times are arranged at 12-minute intervals to ensure free-flowing play, and each day one of the courses will be dedicated to two-ball play only.