Lake Garda is Italy's golf lake. Between the southern shore and the first alpine foothills sits the densest cluster of quality courses in the country, crowned by Gardagolf Country Club, a three time Italian Open host, with Nicklaus, Player, Rossknecht and Fazio designs around it and a course above the water that has played since 1912. Here are the six we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each.
Photograph: Gardagolf Country Club, via Google
Garda's golf grew up in one generation. Bogliaco, carved above the lake in 1912 for the first wave of British and German tourists, stood alone for seventy years; then the late 1980s and 1990s brought Gardagolf and Arzaga, the 2000s added Chervo and Paradiso, and the southern shore became Italy's golf coast. Everything sits within about thirty minutes of Desenzano and Sirmione, Verona's airport is half an hour away, and the lake does the evenings. This list ranks the courses; we rank the stay and play resorts separately.
Every fact here, from designers and dates to tournament hosting, was checked at the time of writing, and the Garda clubs publish friendly seasonal visitor rates for 2026 that sit well below northern Europe's marquee fees. All six welcome travelling golfers. The verdicts and the order are ours. If you want any of them built into a costed Lake Garda trip with the tee times handled, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The benchmark of Garda golf and one of the best inland courses in Italy, 27 holes beneath the medieval castle of Soiano with the lake glinting beyond. The English firm of Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Partners laid out the original Red and White loops, opened in 1986 with the Yellow nine following in 1990, and the club has hosted the Italian Open three times, in 1997, 2003 and 2018. Polished, demanding and beautifully kept, it is the anchor round of any Garda week.
The lake's resort heavyweight, 27 holes in the rolling country behind Desenzano attached to the Palazzo Arzaga hotel and spa. The 18 hole Arzaga I is a Jack Nicklaus II design of American scale, water and sweeping bunkering, while Gary Player's nine adds a contrasting, links flavored loop. Big practice grounds and the stay and play convenience make it the natural base for golfers who want everything on one estate.
The biggest golf complex on the lake, 36 Kurt Rossknecht designed holes on the plain below the San Martino tower, run by the Chervo sportswear family with a modern hotel and apartments on site. The championship combinations play long and open with water through the closing stretch, conditioning is reliably strong, and the sheer scale means a tee time is rarely a problem even in high season.
The American style course of the eastern shore, a Jim Fazio design at Peschiera that moves across man made ridges and lakes with the Garda mountains as the backdrop. Attached to the Active Hotel Paradiso, it is the most resort like round on the lake after Arzaga, generous to the holiday golfer but with enough water and shaping to keep the card honest, and Verona is barely twenty minutes away.
The soul of Garda golf and the third oldest course in Italy, created in 1912 high on the western shore for the lake's first tourist boom. It is short and sporty by modern standards, climbing terraced ground with olive trees and stone walls for company, and its elevated par 3s serve some of the finest views in Italian golf, the whole southern lake spread out beneath the tee. Play it for the history and the photographs.
The wine country wild card, half an hour west of the lake among the sparkling wine vineyards of Franciacorta. The championship 18 carries a rare European Pete Dye signature, designed with Marco Croze, with a later nine alongside, and the railroad ties, pot bunkers and water carry his unmistakable hand. Pair the round with a cellar visit and it becomes one of the best golf days in northern Italy.
Designers, dates and hosting verified June 2026; the Garda clubs publish friendly seasonal visitor rates for 2026 that sit well below northern Europe’s marquee fees. All six courses welcome visitors. Always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Tell us whether the trip bases on the southern shore for the full cluster or adds Franciacorta and Verona, and roughly when. One concierge handles the tee times, the lakeside base and the costs, to the head, with no obligation.
Gardagolf Country Club at Soiano del Lago, the 27 hole layout by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Partners that hosted the Italian Open in 1997, 2003 and 2018. Arzaga's Jack Nicklaus II course and Chervo San Vigilio's 36 Rossknecht holes complete the podium. All welcome visitors with seasonal 2026 rates published by each club; confirm directly before booking.
Five clubs sit within roughly thirty minutes of the southern shore, Gardagolf, Arzaga, Chervo San Vigilio, Paradiso del Garda and historic Bogliaco, offering well over a hundred holes between them, with Franciacorta's Pete Dye design half an hour west in the wine hills. It is comfortably enough golf for a week without repeating a loop.
Yes, arguably the best golf base in Italy. The courses cluster tightly, Verona airport is about half an hour away, the lake towns of Sirmione and Desenzano handle the evenings, and visitor green fees are friendly by northern European standards. The golf is matched by wine country, boat trips and Verona itself, so mixed groups are well served.
April to October is the season, with May, June and September the sweet spots: warm days, alpine air keeping midsummer heat honest and the lake at its best. July and August are busiest on and off the course, and spring and fall bring the best combination of conditions and value. Always confirm tee times for your dates.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.