A society trip needs more than one good course. It needs a region with several, a base that holds the whole party, food and wine that turn the evenings into the trip, and tee times that take a group of mixed handicaps in their stride. Italy delivers all of it. These are the eight courses we would build a society trip around, ranked, with our verdict and where to base.
Photograph: Verdura Resort, a Rocco Forte Hotel, via Google
For a society, the round is only half the day. We weight the headline appeal that a group will talk about for years, the strength of the cluster around each course so you can play several from one base, the quality of the lodging and the long Italian dinners afterward, and whether the course welcomes a block of golfers of every standard. Italy has quietly become one of Europe's best society destinations: a Ryder Cup pedigree near Rome, a dense run of classics in Piedmont, and resort golf on the islands and the southern coasts.
Every fact here, from designers and opening years to the 2023 Ryder Cup, was checked at the time of writing against the clubs and recognized sources. The verdicts and the order are our editors' view of what makes a great group trip rather than a pure architectural ranking, so a society chasing only the toughest tests will reorder it. If you want any of these turned into a costed itinerary with grouped tee times, transfers and a base that fits the party, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The course that staged the 2023 Ryder Cup, and the obvious centerpiece for any society. Reshaped by European Golf Design into a dramatic, hilly amphitheater in the countryside northeast of Rome, with the eleventh century castle on the skyline and the city a short drive away, it is the round your group will want to tick off. Walking the same closing holes Europe celebrated on is a thrill, and Rome itself gives a society everything it needs after the golf.
The best single base for a society in Italy. Verdura, a Rocco Forte resort on the southern coast of Sicily, has two Kyle Phillips eighteens plus a short course, all running toward the Mediterranean, with a hotel, spa and restaurants that hold the whole party in one place. The golf is generous, scenic and good for mixed abilities, and you never have to leave the property unless you want to. For a group that wants quality and zero logistics, this is it.
Regularly rated the best course in Italy, a Robert Trent Jones Sr design set in a regional park outside Turin among oaks, water and the backdrop of the Alps. Tournament tested and immaculately conditioned, it is the standout of the Piedmont cluster and the kind of championship round a society remembers. Base near Turin and you can pair it with Biella and Castelconturbia for a three round trip without long transfers.
One of the great classical courses of continental Europe, John Morrison's heathland and birch layout in the foothills below the Alps near Biella. Quiet, beautifully kept and consistently ranked among the best in Italy, it is a connoisseur's round that a society of keen golfers will appreciate, and it sits squarely in the Piedmont cluster with Royal Park and Castelconturbia. Old world charm, serious golf and a calm, scenic setting.
Twenty seven holes of Robert Trent Jones Sr golf between Lake Maggiore and the Alps, which makes it ideal for a society: three nine hole loops give flexibility for a big, mixed group and a guaranteed full day of golf. The course is parkland of the highest order, wooded, watered and beautifully framed by the mountains, and it rounds out the Piedmont trio with Royal Park and Biella. Variety, scale and quality in one club.
The jewel of the Costa Smeralda, a Robert Trent Jones Sr design threaded through granite, maquis and two bays of impossibly blue sea on the northeast coast of Sardinia. It is a spectacular, demanding round in a glamorous setting, perfect for a society that wants its golf trip to double as a luxury escape. Pair it with the beach clubs and restaurants of Porto Cervo and you have a trip the group will not forget.
A modern, sustainable resort course on the Monte Argentario promontory in southern Tuscany, with rolling holes, sea views and a comfortable hotel and spa on site. It is a relaxed, scenic round that pairs golf with the food, wine and coast of Tuscany, ideal for a society that likes its trips civilized. Base here and you can mix rounds with a day exploring the Maremma, the islands and the local cellars.
The standout course in Italy's deep south, set in the countryside near Lecce in Puglia, with a resort hotel and spa attached. It is a generous, sun baked round that works well for a group of all standards, and Puglia itself, the baroque towns, the cucina povera, the beaches of the Salento, is one of the most rewarding regions in Italy for a trip that is as much about the place as the golf. Value, sunshine and a different side of Italy.
Designers, opening years and the 2023 Ryder Cup verified June 2026. All welcome visitor or resort play, and several have a hotel on site for a society base; green fees, society rates and tee sheets vary by season. Always confirm access, group rates and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Tell us the region, the dates and the size of the group, and one concierge arranges grouped tee times, society rates where available, transfers and a base that fits the whole party, costed to the head with no obligation. Or start with our plan my trip page.
Marco Simone near Rome, the 2023 Ryder Cup host, is the headline round for any society and our top pick, a dramatic championship course with a base of food and history that a group will love. For a single resort that houses the whole trip, Verdura in Sicily with its two Kyle Phillips courses is the standout.
It depends on the trip. Rome puts Marco Simone and the city within reach. Piedmont, around Turin and the lakes, has the densest cluster of great courses, Royal Park I Roveri, Biella and Castelconturbia, ideal for multiple rounds from one base. Sicily and Sardinia suit a resort led trip, while Tuscany and Puglia pair golf with food and wine country.
Spring and autumn, roughly April to June and September to October, are the prime windows across most of the country, with warm, settled weather and the courses in good order. The southern islands of Sicily and Sardinia extend the season into the shoulder months, while the Piedmont courses are at their best in the milder months either side of a hot summer.
Yes. Societies travel as a block, so we arrange grouped tee times, society rates where available, transfers and a base that fits the whole party, then cost it to the head. Tell us the region, the dates and the size of the group and our concierge builds the itinerary around your golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years and host events verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.