Marco Simone Golf Club
The course that brought the Ryder Cup to Italy. Rebuilt into a stadium of rolling fairways and natural amphitheatres near Rome, with a medieval castle on the hill and the city skyline beyond, Marco Simone staged Europe's 2023 victory and now welcomes the travelling golfer to walk it.
Photo: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club via Google.
The verdict
Marco Simone is the newest of the great Ryder Cup courses to open its tee sheet to visitors. The Championship course began life as a Jim Fazio design in the late 1980s, but ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup it was comprehensively rebuilt by European Golf Design in cooperation with Tom Fazio II into a purpose built match play stage, the fairways shaped into rolling stadium contours, the run offs and natural amphitheatres designed to gather huge crowds and to manufacture drama. In September 2023 it did exactly that, as Europe reclaimed the cup on home soil just outside Rome.
At a par of 72 of around 7,100 yards, played a touch shorter for the matches, it is a modern championship test with a sense of theatre and a backdrop few courses can match, a medieval castle on the hill above and, on a clear day, the dome of St Peter's on the Roman horizon. For the travelling golfer it is a rare chance to walk the same fairways the world's best fought over, half an hour from the heart of one of the world's great cities, the centerpiece of a Rome golf and culture break.
Marco Simone at a glance
- Opened
- Rebuilt 2021
- Designer
- European Golf Design, Tom Fazio II
- Type
- Championship parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- Around 7,100 yds
- Green fee
- From about 190 euros
Designer, redesign and yardage verified June 2026 from Marco Simone, the Ryder Cup and leading course databases. The Championship course, originally a Jim Fazio design and rebuilt by European Golf Design with Tom Fazio II for the 2023 Ryder Cup, plays to a par of 72 of around 7,100 yards, and was set up at a par of 71 of around 7,180 yards for the matches. Green fees are indicative, from around 190 euros in the off season to around 220 euros in peak season in 2025, higher around the autumn anniversary period. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Marco Simone was built to be watched, and you feel it as you play. The fairways roll through shaped mounding that doubles as grandstanding, greens sit in natural bowls, and water and run offs are placed to tempt the aggressive line and punish the miss, exactly the risk and reward that makes for great match play. It is not a long course by modern standards, but it is a precise one, demanding position off the tee to open the angle into greens that fall away on the wrong side.
The closing stretch is the theatre. The drivable and reachable holes down the run in were designed to swing a match in minutes, the kind of holes where a hero shot or a collapse can turn the afternoon, and where in 2023 the European team sealed the cup in front of vast home crowds. Throughout, the medieval Marco Simone castle stands on the hill above the course and, on a clear Roman day, the skyline of the city sits on the horizon.
For the travelling golfer, Marco Simone is the trophy round of a Rome trip. Pair it with the city's classic courses and a few days of Rome itself, the ancient sites, the food and the piazzas, and you have a golf and culture week that few destinations can rival.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visitors with a handicap, generally a maximum of around 34, booked in advance through the club or your trip planner; the club is normally closed on Tuesdays |
| Green fee | From around 190 euros in the off season to around 220 euros in peak season in 2025, with higher rates around the autumn anniversary period (indicative) |
| Booking | Reserve ahead, especially for weekends and the spring and autumn shoulders; proof of handicap is normally required to play the Championship course |
| On the day | Carts and clubs are available; this is a championship layout, so allow time and play the tees that suit your game to enjoy it |
| Getting there | At Guidonia Montecelio northeast of Rome, around 30 minutes from the city centre and accessible from both Rome airports |
| Best months | Spring and autumn for warm, comfortable golf; the Roman summer is hot and the winter mild but cooler and quieter |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from Marco Simone and leading course databases; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Marco Simone has its own country club and lodging on site, a quiet base in the countryside northeast of the city for golfers who want to wake up by the course.
Most travellers split their stay with central Rome, around 30 minutes away, where the hotels run from grand historic palazzi to stylish boutiques, putting the ancient city and its restaurants on the doorstep between rounds.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts at Marco Simone and in central Rome.
Build a Rome golf trip
Marco Simone lets you walk a Ryder Cup course half an hour from the centre of Rome, and it pairs with the city's classic layouts and a few days of Rome itself. We sort the tee times, the handicap paperwork, the lodging and the transfers, and price the trip to the head. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge handles the rest, with no obligation.
Marco Simone questions
Who designed Marco Simone Golf Club?
The Championship course at Marco Simone began as a Jim Fazio design in the late 1980s and was comprehensively rebuilt by European Golf Design in cooperation with Tom Fazio II ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup, reshaped into a purpose built match play stadium with rolling fairways and natural amphitheatres.
Did Marco Simone host the Ryder Cup?
Yes. Marco Simone hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup near Rome in September 2023, the first time the matches were held in Italy, and Europe reclaimed the cup on home soil. It was the third venue in continental Europe to stage the Ryder Cup.
Can visitors play Marco Simone?
Yes. The Championship course is open to visitors with a handicap, generally a maximum of around 34, booked in advance, and the club is normally closed on Tuesdays. Indicative 2025 green fees run from around 190 euros in the off season to around 220 euros in peak season, higher around the autumn anniversary period. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking.
What is the par and length of Marco Simone?
The Championship course plays to a par of 72 and measures around 7,100 yards, and was set up at a par of 71 of around 7,180 yards for the 2023 Ryder Cup. It is a modern, precise championship layout designed for drama, with the medieval Marco Simone castle and, on a clear day, the Rome skyline beyond.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.