Italy Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
Italian golf is riding a long wave of investment that began with the Ryder Cup. In 2026 the Tuscan flagship Argentario, PGA National Italy, marks twenty years with planned course works, while Marco Simone trades on its Rome legacy. Here is what is changing and what it means for your trip.
The headline: Argentario at twenty
The course in the spotlight in 2026 is Argentario in Tuscany, which celebrates twenty years since its championship layout opened on June 2, 2006. Italy's only PGA National course since 2019, the par 71 stretches around 6,295 meters between the Orbetello lagoon and the Tyrrhenian Sea, and having hosted the DP World Tour's Italian Open in 2025 it carries real tournament pedigree into its anniversary year.
The 2026 work is maintenance and refinement rather than a wholesale redesign, with restoration already scheduled as part of planned improvements, including work on the stairways to several tee boxes. That is exactly the kind of careful, low key investment a twenty year old championship course should be making, keeping the playing surfaces and infrastructure sharp without disrupting the layout that earned its reputation. For a visiting golfer it means a flagship venue in good order, with the anniversary a fitting moment to play it.
The wider picture
The backdrop to all of this is the Ryder Cup, staged at Marco Simone outside Rome in 2023. That course was completely re routed and rebuilt across all eighteen holes by a European Golf Design team, with Tom Fazio II involved on the construction side, work completed in 2020 and funded by the Italian Golf Federation as part of its winning bid. The legacy is a genuine stadium course on the doorstep of Rome that visiting golfers can play, and a national profile for Italian golf that did not exist a decade ago.
Italy's deeper strength, though, is its variety. The classical northern courses near the lakes and Turin, including the heathland of Biella Le Betulle, sit alongside the coastal resort golf of Tuscany, Sardinia and Sicily. It is a country where the great old inland courses reward custodianship while the resort venues chase the destination market, and the post Ryder Cup momentum lifts both.
What it means for your trip
For a 2026 Italian trip the obvious anchors are Rome and Tuscany. A Rome base lets you play Marco Simone and pair it with the city, while a Tuscan trip built around Argentario combines championship coastal golf with the food, wine and scenery the region is famous for, an easy sell for a couples or mixed group itinerary. The north around the lakes and Turin makes a third, more classical option.
Italy plays a long season, strongest in spring and autumn when the heat eases, with high summer hot on the coast and the shoulder months ideal inland. Green fees are seasonal and the marquee venues are in demand, so book ahead and confirm green fees and access directly before booking.
Our take
Italy has used the Ryder Cup as a springboard, and the smartest sign of a maturing golf nation is what is happening at Argentario, careful investment in a twenty year old flagship rather than chasing the next grand build. Combined with the genuine, playable Ryder Cup legacy at Marco Simone, it tells you Italian golf is spending where it counts. Plan a 2026 trip around Rome or Tuscany, travel in the shoulder seasons, and confirm everything for your dates before you commit.
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Questions
What is happening at Argentario in 2026?
Argentario in Tuscany, Italy's only PGA National course, marks twenty years since its 2006 opening and has restoration works scheduled as part of planned 2026 improvements, including work on tee box stairways. It hosted the DP World Tour's Italian Open in 2025.
Can you play the Ryder Cup course at Marco Simone?
Yes. Marco Simone near Rome, which hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup, was rebuilt across all eighteen holes by European Golf Design and completed in 2020. It is a playable stadium course and a natural anchor for a Rome golf trip.
When is the best time to play golf in Italy?
Italy's season is longest and most comfortable in spring and autumn, with high summer hot on the coast. Green fees are seasonal and the marquee venues are busy, so confirm tee times and rates directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Renovation and tournament details verified June 2026 from course and event sources; dates and fees change, so always confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.