Play the course that hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup in the morning and stand in the Colosseum by the afternoon. Rome is the rare golf trip where a Ryder Cup layout, a clutch of historic clubs and the greatest city in the world sit within forty five minutes of one another. Here is how to build the trip, where to stay and play, and what a Rome golf holiday costs in 2026.
Photograph: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome, via Google
Rome made itself a golf destination overnight when Marco Simone staged the 2023 Ryder Cup, the first ever held in Italy. The trip suits the golfer who wants a marquee, bucket list round wrapped inside one of the world's great cities, and it suits the mixed group even better, because while some play, the rest can fill a morning with the Vatican, the Forum or a market and everyone meets for dinner. It is the golf and culture trip done at the highest level, ideal for couples, society outings and anyone pairing the game with a long city weekend.
The smart play is to base centrally in Rome and treat the courses as a ring around the city, none more than thirty to forty five minutes out. Marco Simone is the headline, with Olgiata, Acquasanta, Castelgandolfo and Parco de' Medici giving contrasting rounds in between the sightseeing. Three nights covers a long golf and culture weekend; five to seven adds the wider Lazio coast and countryside. For more, see our guide to golf in Rome and our Italy golf holidays page.
The reason Rome is on the golf map. Originally a Jim Fazio design from the late 1980s, the championship course was comprehensively rebuilt by Tom Fazio II and European Golf Design for the 2023 Ryder Cup, where Europe reclaimed the trophy. Dramatic, water laced and finished to tournament standard, with views to the city and its medieval tower, it is the unmissable round and a premium ticket. Book well ahead.
The grand old championship club northwest of the city, laid out by C.K. Cotton with Frank Pennink in the 1960s and long a host of the Italian Open and international team events. Twenty seven holes of mature, tree lined parkland reward position and patience, a fine, traditional contrast to the modern theatre of Marco Simone and an easy round from a central base.
Two of the most atmospheric rounds in Italy. Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, the country's oldest club, plays among the ruins of Roman aqueducts off the Appian Way, minutes from the centre. Country Club Castelgandolfo, a Robert Trent Jones Sr layout, sits in a volcanic crater by Lake Albano beside the Pope's summer residence. Together they capture the romance of golf in the Eternal City.
The handy round on arrival or departure. Parco de' Medici, established in the 1990s, offers twenty seven holes minutes from Fiumicino airport and a useful warm up or wind down for the trip. Beyond it, the Lazio coast and countryside add resort courses for longer stays, from the Tyrrhenian beaches to the hills around the lakes. Build these around the city rounds as the trip lengthens.
Designers, host history and access verified June 2026. For round by round costs, see our Italy green fees guide and the full ranking of the best courses in Italy.
| Day | Base | The plan | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Rome | Fly into Fiumicino, a warm up round at Parco de' Medici on the way in, check into a central hotel. | About 30 minutes from the airport |
| Day 2 | Rome | The headline round at Marco Simone on the Ryder Cup course, an evening in Trastevere for dinner. | About 40 minutes northeast |
| Day 3 | Rome | A morning at Olgiata or Acquasanta, an afternoon at the Vatican or the Colosseum for the whole group. | About 30 to 45 minutes |
| Day 4 | Castelli Romani | Castelgandolfo in its volcanic crater, lunch in the hill towns and the lakes above the city. | About 45 minutes southeast |
| Day 5 | Depart | A final morning in the city, or a round near the airport before the flight home. | About 30 minutes to Fiumicino |
Drive times are typical road times, verified June 2026, and longer in Rome's rush hours. A central base lets non golfers sightsee while the group plays. Compare city and resort hotels for each base.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Long weekend, good city hotel | From around €900 to €1,500 | 3 nights central, 2 to 3 rounds, transfers, a Marco Simone round extra |
| Golf and culture week | From around €1,600 to €2,800 | 5 to 7 nights, the marquee courses, four or five star hotels, sightseeing time |
| Premium Ryder Cup experience | From around €2,800 upward | Luxury hotels, a premium Marco Simone round, private guiding and dining |
Indicative third party operator ranges for the 2026 season, excluding flights, shown to set expectations only. Green fees at the leading courses are upper range for Italy, with Marco Simone the priciest and most in demand, so book the Ryder Cup round early. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking. Compare operator packages.
Spring and autumn, roughly April to June and September to October, are the prime windows, with warm, settled golf and the most comfortable months to walk the city. They are also the busiest, so book the Marco Simone round and central hotels two to three months out, especially around long weekends and Italian holidays. July and August are hot, best handled with early tee times and air conditioned afternoons in the museums, while the mild Lazio winter keeps golf comfortable on most days and offers the best value and the quietest tee sheets of the year.
Tell us whether the Ryder Cup round at Marco Simone is a must, how much sightseeing you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, holds the tee times and hotels and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
April to June and September to October are the prime windows, with warm, settled days and the courses in fine condition, and they double as the best months to walk the city. July and August are hot in Rome, better played with early tee times, while the mild Lazio winters keep golf comfortable on most days and offer the best value of the year. Always confirm conditions and tee times directly before booking.
Yes. Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, which hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup, is open to visitors on its championship course, the same layout redesigned by Tom Fazio II and European Golf Design where Europe won the cup. Tee times are limited and in demand, so book the marquee round well ahead, and expect a premium green fee. Always confirm rates and availability directly before booking.
Marco Simone, the 2023 Ryder Cup host, leads the region. Olgiata, a C.K. Cotton and Frank Pennink design from the 1960s with 27 holes, and the historic Acquasanta, the oldest club in Italy near the Appian Way, are the classic city rounds. Country Club Castelgandolfo, a Robert Trent Jones Sr layout in a volcanic crater, and Parco de' Medici near the airport complete a strong shortlist.
Indicative third party figures for 2026 run from around €900 to €1,500 per person for a long weekend with a few rounds and a good hotel, roughly €1,600 to €2,800 per person for a week with the marquee courses and four or five star hotels, and higher with a premium Marco Simone round. Green fees at the leading courses are upper range for Italy. These exclude flights. We never quote our own pricing, so always confirm directly before booking.
It is one of the best. Few destinations let you play a Ryder Cup course in the morning and stand in the Colosseum or the Vatican by the afternoon. The courses ring the city within thirty to forty five minutes, so a central base lets non golfers sightsee while the group plays, then everyone meets for dinner. It suits couples, mixed groups and society trips alike.
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