Tuscany vs Lake Garda for Golf
Italy's two favorite golf holidays, three hours apart and completely different in mood. Tuscany is wine country golf: rolling estates around Florence and Siena, led by Castelfalfi, the largest golf resort in the region, and Argentario on its lagoon. Lake Garda is Italy's golf lake, an amphitheater of courses above the southern shore crowned by Gardagolf, a three time Italian Open host. Here is the head to head, with our verdict up front.
Photograph: Castelfalfi Golf Club, via Google
Our verdict
For the golf itself, Lake Garda wins. The southern shore packs a remarkable cluster into half an hour of driving: Gardagolf Country Club, 27 holes by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Partners that hosted the Italian Open in 1997, 2003 and 2018; Palazzo Arzaga's 27 holes by Jack Nicklaus II and Gary Player; Chervo San Vigilio's 36 holes by Kurt Rossknecht; Jim Fazio's Paradiso del Garda; and Bogliaco, founded in 1912 and the third oldest course in Italy, perched high above the water. Add Franciacorta's Pete Dye design in the wine hills just west and no Italian region gives a golfer more rounds per mile.
For the holiday, Tuscany is the pick, and for most travelling couples that settles it. Castelfalfi's 27 holes ramble through a restored medieval estate, Argentario, the PGA National of Italy, looks over the Orbetello lagoon, Royal Golf La Bagnaia by Robert Trent Jones Jr sits just south of Siena, and Tom Weiskopf's private Castiglion del Bosco hides in the Montalcino vineyards. Between rounds you have Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and the best food and wine in the country. Garda is the golf trip; Tuscany is the trip with golf in it.
The head to head
| Tuscany | Lake Garda | |
|---|---|---|
| The headline golf | Castelfalfi, 27 holes and the largest golf resort in Tuscany; Argentario, the PGA National of Italy by David Mezzacane and Baldovino Dassu | Gardagolf Country Club, 27 holes by Cotton, Pennink, Steel and Partners and a three time Italian Open host |
| The supporting cast | Royal Golf La Bagnaia by Robert Trent Jones Jr near Siena; Tom Weiskopf's private Castiglion del Bosco in Montalcino | Arzaga's Nicklaus II and Player courses, Chervo San Vigilio's 36 Rossknecht holes, Jim Fazio's Paradiso del Garda, historic Bogliaco |
| Density | Courses are spread across the region, an hour or more apart, so the trip tours rather than clusters | Five clubs within roughly thirty minutes of the southern shore, plus Franciacorta in the wine hills west |
| History | Golf is the newcomer here; the estates, hill towns and vineyards are the old soul of the trip | Bogliaco has played golf above the lake since 1912, the third oldest course in Italy |
| Green fees | Resort pricing at Castelfalfi and Argentario; seasonal 2026 rates published by each club and well below Britain's marquee links | Friendly club rates; Gardagolf, Arzaga and Chervo publish seasonal 2026 visitor fees and welcome travelling golfers readily |
| Season | March to November, with spring and fall the sweet spots; July and August run hot inland | April to October on the lake, with long summer evenings and alpine air keeping the heat honest |
| Getting there | Florence and Pisa airports, then a rental car through the hills | Verona is about half an hour away, with Bergamo and Milan within easy reach |
| Beyond the golf | Florence, Siena, Chianti and Brunello tastings, hill towns, the Tuscan table | Sirmione's castle and thermal baths, boat trips, Verona's opera, lakeside passeggiata |
Each club publishes seasonal 2026 visitor rates, shown by the clubs themselves; figures here are framed to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Italy tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Lake Garda if
The golf is the point. Nowhere in Italy lets you play more good courses from one base: stay near Desenzano or Sirmione and Gardagolf, Arzaga, Chervo, Paradiso and Bogliaco are all inside half an hour, with Franciacorta's Pete Dye design a short drive west. The Italian Open pedigree at Gardagolf gives the week its anchor round, and the lake itself does the evenings.
Pick Tuscany if
Golf shares the bill with food, wine and art. Base at Castelfalfi or an agriturismo between Florence and Siena, play Argentario and La Bagnaia as day trips, and build the rest of the week around Chianti, the hill towns and long lunches. The courses are genuinely good; the setting is the best in European golf travel.
Or do both
Tuscany and Lake Garda sit roughly three hours apart by autostrada, and a ten day Italian golf trip happily takes in both: open with three or four rounds around the lake while the legs are fresh, then drift south through Verona and Bologna into the Tuscan hills for the slower half of the holiday. The season is shared from April to October and the contrast is exactly the point. Tell us the dates and we will route the drive, the tee times and the tastings.
Plan your Italy golf trip
Tell us whether the trip leans Tuscan wine country, the Garda golf cluster, or a route that takes in both, and roughly when. One concierge handles the tee times, the bases and the costs, to the head, with no obligation.
Tuscany vs Lake Garda questions
Is Tuscany or Lake Garda better for a golf trip?
Lake Garda has the better and denser golf: Gardagolf, a three time Italian Open host, plus Arzaga, Chervo San Vigilio, Paradiso del Garda and historic Bogliaco all within about thirty minutes of the southern shore. Tuscany has the better holiday, with Castelfalfi, Argentario and La Bagnaia woven between Florence, Siena and the vineyards. Keen golfers pick Garda; mixed groups usually pick Tuscany.
How expensive is golf in Tuscany and on Lake Garda?
Both regions are kind by northern European standards, with visitor green fees well below Britain's marquee links. Each club publishes seasonal 2026 rates, with resort pricing at Castelfalfi and Argentario and friendly club rates around the lake. Fees move by season and day, so always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time for golf in Tuscany or Lake Garda?
April to June and September to October are the sweet spots in both regions, with warm days, full courses in bloom and the summer crowds absent. Lake Garda plays comfortably through midsummer thanks to the alpine air, while inland Tuscany runs hot in July and August and is better played early. Confirm tee times for your dates.
Can you combine Tuscany and Lake Garda in one golf trip?
Easily. The two sit roughly three hours apart by autostrada, so a ten day itinerary can open with the Garda cluster and finish in the Tuscan hills, or the reverse. Verona, Bologna and Florence break up the drive nicely. We route this combination regularly, with tee times, bases and tastings handled.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Italian course openings, fee windows and the booking dates that matter from the lakes to the hill towns. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.