Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta

The course has 18 holes and the website describes them one by one, but it publishes neither the total par nor the length, so they are not given here. The landscape is gently rolling and crossed by the little Almone river; from several points you can see the Claudian Aqueduct, the Via Appia Antica and the Tomb of Cecilia Metella.

The 1st starts on a gentle downhill, with out of bounds on the right and a green guarded by two water hazards. The 7th is a par 5 with a dogleg left, five bunkers around the green and, in the background, the famous Roman aqueduct. At the 8th the tee shot is blind and the green, domed and ringed by a hollow, is among the hardest.

The back nine raises the level. The 12th, a par 5 with a dogleg right and water all along the right side, is the most demanding hole according to the club; the 17th is among the most striking and delicate, with a descent and two water hazards to clear on the second shot. The 18th is an uphill par 4 with the clubhouse in view at the far end and an elevated green guarded by three bunkers.

The design dates from 1913, when the course went from 9 to 18 holes, and has remained similar to today's, but with the order of the holes reversed.

Tee times are booked at reception, by writing to [email protected] or calling 06 7803407. The price list published on the website carries no year, so prices should be confirmed: the weekday green fee is €120 for FIG members and €140 for others, rising to €150 and €170 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The driving range costs €15 on weekdays and €20 on holidays, a golf cart €60 for 18 holes, an electric trolley €20 and a manual one €5, and hiring 14 clubs €20 (€40 for the premium set).

The dress code is written into the local rules: for men, a polo shirt and long trousers or knee-length bermudas, with long socks recommended; for women, a polo shirt, with or without sleeves, and trousers, bermudas or a skirt. Jeans, tracksuits, leggings and metal-spiked shoes are banned. The required handicap and the closing day are not published.

Before Acquasanta there was already a “Rome Golf Club”: in 1898 a magazine of the day mentions it with a nine-hole course on the Via Nomentana, created by English and American diplomats. In January 1903 the general meeting instructed Arthur Flach to look for suitable links; on 28 November 1903 the members ratified his choice, the land of the Torlonia Princes at Acqua Santa, for a rent of 2,900 lire a year with a rustic farmhouse that became the first clubhouse. The minutes were kept in English until 1929.

The swimming pool opened in 1940 and was famous for its icy water, which came straight from a spring. After 1944, with the Wehrmacht encamped in the valley, the course was overrun by Allied officers; visitors remembered include Montgomery and Patton, and in 1952 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The club has a restaurant, a Youth Club and its own coaches, and in 1960 its course hosted the running events of the modern pentathlon at the Rome Olympics.

• Gardener sheep. In the early years the fairways were mown once a year and opened to grazing sheep, which fertilised the ground and brought the club an income.
• A season from October to May. At first play stopped for the summer; every autumn greens and tees were re-seeded.
• A nymph behind the tee. Behind the 3rd tee there is a spring known for the legends of the nymph Egeria.