Circolo di Campagna di Zoate

The course is an 18-hole, par-72 layout of 5,854 metres from the championship tees and 5,158 from the forward ones. According to the club, it was designed by Angelo Corvini and the Marmori brothers. The terrain is flat and natural, in the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, between the Lombard countryside and the River Addetta, which runs alongside several holes.

The club describes a game of wide fairways alternating with greens guarded by bunkers, with water hazards placed strategically. From the tee you have to clear the tree lines typical of the Po Valley; it is the short game that then decides the score. According to the club, the layout suits players of different levels and rewards consistency over power.

The surfaces are described as well kept, with flowers and ornamental plants. The website publishes no scorecard with the individual holes: for the par and distance of each, ask at the secretary's office or consult the table on the competitions portal.

The online price list, which does not state the year it refers to, shows an 18-hole green fee of 50 euros on weekdays and 70 euros on weekends and holidays; for 9 holes 30 and 40 euros. The affiliated rate falls to 40 euros on weekdays and 60 on weekends and holidays. The practice range costs 10 euros from Tuesday to Friday and 15 at the weekend; entry to a competition is 25 euros.

For rentals, a golf buggy costs 50 euros for 18 holes and 30 for 9 for non-members, a pull trolley 5 euros and an electric one 15. Since the price list carries no date, it is advisable to check the figures before booking.

The club is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 am to 6:30 pm; on Mondays, holidays apart, it is closed. On competition days it opens an hour before the first tee time. The website does not state the handicap required: the secretary's office can be reached on 02 9063 2183 or at [email protected], and tee times are booked online.

The club was founded in 1984 in the hamlet of Zoate, a small rural settlement that the club traces back to the fifteenth century. The clubhouse is the result of the renovation of an old riding school and offers places to meet, dining rooms and terraces overlooking the course. The club presents itself as an informal setting, suited to families, adults and children.

The restaurant, serving Italian and Lombard cuisine, is open Tuesday to Sunday from 12:30 to 3 pm and from 7:30 to 10:30 pm; there is also a buvette with a veranda on the garden. The club has a swimming pool with sun terrace, a gym, two tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch and a billiards and card room. The pro shop sells clothing and equipment.

The academy has three PGAI instructors: Stefano Zerega, a professional since 1978 and the club's instructor since its foundation; Alfredo Ferraloni, at Zoate since 1991; and Alessandro Notaro, a former Alps Tour player, who runs the junior club and uses Trackman 4 and Capto for analysis. Courses for beginners, a junior club and special packages are on offer.

• Horses and golf. The clubhouse is carved out of an old riding school.
• A fifteenth-century hamlet. The Zoate settlement dates back, according to the club, to the 15th century.
• A river for company. The Addetta runs alongside several holes.
• An instructor from day one. Stefano Zerega has taught at Zoate since the foundation, in 1984.