Circolo Golf Villa d'Este

The course is an 18-hole par 69 of 5,760 metres, designed in 1926 by the architect Peter Gannon. The club describes it as one of the most fascinating and technically demanding layouts in Europe among par 69s, with natural hazards designed to test players of different levels.

What counts most is the setting. The course lies at around 400 metres of altitude, in a wood of centuries-old chestnuts, birches and pines that, according to the pages of the club and of Villa d'Este, numbers over 30,000 trees. From the holes you can see the little Lake Montorfano, with the Prealps in the background and, on clear days, Lake Como.

The club's website does not publish hole-by-hole details, nor course rating and slope: for these figures you need to contact the secretary's office.

The course is open every day from March to December, except Tuesday, according to the golf club page on the Villa d'Este website. The club's website does not publish a green fee price list or state the handicap limit for guests: to book a tee time you need to contact the secretary's office on +39 031 200 200 or write to [email protected].

An alternative route goes through the Villa d'Este hotel in Cernobbio, which for 2026 offers a two-night golf package with breakfast, an 18-hole green fee, golf cart and club rental (valid from 21 March to 21 November, with a two-night minimum and some dates excluded). The hotel also offers experiences such as nine holes in the morning with lunch, nine holes at sunset with an aperitif and two-hour lessons for children aged 5 to 14.

The 2026 tournament calendar can be downloaded from the club's website.

The club was founded in 1926 and in this century has hosted twelve editions of the Italian Open, a national record. The club belonged to the Villa d'Este hotel until the end of the 1970s and the hotel bought it back in 2024. In 2026 the centenary brings a dense programme of competitions and events, presented in the presence of the leadership of the Italian Golf Federation.

The restaurant La Terrazza al Golf, overlooking the 18th hole, is open for lunch and dinner to members and non-members, with chef Orazio Stella and under the supervision of executive chef Andrea Guerini. To stay on the course there is the Lodge, a guesthouse with rooms of 32 square metres with a patio onto the garden, located along the entrance avenue, inside the first nine holes. For lessons there is the Green Golf Academy.