Golf Club Albarella

The club calls the course a sea links in the style of the classic British courses, with water, bunkers, dunes and wild vegetation across 70 hectares. The design is by John Dering Harris and dates from 1972, the year the club was founded. The fairways rest on sand dredged from the sea, which is why they remain playable even after rain. The sea wind has a decisive effect on every shot.

The par is 72 from all tees. From the white tees (men) the layout measures 6,130 metres, with a course rating of 72 and slope of 131; from the yellow 5,817 metres (CR 70.5, slope 118). For women the black tees are 5,376 metres (CR 73.8, slope 125) and the red 5,176 (CR 72.5, slope 121).

Three holes deserve a mention. The 4th, a par 5 that curves around a lake, with a raised tee and a view of the sea, is for the club “perhaps the most beautiful hole on the course”. The 5th is a par 3 with the green entirely surrounded by water. The 14th, another par 3, looks out to sea and depends on the wind.

The course is open 365 days a year. The website publishes a price list with no indication of the year it applies to, so it is wise to confirm the figures with the secretary's office: 80 euros for 18 holes in low season and 90 in high season, 45 and 50 euros for nine holes, and a weekly pass for 18 holes at 350 euros. The website does not specify which months make up the two seasons, nor does it distinguish weekdays from weekends and holidays.

A golf cart costs 45 euros for 18 holes and 30 for nine, the practice ground 10 euros, and entry to a competition 20 euros. The website does not state a minimum handicap. To book: +39 0426 330124 or [email protected].

The club was founded together with the course, in 1972. Its roll of tournaments includes the Italian International Open in 1986, the 5th BMW Ladies Open in 1991, a Challenge Tour stop in 1998, 17 editions of the PGAI circuit event and, in 2016, the 13th edition of the Vialli and Mauro Foundation Pro Am. Among its guests the club cites Fiona May, Alessandro Del Piero and Michel Platini.

The clubhouse includes a restaurant, snack bar, pro shop, changing rooms, bag storage and charging points for golf carts. For training there is the Golf Academy with a 260-metre driving range, one of the widest grass practice tees in Italy according to the club, three short-game greens and an indoor area for group lessons. On the course stands the four-star Golf Hotel, with air-conditioned rooms and free bicycles; the club is pet friendly.

• Sand taken from the sea. The course rests on over 2 million cubic metres of sand dredged from the sea.
• A poplar as a name. The island takes its name from the white poplar (Populus alba), found among the roughly 2 million trees of 150 species in the island's Mediterranean scrub.
• Wildlife on the course. According to the club, fallow deer, pheasants, ducks and many birds share the space with golfers.
• Certifications. In 2020 the Italian Golf Federation's “Impegnati nel Verde” (Committed to Green), in 2024 the GEO Certification.