Golf Club Frassanelle

The Frassanelle course is an 18-hole layout designed by Marco Croze and opened in 1990, when the Euganean Hills Regional Park had only just been created. It plays through wide open spaces, woods and numerous stretches of water, inside the 19th-century park of the Papafava estate, which the club attributes to the design of Giuseppe Jappelli, a Venetian architect of the mid-19th century inspired by the English countryside.

The signature hole is the 15th, a 150-metre par 3 that crosses the big lake. Since 2014-2015 tees and fairways have been converted to bermuda, a grass that needs less water and fertiliser and no chemicals; in 2015 the club received an environmental award for the protection of the landscape. Par and lengths are not published on the website, so they are not given here.

The club's website does not publish a green fee list: rates, required handicap and the course's closing day must be requested from the office, on 049 991 0722. Tee times and tournament results can be consulted on the federation portal GES Golf.

The restaurant, on the other hand, is closed on Tuesdays; to book, the number is 049 688 7839, and it is wise to do so.

The clubhouse was created from a finely restored 17th-century farmhouse, with a character designed in the Anglo-Saxon golfing taste. Inside are the pro shop, a swimming pool with solarium, a sauna and a massage service.

The Ristorante Al Golf Ca’ Frassanelle serves seasonal Venetian and Italian cuisine, with a panoramic terrace over the course. The MGA Golf Academy is run by Antonio Lionello, Germana Zanardi and Fabrizio Sintich. The practice area has covered bays, pitching and chipping greens, a putting green and a practice bunker. The club also hosts the U.S. Kids Venice Open, a junior tournament.