Golf Club Menaggio & Cadenabbia

The club's motto, “Far and Sure”, sums up the course better than a spec sheet: the fairways are narrow, mature trees close in on the line of play, and the club describes it as a decidedly delicate English-style layout, with the view over Lake Como as its frame.

The course measures 5,482 metres from the men's tees and 4,839 from the women's, with a par of 70 (34 out, 36 back). The mix is unusual: five par 3s (holes 2, 3, 7, 10 and 15), ten par 4s and three par 5s (the 5th, 13th and 14th). Individual holes range from a maximum of 393 metres to a minimum of 232, depending on the tees.

The design history is a long one. The first nine, opened in 1907, was built in the Croce area, above Menaggio, under the supervision of John Henry Taylor, five-time winner of the Open Championship. The course reached 18 holes after new land was bought in the years following the First World War, with a much lower par than today's. In the 1960s the architect John Harris redesigned everything: according to the club he added four new holes and altered eight, bringing the par to 69; more recent work has since taken it to 70. The club's web pages give different dates for these stages, so no precise years are given here.

To go out on the course the club lists an exact handicap of 54 as a requirement and recommends booking in advance for tee times and extra services through Chronogolf. The 2026 season began on 13 March.

The price list published on the website does not state the year it applies to, so it is wise to confirm the figures at reception. It lists 100 euros for 18 holes on weekdays and 120 on public holidays; after 5 pm nine holes cost 60 and 72 euros, while for juniors nine holes cost 50 euros on weekdays and 60 on holidays. Packages for the current season are also available: six 18-hole green fees from Monday to Friday for 400 euros and six nine-hole rounds for 250.

A golf buggy costs 25 euros for nine holes and 50 for 18, a manual trolley 5 euros. Reception can be reached on +39 0344 32103 and at [email protected].

The story begins at the Hotel Victoria and runs through the Wyatt family: after the First World War A. W. N. Wyatt, a relative of Mylius, presided over the club from 1921 to 1935 and bought the land for the 18 holes. From 1961 the club passed to the Roncoroni family: Antonio Roncoroni, one of the founders of the Italian PGA, organised Italy's first national junior championship at Menaggio. Since December 2025 the president has been Julia Marie Terhune.

The library holds over 1,200 volumes on golf, which the club describes as one of the most valuable collections of its kind, with texts going back to 1682 and classics such as Harry Vardon's How to play golf, from 1912. The pro shop, next to the clubhouse, sells clothing and accessories under the Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club 1907 label.

In 2026 the restaurant is run by chef Andrea Bombana, with a cuisine built on produce from Lario: breakfast with a view of the lake, afternoon tea, an aperitif on the terrace, and dinner. The guest house, with lake views, hosts golfers and their companions. The club's grounds extend over 45 hectares.

• The disapproving priest. According to local chronicles, Don Enrico Moltrasio noted with disapproval that the English Anglicans had founded the so-called “Golf Club”, fearing its influence on the young.
• An Open champion at the start. The first nine was overseen by John Henry Taylor, five-time winner of the Open Championship.
• A collectors' library. Over 1,200 volumes, the oldest from 1682.
• Five par 3s out of eighteen. A high proportion for a par 70, with holes 2, 3, 7, 10 and 15.