Golf Club Milano

Golf Club Milano plays inside the Royal Park of Monza, almost 700 hectares of woodland, one of the largest historic parks in Europe and the largest entirely surrounded by walls. The three courses, 27 holes in all, wind among age-old trees that, the club writes, give golf the character of “a gesture of style”.

The original design is by James Peter Gannon, with the works overseen by Cecil Blandford, later the club's secretary. Born in 1928 with 9 holes, the course became an 18-hole one in 1933. In 1958 the third course was added, designed by Giulio Cavalsani, then secretary and later a course designer: in just three years he built the 27-hole course that is still played today. The club's website does not publish par and lengths for the individual courses, which must be requested from the office.

Golf Club Milano is a private club and the rule must be read carefully: on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays access to the course and practice ground is reserved for members and their guests. The site adds that guests are welcome up to six times a year, without specifying the conditions: for details and for green fees, which are not published online, it is best to contact the office.

The office is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, and is closed on Mondays. It can be reached on 039 30 30 81, or at [email protected]. The club asks for etiquette and Club rules to be respected.

The club was founded on 8 May 1928 on the initiative of Senator Giuseppe Bevione. Its first home was the Pheasantry of Victor Emmanuel II, later restored and furnished by the architect Pietro Portaluppi. The current club house, wanted by the president Gianni Albertini and built in 1958 to a design by Vietti e Buzzi, is described by the club as “one of the most beautiful in Europe”: its terraces overlook the courses and a swimming pool surrounded by the park's trees. There are a restaurant and a bar.

The roll of honour includes nine Italian Opens: 1951, 1952, 1956, 1981, 1984, 1990, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Winners here have included Sandy Lyle (1984) and Francesco Molinari (2016, at -22). For young people up to 21 there is the Club dei Giovani, overseen by six professionals: Marco Crespi, Alberto Giolla, Luciano Grappasonni, Leandro Vergari, Claudio Viganò and Nicola Zappa.

• From hunting to golf. The club was born in the Royal Pheasantry, where Victor Emmanuel II and then Umberto I raised pheasants for hunting parties with their guests.
• A hundred Rotary members. According to the FAI, Bevione's proposal was shared by the hundred members of the Rotary Club Milano.
• A record edition. In 2017 the Italian Open, won by Tyrrell Hatton with 263 strokes (-21), drew 73,000 spectators and, for the first time, 7 million dollars in prize money.
• A 1990 field. When Richard Boxall won (-21), the field included Severiano Ballesteros, José María Olazábal and Vijay Singh.
• Twinning with Villa d'Este. Members enjoy the same privileges as the Circolo Golf Villa d'Este thanks to the Double Membership agreement.