Playing golf in Italy as a foreigner: handicaps, cards, bookings

A foreign golfer can play at the great majority of Italian clubs that are open to visitors, provided they can show they know how to play: almost always that means a handicap certified by their own club or federation, sometimes a maximum limit (54, 45 or 36 depending on the course), sometimes a card. You book the tee time online, by phone or through the hotel concierge, and you follow dress and equipment rules that change from club to club.

Beyond the few general rules that apply everywhere, what counts are the ones each club declares for itself; and in Italy many clubs do not publish their handicap requirement, so it is best to ask beforehand.

What you really need to play: handicap, card, course permit

To understand what clubs ask for, you have to tell three documents apart.

The handicap. Since 2020 the reference system has been the World Handicap System, run by the R&A and the USGA, which lets you play on any course in the world with your own handicap; the maximum value is 54.0. A foreign golfer who belongs to a home club generally has a Handicap Index: that is what Italian clubs ask to see. Some still use EGA terminology (the previous European system): San Domenico Golf, in Apulia, asks for an "EGA handicap, or the equivalent from another federation, of 36 at most".

The card. In Italy you play with the card of the Italian Golf Federation, but clubs accept foreign guests who are members of their own federation. A few formulas: Pevero asks for "the card of a recognised federation"; Rapallo and La Margherita (Turin) apply different rates to those holding an FIG card and those holding a foreign card; Il Tiber, in Rome, explains that the federation card with handicap is an insurance rule, valid on all Italian courses.

The course permit. In Italy a new player is classified as "not qualified" until a pro certifies that they can handle themselves on a course (the "green card", or in South Tyrol the Platzreife or Platzerlaubnis). Green Club Lainate says it plainly: it admits players with the minimum GA qualification, while those who are NA play only when accompanied by an FIG-PGA pro. For a foreign visitor with a handicap, the problem generally does not arise.

The requirements of ten clubs, compared

To get a concrete idea, here is what some clubs declare (always ask the secretary's office to confirm).

Some cases are stricter still: Mare di Roma requires FIG membership for the current year even just to use the practice range; Tiber, by contrast, lets anyone use the driving range and putting green, even without a card. Castiglion del Bosco, in Tuscany, is a private club: non-members can apply online (with a certified handicap) for Unaccompanied Play, or play as guests of the hotel.

A last nuance concerns Alpine clubs and those with a strong local identity. Pustertal, in Brunico, requires a valid membership card and the green card; Passeier.Meran accepts a course permit as an alternative; Lana accepts the Platzreife, the German and Austrian playing permit that many golfers from north of the Alps already have in their pocket. For visitors from the German-speaking area this is a concrete advantage: it is a document they already know.

If you have no handicap: how to start in Italy

Anyone arriving without a handicap is not excluded, but must choose carefully.

• Rules test. Golf Club Il Colombaro (Salò) offers an 18-question test on rules and etiquette: with 15 correct answers you obtain an EGA handicap of 54, useful for playing in sixth-category competitions.
• Course and green card. Il Tiber in Rome offers a three-hour rules course, which according to its website costs 20 euros with a lesson included; the federation offers formulas such as the GolfPop card (lesson, equipment and membership).
• Hotel packages. The Parkhotel Marlena (South Tyrol) sells "Handicap in 5 days": ten hours of private lessons at Golf Club Lana, green fee and rental included, with a final exam for the Federation handicap.
• Practice only. At Tarvisio, those without the required handicap can use the driving range; at Tiber the putting and pitching green are open to all.

How to book a tee time

The method varies from club to club; there are four main ones.

1. Online on the club's website. Circolo Golf Venezia uses a form with handicap and club; Golf Club Rapallo a booking portal; Mare di Roma takes bookings up to six months ahead.
2. Platforms. Chronogolf (Asiago, Menaggio), nexxchange (Passeier.Meran, Tarvisio).
3. By phone or email. Especially at clubs without online booking: Ca' della Nave, for example, refers you to the secretary's office for rates and requirements.
4. Through the hotel. Many hotels book tee times for guests: the Hotel Castel in Tirolo books tee times and includes the South Tyrol Golfcard (20% off the green fee at the nine courses of the province); the Guest Relations team of the Hotel Excelsior Venice books tee times, transfers and rental; the concierge of Villa e Palazzo Aminta books green fees at the Lake Maggiore clubs; the Parkhotel Marlena runs Golf Club Lana and offers special rates to guests.

A few practical tips:

• Book early. Menaggio recommends booking the tee time and ancillary services in advance; Mare di Roma accepts bookings up to six months ahead; Lainate suggests booking on weekends and public holidays.
• Cancel in time. Pustertal (Brunico) asks for cancellation at least 24 hours ahead, otherwise the green fee is charged; at Tarvisio cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
• Check the last tee time. Lamborghini closes at 5 pm, with the last tee time for guests at 4:30 pm.

Closing days and maintenance work

This is the most common mistake of those who plan a trip from afar: many clubs close one day a week, often Monday or Tuesday, and almost all have periods of aeration and reseeding. A few examples from the 2026 price lists:

The advice is simple: when you fix your dates, open the club's website and look for "closures" or "works", and phone if the site is not clear.

Dress, equipment and small rules

The dress code is the most widespread rule and the least standardised. Pevero bans jeans and T-shirts; San Domenico Golf asks for trousers, Bermuda shorts and a polo shirt, no jeans, shorts or tank tops; Rapallo does not admit blue jeans, tracksuits, non-sports shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, Crocs, flip-flops and slippers; Lana bans jeans. On the course you wear soft spikes (Lana, Lamborghini, Salsomaggiore and Reggio Emilia require them).

Other rules that surprise visitors:

• Own golf bag. Passeier.Meran, Quellenhof Passeier and Lana ask every player to bring their own bag, and at Pevero every player must have one.
• Golf carts. At Pevero, to drive the buggy you must be 18 and hold a licence; at Fiuggi the golf cart is not used in rain or on wet ground without authorisation, and driving is forbidden to under-18s.
• Dogs. At Lana and at Golf Club Padova they are not allowed; at Reggio Emilia and Lamborghini they are allowed on a lead.
• Children. Pevero does not admit children under 6 on the course.

Private, open and public clubs: knowing who you are dealing with

Not all Italian clubs are alike, and the type of club explains the rules. Castiglion del Bosco, in the Val d'Orcia, describes itself as the only private golf club in Italy: membership is by invitation, and other players can only submit an application. At the opposite extreme, Fiuggi, founded in 1928, was according to the club the first public course in Italy, and is open seven days a week; Tiber in Rome opens its driving range and putting green to anyone and is open from 8 am to 9 pm, all year round. In between is the majority of clubs: associations of members that admit visitors on the days when the course is not taken up by competitions.

This is a point that foreigners underestimate: competitions affect tee times. Many price lists say explicitly that prices may change on competition days, and some exclude reciprocal arrangements in certain periods (Cansiglio, for example, suspends them from 20 July to 25 August 2026 and on competition days).

When the requirements are not written down

Several clubs do not publish their handicap requirement (Royal Park I Roveri, Bogogno, Sanremo and Villa Carolina are examples). In these cases silence does not mean "no requirement": it means "ask the secretary's office". The simplest way is a short email to the office: give your name, home club, handicap, date and number of players. At Bogogno, to cite one case, the golf academy offers lessons in English, Spanish and French as well.

If the club replies with a request for documents, send straight away a photo or PDF of the handicap certificate from your home federation: the clubs that carry out checks (Venice, Del Ducato, Lamborghini) ask for it anyway at the time of booking.

Seasons and openings: where you play and when

The second typical mistake is the season. The mild climate of the coasts and islands allows play all year: Argentario declares itself playable all year, San Domenico Golf is open twelve months a year according to the club. By contrast, mountain courses have short windows: Sestriere opens from June to September, Ponte di Legno reopened on 30 May in 2026, Pustertal opened on 4 April 2026 and closes at the end of October, Cansiglio plays from 1 May to the end of October. In between are the lakes: Menaggio began the 2026 season on 13 March.

The practical consequence is that the same week can be perfect in one place and impossible in another. If you travel out of season, choose the South, the islands, the Maremma or the coast; if you are in Italy in summer, the mountain clubs offer cool fairways and differentiated prices (Asiago, for example, has a 2026 price list with 70 euros before 14 June and after 14 September, 110 at the height of summer).

What it costs: the order of magnitude

In the clubs' 2026 price lists, an 18-hole green fee costs typically between 60 and 110 euros; it ranges from under 50 at provincial courses to 195-270 euros at Marco Simone, the 2023 Ryder Cup course. Season, day and, at some clubs, card all make a difference: Rapallo, for example, asks 60 euros on weekdays and 95 on weekends and holidays from FIG members (price list without year), and 70 and 115 from those with a foreign card. Golf carts and rentals are almost always extra.

The checklist before you leave

1. Certified handicap from your home club, printed or in an app.
2. Card of your federation.
3. Soft spikes and golf attire, without jeans.
4. Confirmed tee time booking, with email or receipt.
5. Check of the club's closures on your dates.
6. Own golf bag if required (or a rental booking).
7. Telephone number of the secretary's office, in case of delays.