Italy's second-oldest golf club was founded in 1907 in a Menaggio hotel by four English gentlemen, and lies just 25 kilometres from Lugano as the crow flies. From there, three days of golf on the Italian shore of the lakes.
For anyone living in Lugano, Zurich or elsewhere in the canton of Ticino, Italian golf begins a few kilometres past the customs post. From Lugano, as the crow flies, Golf Club Menaggio is about 25 kilometres away, Villa d'Este at Montorfano and the Borromean Isles about 31, and Stresa 33. That is enough to build a three-day itinerary that takes in two lakes, two grand hotels and at least four courses with stories to tell.
All the courses lie within roughly 35 kilometres of Lugano. The distances are as the crow flies: the real road is longer, and waiting times at the border vary with traffic.
Day 1: Menaggio, Italy's second golf club
The Golf Club Menaggio e Cadenabbia was founded on 10 January 1907 at the Hotel Victoria in Menaggio by four English gentlemen led by the banker Henry John Mylius: it is Italy's second-oldest club. The parish priest, so the chronicles say, did not take it well. Today it has 18 holes, par 70, 5,482 metres, redesigned by John Harris in the 1960s, with five par 3s (holes 2, 3, 7, 10 and 15) and a library of more than 1,200 golf books, the oldest dating from 1682.
To play you need an exact handicap (the federal limit is 54), and tee times are booked on Chronogolf. The price list shows 100 euros for 18 holes on weekdays and 120 on weekends and holidays; the 2026 season began on 13 March. After your round, the lakefront promenade; for the night, Villa d'Este in Cernobbio.
Day 2: Villa d'Este at Montorfano
The hotel bought back in 2024 the course it had owned until the end of the 1970s. The Circolo Golf Villa d'Este, about 14 kilometres from Cernobbio, is a par 69 of 5,760 metres designed by Peter Gannon in 1926, holding the Italian record of twelve Italian Opens. It is played from March to December, every day except Tuesday, and tee times are booked through the hotel's Guest Relations. The hotel's 2026 golf package runs from 21 March to 21 November, with a two-night minimum, and includes breakfast, one 18-hole green fee, a golf cart and club rental.
In the afternoon you move on towards Lake Maggiore.
Day 3: Stresa, the Borromean Isles and Mottarone
The reference hotel, Villa e Palazzo Aminta, facing the Borromean Isles, lists nine affiliated clubs, the two nearest 5 kilometres from Stresa, and the concierge books the green fees. It is a villa from 1872, a hotel since 1950; Liz Taylor chose it in 1966, and a suite now bears her name.
The Golf des Iles Borromées, at about 600 metres on the AltoVergante, has 18 holes, par 72, 6,122 metres, by Marco Croze; from the 10th tee you can see the skyscrapers of Milan and four lakes. The 2026 rates are 70 euros on weekdays and 85 on weekends and holidays, and in 2026 the club is open every day from 6 April to 31 October.
The Golf Club Alpino di Stresa, on Mottarone, claims to be the cradle of the Italian Open: it hosted the first three editions, and in 1927 Percy Alliss won after a play-off, scoring 67 strokes in the replay, the course record. It is nine holes played twice (par 69, 5,399 metres); the price list tied to the 2026 promotional rates is 50 euros on weekdays and 60 on weekends and holidays for 18 holes.
Variations: Varese, Lanzo, Verbania
- Varese. The Golf Club Varese, at Luvinate, has its clubhouse in the former church of a Benedictine monastery dating from 1129 and hosted the Italian Open in 1958. The 2026 price list shows 130 euros for 18 holes. Varese also has the Panorama Golf, nine holes, par 33: 38 euros on weekdays, 48 on weekends and holidays (2026).
- Valle Intelvi. The Golf Club Lanzo is a nine-hole course by Donald Harradine at 1,000 metres, open since 1962. The club publishes neither a price list nor a calendar: it is best to ask the secretary's office.
- Verbania. The Golf Club Verbania, at Fondotoce, is a flat par 69 on Lake Mergozzo with 2026 green fees of 55 euros on weekdays and 70 on weekends and holidays.
The programme at a glance
| Day | Course | Distance from Lugano (as the crow flies) | 18-hole green fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menaggio | about 25 km | 100-120 euros | exact handicap required |
| 2 | Villa d'Este (Montorfano) | about 31 km | not published | closed on Tuesdays |
| 3 | Borromean Isles | about 31 km | 70-85 euros (2026) | open from 6 April to 31 October |
| 3 | Alpino di Stresa | about 33 km | 50-60 euros (2026) | nine holes played twice |
Tips for those setting out from Switzerland
- Handicap and card: bring the handicap certificate from your Swiss club; Menaggio requires an exact handicap.
- Tee times: Menaggio takes online bookings; for Villa d'Este go through the hotel.
- Tuesday: Villa d'Este is closed, so plan accordingly.
- Border: queues at the frontier depend on the day and the hour: it is best to leave a margin.
Curiosities
- A disapproving priest. At Menaggio, in 1907, the parish priest feared for the village's young men.
- 67 strokes in 1927. The Alpino record belongs to Percy Alliss, in the replay of the play-off.
- Four lakes from the tee. From the 10th hole at the Borromean Isles you can see Maggiore, Varese, Monate and Comabbio.
Frequently asked questions
Which Italian golf courses are closest to Switzerland?+
From the Ticino border: Lanzo Intelvi, Varese, Menaggio and the Lake Maggiore courses around Stresa, all within about 35 kilometres as the crow flies from Lugano.
Do you need a handicap to play at Menaggio?+
Yes, an exact handicap with the federal limit of 54, and tee times are booked on Chronogolf.
How much does it cost to play near Stresa?+
In 2026, 18 holes cost 70 euros on weekdays and 85 on weekends and holidays at the Borromean Isles, and 50 and 60 euros at the Alpino.
Does Villa d'Este have a golf course?+
Yes, the Circolo Golf Villa d'Este at Montorfano, about 14 kilometres from Cernobbio, bought back by the hotel in 2024. It is open from March to December and closed on Tuesdays.
When is the best time to play?+
The lake courses are open for most of the year (the Borromean Isles close for January); Menaggio opened its 2026 season on 13 March.
Where should you stay in Stresa?+
Villa e Palazzo Aminta, which lists nine affiliated clubs and a concierge who books the green fees.
