At Terme di Saturnia, the course is treated with the water of the spring where the non-golfer bathes. Seven hotels where two people with different plans, 18 holes for one and a spa for the other, still end up together at dinner.
A couples golf holiday has a scheduling problem: one of you wants the eight o'clock tee time and the other wants nothing to do with bunkers. The answer is a hotel where the morning can be spent apart and the rest of the day cannot, that is, a course within easy reach and something serious for the one who stays behind, whether a spa, the sea or a small town to explore on foot.
How to choose: three formulas for two
- Resort with course and spa on the same property. The simplest option: you walk from the course to the spa. Saturnia and Verdura.
- Adults-only hotel with a course a few minutes away. For those who want quiet and a spa to be taken seriously: Marlena and Preidlhof in South Tyrol.
- Hotel with its own or affiliated course, and the sea. Masseria San Domenico and Hermitage on Elba.
Terme di Saturnia: the course and the water of the same spring
The Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort is a textbook case of a couple with two programmes. The course, an 18-hole par 72 by Ronald Fream on 70 hectares of the Maremma, is treated once a week with water from the spring: the sulphur, the resort explains, prevents fungal diseases. It is the same water that flows out at 37.5 °C into the pool at the centre of the hotel, which opened in 1919.
The non-golfer has the Thermal Park of 20,000 m², the Roman Bath with sauna and steam room, and the Medical SPA. The Terme di Saturnia Golf Club has a Golf Inclusive offer: at least two nights with breakfast, one 18-hole green fee per day for each player and a 50% discount on the second guest's green fee. Prices and times should be requested from the club office (0564 600844).
Masseria San Domenico: thalassotherapy and the course by the sea
The Masseria San Domenico, in Savelletri di Fasano, is an adults-only hotel. The tower of the Knights of Malta was the summer home of the Melpignano family until 1996; according to the Michelin Guide, it was the first property to call itself a "masseria". The spa is built around thalassotherapy, with programmes of one to three days, and a brackish-water pool among the rocks.
The San Domenico Golf belongs to the same owner: par 72, over 6,300 metres, by Andy Haggar with shaper Brian L. Jorgensen, with the sea in view from every hole. Hotel guests benefit from the San Domenico Hotels agreement: in 2026 the 18-hole green fee costs from 65 to 105 euros depending on the season, instead of 95-150. An EGA handicap of up to 36 is required. The Play & Stay package, valid in spring and in October, combines three nights, three dinners at the San Domenico restaurant, two green fees and a golf buggy for two days.
Verdura: 45 holes and four seawater pools
The Verdura Resort in Sciacca has 45 holes by Kyle Phillips on 230 hectares by the sea. The East Links is a par 73 of 6,763 metres, the West Shore a par 70, the Executive a nine-hole par 3 course; the European Tour played the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open here. Note the state of the courses as of 3 October 2026: the East Links is fully open, the West Shore is open but being converted to Bermuda grass until spring 2027, and the Executive is closed until then.
For the non-golfer there is the Irene Forte Spa, 4,000 m² with four outdoor seawater thalassotherapy pools and treatments using plants from the resort's organic garden. The Golf Inclusive Offer includes two green fees per room per night and a 30-minute lesson with Trackman. At the Verdura Golf Club there is also a Performance Centre, which Rocco Forte presents as the only one in Italy approved by the European Tour.
South Tyrol: Marlena, Preidlhof and Turm
In South Tyrol the formula is different: the course is a few minutes away and the spa is the reason to stay in the hotel.
The Parkhotel Marlena in Marlengo, a four-star superior for adults aged 14 and over, has, according to the hotel, founded and runs the Golf Club Lana, nine holes by Michael Pinner from 1998 beneath Brandis Castle. It guarantees its guests special rates and the free South Tyrol Golf Card. The spa measures 1,000 m², with seven types of sauna and a panoramic pool overlooking Merano, open from April to October. Among the offers for two, in the evening from 8:30 to 10:30 pm the spa can be booked for one couple only, with sparkling wine and fruit, at 90 euros. The course is the Golfclub Lana.
The Preidlhof in Naturno is an adults resort with 5,500 m² of spa, eight saunas, seven pools and a six-storey Sauna Tower from 2013. It has no course of its own: it is a partner hotel of Golf & Country Südtirol, with green fee reductions at the circuit's four courses and guaranteed tee times. Lana is a nine-hole par 35 that the hotel says can be played from February to December.
The Romantik Hotel Turm in Fiè allo Sciliar occupies a thirteenth-century tower, with a genuine Picasso in the bar; the Golf St. Vigil Seis (18 holes, par 69, 850 metres, open from April to November) is five minutes away, according to the hotel. Guests get a 20% discount on the green fee and guaranteed tee times. The non-golfer has a black pool at 32 °C, four saunas, a salt grotto and the Fié hay bath.
Elba: nine holes behind the hotel
The Hotel Hermitage at Biodola has a nine-hole course approved by CONI right behind it: eight par 3s and one par 4 over 1,275 metres, with a view of Capraia. The non-golfer can choose from nine tennis courts, padel, a diving centre on the beach and windsurf and canoe hire. The practice range has a pond with floating balls.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best hotel for a couples golf holiday?+
It depends on the non-golfer. For the spa, Saturnia (course and thermal water on the same property) or Preidlhof; for the sea, Masseria San Domenico or Verdura.
Are there adults-only hotels with golf?+
Yes: Masseria San Domenico (with its own course), the Parkhotel Marlena (with the Golf Club Lana) and the Preidlhof (partner hotel of the South Tyrolean courses).
Which hotels have a course on the same property?+
Saturnia (18 holes), Masseria San Domenico (with the San Domenico Golf), Verdura (45 holes) and the Hermitage on Elba (nine holes). The Marlena founded and runs the Golf Club Lana.
Can the non-golfer take part in any way?+
At Saturnia there is the Golf Inclusive offer with a 50% discount on the second guest's green fee.
When is the best time to go as a couple?+
In South Tyrol the courses open between February and April and close in November or December (Lana from February to December according to the Preidlhof, St. Vigil Seis from April to November). At Verdura, work is under way on the courses until spring 2027.
Are there spas reserved for two?+
The Parkhotel Marlena offers the spa reserved for one couple, in the evening, at 90 euros with sparkling wine and fruit.
