When the Knights of Malta tower at Savelletri became a hotel, it was, according to the Michelin Guide, the first time the word “masseria” had been used for an accommodation. Today the same property runs the course overlooking the Adriatic, and a few minutes away there are two more masserie with a nine-hole course.
Golf in Apulia has one peculiarity worth knowing right away: almost all of it is played around Fasano, on the stretch of Adriatic coast between Monopoli and Ostuni, and the benchmark 18-hole course is the San Domenico Golf. Around that course, at Savelletri, stand three luxury masserie and a village-style resort. The rest of the region, the Salento to the south, offers hotels of great character and the golf of Acaya, a few minutes from the coast at San Foca.
Valle d'Itria: the landscape, and the course at Savelletri
The Valle d'Itria is the central part of Apulia, between the provinces of Bari, Brindisi and Taranto, with Martina Franca, Locorotondo and Cisternino as its main towns. It is the land of trulli, the cone-shaped stone dwellings, of fortified masserie and dry-stone walls, on red soil among vines and olive trees. For the golfer, what matters most is the coast that lies in front of it.
San Domenico Golf: 18 holes with the mistral and the remains of Egnathia
The San Domenico Golf is a Mediterranean course of more than 6,300 metres, par 72, designed by Andy Haggar with Brian Jorgensen as shaper. The club presents it as a links: gentle slopes, strategic bunkers, a design conceived for the mistral, which depending on the hole plays as an ally or an opponent, and a southern boundary “as close to the sea as the coastal road allows”. From the course you can see the ruins of Egnathia and the roofs of Borgo Egnazia. It has hosted the European Challenge Tour Grand Final and the Italian PGA Championship, and it holds GEO certification.
How to play. The 2026 Pay and Play price list runs from 95 euros in low season to 150 in August; in May-July and September-October it costs 130 euros. Guests staying at San Domenico Hotels properties pay from 65 to 105 euros. Entry requires an EGA handicap (or equivalent) of 36 at most and proper attire: no blue jeans, shorts or tank tops. The golf cart costs 55 euros for 18 holes. In 2026 the Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open is scheduled for 21 to 25 October.
Coccaro: nine holes among almond and olive trees
The Coccaro Golf Club is a nine-hole executive course, par 27 and 1,150 metres, all par 3s, among olive and almond trees that, according to the club, bloom in March. It is a course for working on irons and the short game, not a championship round. The club publishes no rates or information for outside players: you write to the masserie (Torre Coccaro and Torre Maizza promote it to their guests). From Coccaro to San Domenico it takes about 7 minutes.
Where to stay in Fasano: five hotels for golf
Borgo Egnazia is the resort next to the course: Borgo Egnazia has 184 rooms across La Corte, Il Borgo and the villas of Le Case and, in June 2024, hosted the G7. From the San Domenico club house you can see the roofs of the village. The restaurant Due Camini held a Michelin star every year from 2019 to 2024. The airports are Brindisi (30 minutes, 50 km) and Bari (45 minutes, 55 km), according to the hotel.
For those seeking golf at a reduced rate. The Masseria San Domenico, which until 1996 was the Melpignano family's summer home and, according to the Michelin Guide, was the first accommodation to use the word “masseria”, is a five-star hotel for guests aged 14 and over with 40 rooms, a thalassotherapy spa and a brackish-water pool among the rocks. It belongs to the same owner as the course: the 2026 guest rates run from 65 to 105 euros for 18 holes against 95-150 for the public.
For the nine-hole course next to your bed. The Masseria Torre Coccaro has Coccaro Golf 400 metres away and San Domenico about a kilometre away, according to the hotel; it has one Michelin Key, an Aveda spa set in natural caves and two beach clubs. The Masseria Torre Maizza, a Rocco Forte hotel since 2019 with interiors by Olga Polizzi, has 51 rooms and suites and the executive nine-hole course within the estate: some rooms have a window onto the green rather than the sea. It has two Michelin Keys, the Irene Forte Spa in a former olive mill and the restaurant Carosello with the menu by Fulvio Pierangelini.
Three days at Savelletri: how to plan them
With an 18-hole course and a nine-hole one, the most natural formula is a long weekend. On the first day you play San Domenico: the mistral, says the club, depending on the hole plays as an ally or an opponent. The second day goes to Coccaro: a nine-hole par 27 leaves the afternoon free for the spa, which at the Masseria Torre Maizza is the Irene Forte Spa in a restored olive mill, open from 10 am to 8 pm. On the third day you return to San Domenico for a second round, perhaps with a lesson: the club house looks out on the sea and the ruins of Egnathia, and after the round it serves Mimina's traditional cuisine. Between the two courses it is about 7 minutes by car.
Salento: Posia and the golf at Acaya
The Salento is the heel of the boot, with Lecce, known for its baroque, and two different coasts: sandy on the Ionian, rocky on the Adriatic. The Posia Retreat & SPA on the seafront at San Foca (23 rooms, a heated rooftop infinity pool reserved for adults) presents the Acaya Golf Club as its official partner, about 15 minutes by car according to the hotel: the reception books the tee time, rents equipment and arranges the transfer. According to the hotel it is a par 71 course of 6,192 metres; measurements and rates are best confirmed with the club secretary. From Posia to San Domenico it takes about 101 minutes.
Getting there and when to go
The airports are Brindisi and Bari: according to the Fasano hotels, Brindisi is 30-40 minutes away and Bari 40-50. The San Domenico Golf publishes rates for the whole year and is open every month; the almond trees at Coccaro bloom in March. When planning the trip, the price difference matters: the green fee goes from 95 euros in low season to 150 in August.
Golf in Apulia: curiosities
- Roofs in view. From the San Domenico club house you can see the roofs of Borgo Egnazia and the ruins of Egnathia.
- Almond trees in bloom. At Coccaro, according to the club, they bloom in March.
- A G7 on the golf course. Borgo Egnazia hosted the heads of government in June 2024.
- A window onto the green. At Torre Maizza some rooms overlook the nine-hole course.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you play golf in Apulia?+
Mostly at Savelletri di Fasano: San Domenico Golf (18 holes) and Coccaro (9-hole executive course). In the Salento there is the Acaya Golf Club, a partner of Posia.
How much is the green fee at San Domenico Golf?+
In 2026, 18 holes run from 95 euros in low season to 150 in August; guests of San Domenico Hotels properties pay from 65 to 105 euros.
Do you need a handicap to play at San Domenico?+
Yes: an EGA handicap, or equivalent, of 36 at most, and proper attire (no jeans, shorts or tank tops).
Which hotel should you choose for golf in Apulia?+
It depends on what you are looking for: Borgo Egnazia and Masseria San Domenico for the 18-hole course, Torre Coccaro and Torre Maizza for the nine-hole course, Posia for the Salento.
Which is the most convenient airport for Fasano?+
According to the Fasano hotels, Brindisi at 30-40 minutes and Bari at 40-50.
Does Coccaro Golf Club accept outside players?+
The club publishes no rates or conditions for outside players: you need to ask Masseria Torre Coccaro directly by email or phone.
