At Franciacorta Golf Club the three nine-hole loops are called Brut, Satèn and Rosé, after the wine styles produced all around. The course occupies an abandoned clay quarry, and it was a winemaker who transformed it.
In Franciacorta, golf and wine share the same birth date, or nearly. In 1984 the entrepreneur and winemaker Vittorio Moretti, together with 18 other founding members, turned an abandoned clay quarry in Corte Franca into the Franciacorta Golf Club; eleven years later, in 1995, Franciacorta became the first Italian DOCG reserved for a traditional-method sparkling wine. Today, anyone coming to play between Brescia and Lake Iseo will find 27 holes by Pete Dye, a territory of 19 municipalities planted with vineyards, and a table worth the journey as much as the course.
Around the Corte Franca course the area offers two more layouts and a practice facility on the edge of Brescia, all open to visitors.
Franciacorta Golf Club: 27 holes among vineyards and lakes
The Franciacorta Golf Club is the area's benchmark course. The original club was founded in 1927 in Borgonato by Baron Edoardo Pizzini Piomarta; the current club dates from 1984, and the course, signed by Pete Dye and Marco Croze, opened in July 1986. The clubhouse, designed by Paolo Dabbeni, opened in the summer of 1987. Today the 27 holes spread over about 80 hectares of woodland and vineyards and are divided into three nines, named after three styles of Franciacorta:
- Brut, par 36, 3,072 metres: the first five holes run alongside the lakes, the 6th and 7th overlook the vineyards, and the last two enter the woods. The signature hole is the 6th, "the wall hole", an uphill par 5 with a green protected by bunkers and out of bounds.
- Satèn, par 36, 3,071 metres: the club considers it the most complete, with water, elevation changes, doglegs and an island green on the 2nd hole.
- Rosé, par 34, 2,765 metres: the most recent, completed in 2009 as part of the "The wine golf course" project, with undulating fairways and large greens with hidden slopes.
The club has hosted the Alpen Cup (2000 and 2006) and the 2010 European Masters Senior Championship. It is open every day from 8 am to 6 pm. The published rate sheet, undated, lists for 18 holes 60 euros on weekdays and 85 at weekends in low season (1 November to 28 February), 80 and 105 in high season (1 March to 31 October); there is also an all-day option from 70 to 120 euros. The required handicap and booking rules are not published on the website: ask the club office.
Colombera: the "garden course" of Castrezzato
About twelve kilometres to the south-east, on the edge of Franciacorta, the Colombera Golf Club is a different idea of golf: twelve holes designed by Fulvio Bani over 30 flat hectares, among ponds with water lilies and fruit trees. You can play 9, 12 or 18 holes by combining the Rosa course (nine holes) with the three executive holes of the Verde. The mascot is a peacock named PARvone, a pun on "par" and "pavone" (peacock), whose cut-out figures with tongue-in-cheek messages are scattered around the course. The 3rd hole, "the little one", measures just 115 metres.
It is the budget choice of the area: the rate sheet, headed "Tariffe 2027" (2027 rates), lists 35 euros on weekdays and 50 on weekends and holidays for 18 holes. Thanks to the A4 and BreBeMi motorways, the club states it is 20 minutes from Brescia, 30 from Bergamo and 40 from Milan.
La Rossera: nine holes with the operas of Donizetti
On the Bergamo side, in Chiuduno, about 15 kilometres from Bergamo, the Golf Club Rossera is a hilly nine-hole course dating from 1972, set in a wood of oaks and chestnuts. Each hole bears the title of an opera by Gaetano Donizetti, from Lucia di Lammermoor on the first to Anna Bolena on the ninth, a steeply uphill par 3. From the terrace, on clear days, you can see Monte Rosa, Milan and the Piacenza Apennines.
Rates and opening days must be requested from the club office: it is wise to call +39 035 838600 before setting out.
Bresciagolf: practising in the city
If Franciacorta is the destination for a weekend and one of the days is rainy or the weather is poor, the Bresciagolf Country Club has a three-hole par 3 course and a driving range with 22 bays, 10 of them covered and equipped with Top Tracer. It is not an 18-hole course, but it is open every day from 8 am to 8 pm and is useful for practice.
The wineries: why Franciacorta is a wine name
Franciacorta DOCG was the first Italian traditional-method sparkling wine to receive the designation, in 1995. The area comprises 19 municipalities and roughly 3,300-3,400 hectares of vineyards; the municipalities include Erbusco, Corte Franca, Iseo, Passirano and Rodengo-Saiano. Three of the styles gave their names to the golf nines: Brut, Satèn and Rosé.
For a weekend, the simplest choice is to let the programme decide: a round in the morning, a tasting in the afternoon. Winery visits must be booked directly with each producer, who will give opening times and prices.
A typical weekend in three moves
With two days, you can plan them like this. Day one: 18 holes at the Franciacorta Golf Club (the three nines combine in pairs), then dinner at L'Albereta or at one of the area's restaurants. Day two: a morning at Colombera for the most relaxed and inexpensive round, or at Rossera if you prefer to head towards Bergamo, with the terrace over the plain. The afternoon is for the winery chosen in advance. Those leaving from Milan can also make do with a single day: with the 40 minutes stated by Colombera, a day trip is realistic outside rush hour.
Where to stay: L'Albereta in Erbusco
To sleep among the vineyards there is L'Albereta, a relais run by the Moretti family group in Erbusco, in a neo-Renaissance villa among the vines. It is a partner hotel of the Franciacorta Golf Club, with 53 rooms and suites, a 2,000-square-metre Chenot Espace spa and a main restaurant, L'Aurum, listed by the Michelin Guide. The hotel has no course of its own and publishes no golf packages: the golf is played at Corte Franca.
When to go and how to get there
The Franciacorta Golf Club is open every day and Colombera all year round: golf in the area has no dead season. Franciacorta Golf Club considers the period from 1 March to 31 October high season. Franciacorta lies halfway between Brescia and Lake Iseo; from the A4 motorway and the BreBeMi, according to Colombera, it can be reached in 40 minutes from Milan.
Curiosities
- A quarry turned course. Where the fairways of the Franciacorta Golf Club run, there was an abandoned clay quarry.
- Golf with a toast. The nine holes of the Rosé are part of the "The wine golf course" project, with holes named by the consortia after Franciacorta producers.
- A peacock as mascot. PARvone, at Colombera, is a pun on "par" and "pavone" (peacock).
- A hole for each opera. At Rossera, hole 1 is Lucia di Lammermoor and hole 9 is Anna Bolena.
Frequently asked questions
Which golf courses are there in Franciacorta?+
The main one is the Franciacorta Golf Club in Corte Franca, 27 holes by Pete Dye and Marco Croze. Nearby are Colombera in Castrezzato, Rossera in Chiuduno and Bresciagolf in the city.
How much does it cost to play at Franciacorta Golf Club?+
On the published rate sheet (undated), 18 holes cost 60 to 85 euros in low season and 80 to 105 in high season, on weekdays and at weekends respectively.
Where to stay near Franciacorta Golf Club?+
L'Albereta, in Erbusco, is the club's partner hotel. The hotel has no course of its own.
How far is Franciacorta from Milan?+
According to Colombera Golf Club, it takes 40 minutes from Milan thanks to the A4 and BreBeMi; 20 from Brescia and 30 from Bergamo.
Can you play golf in Franciacorta all year round?+
Yes: Franciacorta Golf Club is open every day from 8 am to 6 pm and Colombera states it is open all year.
What do Brut, Satèn and Rosé mean?+
They are three styles of Franciacorta, the area's sparkling wine, and give their names to the three nine-hole courses of Franciacorta Golf Club.
