In 1944, the club says, Allied bombers spared a German camp on the Almone because destroying the only 18-hole course south of Florence would have been madness. That course is still there, and today it shares the city with the one that hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Rome has an oddity for golfers: the course that hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup and the one that calls itself Italy's oldest club are in the same province, and between them lie Roman aqueducts, Etruscan tombs, a volcanic crater and a fifteenth-century castle. Golf in the capital is a golf of stories before holes.
Marco Simone: the 2023 Ryder Cup course
From 29 September to 1 October 2023, Europe beat the United States 16.5 to 11.5 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, in Guidonia. The original design is by Jim Fazio, but today's course is the one rebuilt for the occasion by Tom Fazio II and European Golf Design: a par 72 with four par 3s, ten par 4s and four par 5s, measuring from 6,674 to 7,299 metres depending on the tees.
The design works the terrain with lakes and amphitheatre-style slopes, shaped so that spectators can see the holes: the club states a capacity of 50,000 visitors a day. St Peter's dome is visible from several points. The estate still has a castle and the remains of a second-century Roman villa. In 1457 the property passed to Simone dei Tebaldi and his son Marco, which gave it its name; the fashion designer Laura Biagiotti restored the castle, which had been abandoned after the Second World War.
To play, the 2026 price list sets 195 euros in low season and 270 euros in high season (April, May, June, September and October up to 2 November), with no difference between weekdays and weekends; nine holes cost 135 euros, and in high season, after 2.30 pm, the afternoon rate drops to 180. The club closes only on 1 January and 25 December; the 2026 green coring is scheduled for 23 to 27 June. It also offers stay and play packages with the Rome Cavalieri and Savoy hotels.
Acquasanta: the club that calls itself Italy's oldest
The Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta was born on the links of the Torlonia princes, leased and ratified by the members on 28 November 1903, with a clubhouse made out of a farmhouse. The club presents itself as the oldest in Italy; before it, however, there was already a "Rome Golf Club" mentioned in 1898 with nine holes on the Via Nomentana.
It has been an 18-hole course since 1913, in a gently rolling landscape crossed by the Almone river, with views of the Claudian aqueduct, the Appian Way and the mausoleum of Cecilia Metella. Hole 7, a par 5 with a dogleg to the left, has the aqueduct in the background; the 12th, a par 5 with water down the right side, is according to the club the hardest. In 1960 the course hosted the running events of the modern pentathlon at the Rome Olympics.
According to the price list published by the club, which gives no year, weekday fees are 120 euros for FIG members and 140 for others, 150 and 170 at weekends and on public holidays. The dress code is written down: polo shirt and long trousers or knee-length Bermuda shorts for men; jeans, tracksuits, leggings and metal-spiked shoes are not allowed.
Olgiata: 27 holes, two World Cups and a castle
At Olgiata there are two courses, the 18-hole West and the nine-hole East (par 36, 2,947 metres), opened in 1961 to a design by C. Kenneth Cotton. The West was almost entirely redesigned in 2012 by Jim Fazio and has hosted the Eisenhower Trophy in 1964, the World Cups of 1968 and 1984 and the Italian Open in 1973, 2002 and 2019.
The estate has a long history: in 1566 the Olgiati family, bankers who had come from Como, bought the land from the Orsini; in 1930 it passed to the Marquis Incisa della Rocchetta, who bred the horses Nearco, Tenerani and Ribot here. Beneath the course, the club recalls, Etruscan tunnels and caves dug into the tuff still run. The 2026 price list shows 130 euros on the West on weekdays and 160 at weekends and on public holidays; the club closes on Mondays that are not public holidays.
Appian Way and inside the Ring Road: the city courses
Those short of time will find courses close to the centre. The Archi di Claudio, in the Appia Antica Regional Park, is a nine-hole par 32 by Sandro Monaco with the remains of the Claudian Aqueduct, dating from AD 52, as a backdrop; in 2026 it costs 35 euros for nine holes and 45 for 18 (FIG members), is open all year and closes on Tuesdays that are not public holidays. Fioranello, on the edge of the same park, is an 18-hole par 70 of 5,603 metres, born in 1979, with the 18 holes inaugurated in 1990.
The Parco di Roma, inside the Veio Regional Park, is an 18-hole par 72 of 6,440 metres designed by PB Dye and opened in 1999: between the 13th and the 14th there is a settling basin of a Roman aqueduct, and from the 14th green you can see St Peter's dome. It costs 100 euros on weekdays and 130 at weekends and on public holidays for FIG members. The Parco de' Medici, 27 holes on three courses inside the GRA ring road, is ten minutes from Fiumicino, convenient for those arriving by air: 90 euros on weekdays and 110 at weekends and on public holidays, price list with no year.
The Castelli Romani and the coast
The Country Club Castelgandolfo occupies the floor of an ancient volcanic crater where a lake was drained in imperial times. Robert Trent Jones Sr. designed 18 holes here with 93 bunkers and three small lakes, and the clubhouse stands in the villa of Cardinal Flavio Chigi. The club's price list shows 100 euros on weekdays and 70 for FIG members.
On the coast, at Ardea, Golf Mare di Roma is a nine-hole par 35 dating from 1992 around three spring-fed ponds, with water in play, says the club, on 90% of the holes, open every day.
Outside Rome: Tuscia, Tarquinia, Fiuggi
Beyond the Ring Road the choice changes character. At Monterosi, a few kilometres north of Rome, Terre dei Consoli, by Robert Trent Jones Jr, has an 18-hole par 72 Championship course and the 9th hole, "The Island", with the green surrounded by water; it has twice hosted the European Challenge Tour. At Sutri, Golf Nazionale is an 18-hole par 72 at an altitude of 300 metres. The Marina Velka in Tarquinia has a hole beside Etruscan tombs, and at Fiuggi the course, founded in 1928, presents itself as Italy's first public course and uses no weedkillers.
Prices at a glance
| Course | Holes | 18-hole green fee | Closing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Simone | 18, par 72 | 195-270 euros (2026) | 1 January, 25 December |
| Acquasanta | 18 | 120-170 euros (price list with no year) | not published |
| Olgiata West | 18 | 130-160 euros (2026) | Monday, unless a public holiday |
| Parco di Roma | 18, par 72 | 100-130 euros (FIG members) | none |
| Castelgandolfo | 18 | 70-100 euros | not published |
| Archi di Claudio | 9, par 32 | 45 euros for 18 (2026) | Tuesday, unless a public holiday |
When to go
In Rome you can play all year: Marco Simone closes only two days, Parco di Roma none, and Archi di Claudio is open all year. For the climate, the most comfortable months are spring and autumn; Marco Simone considers April to June and September to October high season, and the price follows.
Curiosities
- Gardener sheep. At Acquasanta, in the early years, the fairways were mown once a year and opened to sheep grazing.
- St Peter's from the fairway. From Marco Simone and Parco di Roma you can see the dome of the basilica.
- Etruscans under the course. At Olgiata tunnels and caves dug into the tuff run beneath.
- A drained lake. The Castelgandolfo crater held a lake, emptied in imperial times with channels that, according to the club, still work.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the 2023 Ryder Cup played?+
At Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, in Guidonia, near Rome. Europe beat the United States 16.5 to 11.5 over the days from 29 September to 1 October 2023.
How much does it cost to play at Marco Simone?+
In the 2026 price list the 18-hole green fee is 195 euros in low season and 270 euros in high season, the same at weekends. Nine holes cost 135 euros.
What is the oldest golf course in Rome?+
The Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, which presents itself as the oldest in Italy: the members ratified the links on 28 November 1903. A nine-hole "Rome Golf Club" already existed in 1898.
Which course is most convenient for those landing at Fiumicino?+
Parco de' Medici, ten minutes from the airport, according to the club. It has 27 holes and costs 90 euros on weekdays and 110 at weekends and on public holidays (price list with no year).
Is a particular dress required?+
It depends on the club. Acquasanta publishes its dress code: polo shirt, long trousers or knee-length Bermuda shorts for men; jeans, tracksuits and leggings are not allowed, nor are metal-spiked shoes.
Can you play all year round?+
Yes: Rome's courses close only a few days, such as 1 January and 25 December at Marco Simone, or one day a week (Monday at Olgiata, Tuesday at Archi di Claudio).
