Golf in Umbria and the Tuscia

Umbria and the Tuscia make little noise in golf rankings, which is exactly why they deserve a closer look. The border between Lazio and Umbria is a land of castles, lakes and Etruscan necropolises, and almost all its courses tell a story of recovery: a lime kiln turned clubhouse, an estate with a 12th-century castle, and the tractor and car maker Ferruccio Lamborghini opening nine holes on the shores of Lake Trasimeno.

The journey follows the geography from north to south: Perugia and Trasimeno in Umbria, then the Viterbo Tuscia in northern Lazio, for six courses in all. Prices come from the clubs' own price lists, with the year where one is given.

The six courses at a glance

Perugia and around: castle, kiln and Trasimeno

The Golf Club Antognolla is the most prestigious course. The club stands on a 500-hectare estate around a 12th-century castle, and at the foot of the course lies a Benedictine crypt that once held the remains of Saint Herculanus, patron saint of Perugia. The designer is Robert Trent Jones Jr., in 1997: 18 holes over 6,112 metres, with escarpments, steep changes in level, broad undulating greens and water hazards. The club describes a risk-and-reward course, tough for low handicaps but playable for enthusiasts too. The price list, with no year, gives 140 euros for 18 holes and 90 for nine. It is open all year and bookings are made online.

At Corciano, six kilometres from the centre of Perugia, the Golf Club Perugia was born in 1959, founded by Mario Spagnoli, son of Luisa Spagnoli, with just two holes dug into clay soil. The clubhouse was a lime kiln from 1921, and its two chimneys are the club's emblem. Today the course is an 18-hole par 72, not long but full of traps, redesigned by Davide Mezzacane. The price list available is from 2024, so it should be checked: 55-65 euros in low season, 65-75 from April to October. The club is closed on Mondays.

On Lake Trasimeno, at Panicale, stands the Golf Club Lamborghini. Ferruccio Lamborghini, having left tractors and cars behind, bought an estate and in 1991 opened a nine-hole par 36 there, 2,875 metres long at 285 metres above sea level, among vineyards and small lakes, so that golf might become more popular in the area. The 9th hole is guarded by four small lakes. The 2026 price list sets 60 euros for the all-day ticket in low season and 70 in high season (April to October). Guests must book, show a handicap certificate and play with soft spikes; dogs are allowed on a lead. The course is open Tuesday to Sunday (8-1 pm and 2-5 pm).

The Viterbo Tuscia: golf an hour from Rome

At Sutri the Golf Nazionale is an 18-hole par 72 of 6,462 metres at 300 metres above sea level, on almost 70 hectares among centuries-old oaks and lakes. The club calls it "technical, gripping, fun"; the design is attributed to the brothers George and Jim Fazio. According to specialist guides, the course was called Le Querce and in 1991 hosted the World Cup, won by Sweden. The 2027 price list is already online: from 80 euros (weekdays, 1 November-30 April) to 120 euros (weekends and holidays, high season). Bookings are made online; the course is about 40 kilometres from Rome.

A few hundred metres away, at Monterosi, Terre dei Consoli has 27 holes: a par-72 Championship course of 6,885 metres signed by Robert Trent Jones Jr and a nine-hole Family Course. The 9th hole, "The Island", is a par 3 with the green surrounded by water. The club has twice hosted the European Challenge Tour. The price list, with no year, gives 70 euros on weekdays and 80 at weekends and holidays until 31 May, then 80 and 100 euros from 1 June; the Family Course costs 35 euros. It is closed on Mondays.

Further north-west, on the coast, Marina Velka (until 2020 Tarquinia Country Club) is a nine-hole par 35 on a hill at Pian di Spille, with the medieval walls of Tarquinia in the background. The club says that one hole was built beside ancient Etruscan tombs found on the site. The club publishes neither a price list nor opening hours: contact the club through the online form before setting out.

When to go and how to plan the days

Antognolla is open all year; Terre dei Consoli, Perugia and Lamborghini close on Mondays, and Lamborghini has a midday break in its hours. For a holiday of four or five days you can combine Sutri and Monterosi (two courses a few hundred metres apart, a single transfer) with Perugia and Trasimeno, or with the Tarquinia coast. For flights, Rome Fiumicino is the general reference for the Tuscia, as the Marina Velka website points out; for Umbria you can also fly into Perugia.

Which course to choose, depending on the trip

• For a course with character: Antognolla, for the Robert Trent Jones Jr design and the castle above the estate. It is also the most expensive, at 140 euros (price list, no year).
• For a short round with a view: Lamborghini on Trasimeno, nine holes, 60-70 euros in 2026; the rest of the day belongs to the lake.
• For a tournament layout near Rome: Terre dei Consoli, which has twice hosted the Challenge Tour, or the Golf Nazionale at Sutri, with its price list already published for 2027.
• For history: Golf Club Perugia, born in 1959 in a lime kiln, or Marina Velka, with Etruscan tombs beside a hole.
• To save money: Sutri's winter price list starts at 80 euros on weekdays, Perugia at 55 euros in low season (2024 price list).

Curiosities

• A tractor, an estate, a wine. The first wine from the Lamborghini estate, from the 1975 harvest, was called "Sangue di Miura".
• Spagnoli. The founder of Golf Club Perugia is Mario Spagnoli, son of Luisa Spagnoli.
• An island on the course. "The Island" at Terre dei Consoli: a green surrounded by water.
• An Etruscan hole. At Tarquinia one of the nine holes lies beside Etruscan tombs found on the site.