Golf on Lake Maggiore: Stresa, the Borromean Islands and the courses

Lake Maggiore does not have Lake Garda's concentration of courses, but it holds a historic record: Golf Alpino di Stresa, on the slopes of Mottarone, claims to be the cradle of the Italian Open, having hosted the first three editions of the tournament; in 1926 Auguste Boyer won with 147 strokes, and in 1927 Percy Alliss with 145 after a play-off against Marcel Dellemagne. Around it, within an hour's drive of Stresa, there are six more clubs, from mountain nine-holers to eighteen-hole layouts with views of four lakes.

The starting point is Stresa, the most convenient base for anyone who plays golf and wants to see the Borromean Islands. In summer and at weekends, add a margin to the driving times from the centre of Stresa.

The golf courses of Lake Maggiore: where to play

From the Piedmont shore to the Varese area, here are the main clubs. Prices are the 18-hole green fees published by the clubs.

Alpino di Stresa: nine holes, played twice

Peter Gannon began the work in 1924 and the course opened in September 1925. It is a mountain nine-holer to be played twice (par 69, about 5,400 metres), with plenty of ups and downs and open views. Hole 6 is a 467-metre par 5 on the first loop and a 418-metre par 4 on the second; at hole 1 stands a historic juniper, the "zanivul". The course record belongs to Percy Alliss, 67 strokes in the 1927 replay. The price list tied to the 2026 promotional rates shows €50 on weekdays and €60 at weekends and holidays; the handicap requirement and closing day are not published, so call the club office.

Des Iles Borromées: four lakes from the 10th

At about 600 metres on the AltoVergante, the Marco Croze course has 18 holes, par 72, over 6,122 metres from the white tees. From the 10th tee, according to the club, you can see Maggiore, Varese, Monate and Comabbio and, on the clearest days, Milan. The 2026 green fee is €70 on weekdays and €85 at weekends and holidays. In 2026 it is open every day from 6 April to 31 October; in winter it closes on Mondays, and January is a rest month. It is about 2 km from the Carpugnino exit of the A26.

Verbania and Premeno: plain and mountain

At Fondotoce the course runs on the flat along Lake Mergozzo, among small ponds and a wood of black alders; at hole 11 a short par 4 can be reached from the tee. Verbania-Pallanza station, on the Simplon line, is a few metres from the entrance. The 2026 price list is €55 on weekdays and €70 at weekends and holidays. At Premeno, at about 1,000 metres, Piandisole was born in 1962 from the idea of a group of holidaymakers and opens glimpses onto Lake Maggiore and Monte Rosa; the season runs from 1 April to 31 October.

Arona, Travedona and Varese

The Arona Golf Club presents itself as Piedmont's first nine-hole course (1965), with a covered driving range of 18 bays and opening every day, from 8 am to 7 pm. The Golf dei Laghi has its clubhouse in the former stables of the Visconti di Modrone and accepts dogs on the course. The Golf Club Varese has its clubhouse in the church of a Benedictine monastery dating from 1129 and hosted the Italian Open in 1958.

When to play on Lake Maggiore

The clubs' seasons differ, and it pays to choose the course according to the month. Verbania and Arona state that they are open all year round; Des Iles Borromées rests in January and closes on Mondays in the winter months; Piandisole, at 1,000 metres, opens from 1 April to 31 October. For courses that do not publish opening times and closing day, such as Alpino di Stresa, a phone call to the club office is a must. At weekends the price lists switch to the holiday rate: at Des Iles Borromées from €70 to €85, at Verbania from €55 to €70, at Premeno from €35 to €40 (all 2026); at Premeno the holiday rate also applies throughout August.

Where to stay in Stresa

The reference hotel is the Villa e Palazzo Aminta: a villa from 1872, a hotel since 1950, with rooms overlooking the lake and the Borromean Islands. According to the hotel, nine clubs have an agreement with it and the concierge books green fees; the two closest, at 5 kilometres, are Des Iles Borromées and Alpino. The hotel publishes neither golf packages nor the terms of the agreement: ask for them when booking. It has a private jetty and a free shuttle to the centre of Stresa; Malpensa is 45 kilometres away according to the hotel.

The Borromean Islands: the day without golf

Navigazione Laghi boats leave from the Stresa lakefront. The full tour from Stresa calls at Isola Bella (a Baroque palace and an Italian garden), Isola dei Pescatori (a fishing village with restaurants) and Isola Madre (a sixteenth-century palace in a botanical park); the season's fares and timetables are on the Navigazione Laghi website. The concierge at Villa Aminta also books tickets for Palazzo Borromeo and for Isola Madre.

A 3-day itinerary on Lake Maggiore

Base in Stresa; driving times are estimated from the centre, without traffic.

• Day 1: Alpino di Stresa in the morning (9 minutes). Nine holes played twice, then lunch in the club restaurant, with large windows over the course. Free afternoon on the lakefront.
• Day 2: Borromean Islands. Full tour from Stresa, back at 6:15 pm.
• Day 3: Des Iles Borromées (9 minutes from Stresa) for 18 holes with views of the four lakes. Alternatively Verbania (14 minutes) or, for a day purely in the mountains, Premeno (37 minutes).

From Des Iles Borromées it is 8 minutes to Alpino; 26 to Arona; 42 to Premeno; 38 to Travedona Monate.

How to get there

The most convenient airport is Milan Malpensa: about 56 minutes and 61 km by road to Stresa, 45 km according to the hotel. From Milan Linate it takes about 80 minutes. From the A26 motorway, take the Carpugnino exit for Des Iles Borromées and for Mottarone.