At Turin, about 22 minutes separate Caselle airport from the first tee at La Mandria; in Sicily, getting from Palermo to Verdura takes more than two hours. Before choosing a flight, look at the road.
For a golf holiday, the number of flights, which changes every season, matters less than the road: the minutes by car from the airport to the first tee. The times given are estimates without traffic, calculated on the road route; when a hotel states a different time, it is attributed to the hotel. In summer, at weekends and during the rush hour of the big cities, allow a margin.
The short answer
- The most convenient of all: Turin-Caselle and Bologna, less than 25 minutes from the nearest courses.
- For Lake Garda: Verona; for Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, Malpensa or Linate.
- For Tuscany: Florence for Ugolino, Pisa for Versilia.
- For the islands: Olbia for the Costa Smeralda, Cagliari for southern Sardinia, Catania for Etna.
Driving times from the airports to the courses
| Area | Airport | Course | Time (estimate) | Km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont | Turin | La Mandria | 22 min | 14 |
| Emilia | Bologna | Golf Club Bologna (Crespellano) | 19 min | 17 |
| Garda | Verona | GardaGolf | 60 min | 49 |
| Lake Como | Linate | Villa d'Este (Montorfano) | 53 min | 48 |
| Lake Como | Malpensa | Villa d'Este (Montorfano) | 60 min | 50 |
| Lake Maggiore | Malpensa | Des Iles Borromées | 53 min | 58 |
| Franciacorta | Bergamo | Franciacorta Golf Club | 33 min | 40 |
| Tuscany | Florence | Ugolino | 32 min | 22 |
| Tuscany | Pisa | Versilia Golf Club | 47 min | 49 |
| Rome | Ciampino | Parco di Roma | 30 min | 35 |
| Rome | Fiumicino | Acquasanta | 54 min | 36 |
| Sardinia | Olbia | Pevero | 48 min | 31 |
| Sardinia | Olbia | Puntaldia | 33 min | 28 |
| Sardinia | Cagliari | Is Molas | 63 min | 51 |
| Sicily | Catania | Il Picciolo | 59 min | 67 |
| Sicily | Palermo | Verdura | 143 min | 130 |
| Apulia | Brindisi | San Domenico | 50 min | 56 |
| Apulia | Bari | San Domenico | 68 min | 78 |
North: Turin, the lakes and South Tyrol
Turin is the simplest case: Caselle and La Mandria are about 14 km apart. For the Lombard lakes the choice lies between Malpensa and Linate: the hotel Villa d'Este in Cernobbio, for the location of the hotel (not the course), states 48 minutes from Malpensa, 60 from Linate and 100 from Bergamo. At Lake Garda the reference is Verona: the Quellenhof Luxury Resort Lazise states about 20 minutes. In South Tyrol the hotels give Bolzano at 30–45 minutes, and Innsbruck and Verona at 90–120.
Centre: Florence, Pisa and Rome
In Tuscany Florence serves Ugolino in about 32 minutes, Pisa serves Versilia in 47. The Argentario Golf & Wellness Resort, by contrast, states 90 minutes from Fiumicino and 135 from Pisa, which makes it one of the destinations furthest from the airports. In Rome, Ciampino is very close to Parco di Roma (about 30 minutes), while from Fiumicino the main courses take about an hour; in the city, traffic can stretch the times.
Islands and South: Olbia, Cagliari, Catania, Apulia
In Sardinia, Olbia is the reference for the Costa Smeralda: about 48 minutes to Pevero, an estimate without traffic. The hotels in the area state 30–50 minutes from the airport. For the south of the island there is Cagliari, about an hour from Is Molas. In Sicily, Catania serves Etna in about an hour; for Verdura the road estimate exceeds two hours from Palermo and from Trapani, but Verdura Resort states 80 minutes for both: the hotel's figure should be confirmed at the time of booking. In Apulia, Brindisi is closer than Bari to the Fasano courses: Masseria San Domenico states 35 minutes from Brindisi and 45 from Bari.
How to choose: three questions
- Where are your tee times? Choose the airport from the course, not from the city of arrival.
- How many days do you have? With a weekend, an airport less than an hour from the course is better.
- How are you travelling with your golf bag? Check the airline's baggage rules before booking the flight.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the nearest airport to a golf course in Italy?+
Among the major airports, Turin-Caselle and La Mandria, about 14 km (22 minutes), and Bologna with Golf Club Bologna, 17 km (19 minutes).
Which airport is best for playing on Lake Garda?+
Verona: GardaGolf is about 60 minutes away without traffic, while the Quellenhof Luxury Resort Lazise states 20 minutes for the hotel.
Which airport for the Costa Smeralda?+
Olbia: about 48 minutes to Pevero without traffic, and 30-50 minutes for the hotels in the area, according to what they state.
Do I need a rental car?+
For most courses, yes: they lie outside the cities and the times given are by car.
Are the times guaranteed?+
No: they are estimates without traffic. Allow a margin in summer, at weekends and near the big cities.
Which airport for Verdura?+
Palermo or Trapani: the road estimate exceeds two hours, the hotel states 80 minutes. Ask the hotel for confirmation.
