Sand, dunes, wind and the sea close by: the ingredients of the Scottish links are found at very few courses in Italy, and one was built with sand dredged from the sea.
A links in the historic sense of the word, meaning on sandy dunes as in Scotland and Ireland, is hard to find in Italy. There are, however, courses built or presented as links by the clubs that run them, almost all close to the sea and some surprisingly far from it. And it is worth telling the two things apart.
What is meant by links
According to Wikipedia, the links is "the oldest style of golf course", born in Scotland. It generally sits on a sandy coast and offers a firmer surface than parkland courses. The ground, the entry says, is made of dunes, undulations and sand ill suited to farming, on which native grasses such as browntop and red fescue grow. After landing, the ball runs much further than on a soft fairway. Trees and water hazards are often absent. The name comes from Old English hlinc, "rising ground, ridge".
By this definition, the "textbook" links remains an exception in Italy. What you do find, and what is worth the trip, are courses inspired by the links or sharing some of its features. Here are the cases, with the wording the clubs use for themselves.
Links courses in Italy: where you can play something very similar
These are courses that the clubs themselves call links, or whose design they say they echo.
| Course | Where | What the club says | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albarella | Rosolina (Po Delta) | "sea links", sand dredged from the sea | 18 holes, par 72, 1972 |
| San Domenico | Savelletri (Apulia) | links by European Golf Design | 18 holes, par 72, over 6,300 m |
| Circolo Golf Venezia | Alberoni (Lido) | "many features of links" | 18 holes, par 72, 6,039 m |
| Verdura | Sciacca (Sicily) | links style by the sea (Phillips) | East 7,221 yards |
| Adriatic Golf Cervia | Cervia | the nine called Giallo inspired by Scottish links | 2004 |
| Bogogno | Bogogno (Novara) | the Conte "recalls a links course" | 36 holes, 1997 |
| Cansiglio | Tambre (Belluno) | "inspired by Scottish links" | 1,027 m |
| Tesino | Pieve Tesino (Trento) | "mountain links" | 9 holes, 1992 |
| Varvarusa | Filignano (Isernia) | natural "as on the Scottish links" | 9 holes, 1998 |
Albarella: the "sea links" on sand from the sea
The case closest to the idea of a links is Albarella, in the Po Delta Regional Park. To build it, more than two million cubic metres of sand were dredged from the sea, and on that base John Harris designed 18 holes in 1972 between the lagoon and the Adriatic. The club describes it as a sea links in the style of the classic British courses, with water, bunkers, dunes and wild vegetation across 70 hectares. The fairways rest on sand and remain playable even after rain; the sea wind shapes every shot. It is open 365 days a year. The published price list (undated: confirm it before you leave) shows 80 euros for 18 holes in low season and 90 in high season.
San Domenico and Alberoni: wind at the centre of the game
At Savelletri, in Apulia, San Domenico Golf is presented as a links designed by Andy Haggar of European Golf Design: gentle slopes, strategic bunkers, a layout conceived around the mistral, and the sea as close as the coastal road allows. The 2026 price list runs from 95 to 150 euros for 18 holes; an EGA handicap of up to 36 is required. The course sits beside Borgo Egnazia, and Masseria San Domenico offers the Play & Stay package (spring and October) with two green fees.
At Circolo Golf Venezia, in the Alberoni, the course lies between the Adriatic and the lagoon and, says the club, shares many features of the links: bora and scirocco raise the challenge. But the fairways are marked by maritime pines, weeping willows and poplars: it is not a pure links. The 9th hole is "legendary", with a blind shot across an Austrian fort. In 2026 the green fee is 95 euros on weekdays and 110 at weekends and on public holidays; the Hotel Excelsior Venice puts the drive at about 20 minutes.
Verdura and the other links-style courses
At Verdura, Kyle Phillips sought a linksland feel near the shore, with a rougher look, and Muirfield-style shapes inland. The reference hotel is the Verdura Resort. As for the state of the courses, as of 3 October 2026 the West Shore is being renovated with Bermuda grass until spring 2027, according to the resort.
At Cervia, in the Adriatic Golf Club, the nine called Giallo (2004, Baldovino Dassù and Alvise Rossi Fioravanti) is inspired by the Scottish links; Rosso and Blu are pine woods and lakes. At Bogogno the Conte, a par 72 of 6,485 metres, recalls a links course with its open spaces, lakes and wild rough, with Monte Rosa as a backdrop.
"Links" in the mountains and inland
Elsewhere the word changes meaning: it stands for natural terrain, minimal intervention. The Cansiglio, at 1,027 metres, is "clearly inspired by the typical Scottish links": the game adapts to the land, not the other way round. The Tesino calls itself a "mountain links", because people designed only the greens and tees. The Varvarusa, a nine-hole course from 1998, describes itself as "entirely natural, as on the Scottish links of a few centuries ago", with no fertilising: green fee 25 euros in 2026.
The Torlonia links: a matter of words
The Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta, the oldest club in Italy, was founded in 1903 on the "links" of the Torlonia princes. The land lies inland from Rome, not on a sandy coast: here the word simply means the grounds chosen for play, a useful detail for understanding why in Italy people speak of links even where there are no dunes.
Curiosities
- Two million cubic metres. The sand dredged from the sea to build Albarella.
- A links with no tricks. At Varvarusa, according to the club, there is no fertilising and nature takes care of the irrigation.
- An etymology. "Links" comes from Old English hlinc, "rising ground".
- Biotopes. At Tesino a ball that falls into the protected ponds is not played: you drop outside.
Frequently asked questions
Are there real links courses in Italy?+
In the historic sense, on natural coastal dunes, they are hard to find. There are courses that the clubs call links or that echo its character: Albarella is the closest, with 18 holes built on sand dredged from the sea.
What is the most famous links course in Italy?+
There is no official ranking. Albarella, San Domenico (Apulia) and Circolo Golf Venezia come closest to the idea of a links in terms of sand, wind and sea.
How much does it cost to play at Albarella?+
The published price list, undated, shows 80 euros for 18 holes in low season and 90 in high season; it is best to confirm with the club office.
Is Circolo Golf Venezia a links?+
The club says it shares many features of the links (wind, closeness to the sea), but the fairways are marked by trees such as maritime pines and poplars.
What is the difference between links and parkland?+
The links sits on sandy coasts with dunes and few plants, and the ball runs a long way after landing. Parkland is on softer ground, with trees, typical of the interior.
Where can you play a mountain links?+
Three clubs present themselves this way: Cansiglio (1,027 m), Tesino ("mountain links") and Varvarusa, in Molise. These are the clubs' own judgements.
