Assembling the 70 hectares of Biella Le Betulle took some 170 landowners, in an Italy that had barely eleven 18-hole courses. John Morrison's design, 6,534 metres at par 73 and 590 metres above sea level, remains a benchmark of Piedmont golf.
On the Biella side of the Serra d'Ivrea, at Magnano, stands a course that began as a purchase made in 170 pieces. Golf Club Biella Le Betulle is an 18-hole parkland course, par 73, measuring 6,534 metres (7,146 yards) at 590 metres above sea level. The design is signed by John Morrison, the English architect who, according to the club, told the founders one late-winter day in 1956 that "the most beautiful course outside the British Isles" could be born there.
This profile tells how the club came about, how the course is laid out, what it costs to play in 2026 and which other Piedmont courses to pair with it.
History: 170 landowners and an Italy with eleven courses
The Associazione Golf Club Biella Le Betulle was founded in Biella on 18 September 1956. On 12 October the members bought the first parcel of land: more than 70 hectares gathered from about 170 owners in Magnano and the surrounding area. The first pickaxes struck in October 1957.
The club itself describes the context: Italy then had barely eleven 18-hole courses and only 43 players with a handicap below 7. Today, beside the course stand a country-style clubhouse and a guesthouse, designed by the architects Berardi-Rossi.
The course: Morrison's design on the Serra d'Ivrea
Morrison, a pupil of the Harry Colt and Charles Alison practice, visited the site in the winter of 1956 and realised, the club recounts, that "everything was already in place": the undulations of meadows and fields, with few trees, were hiding the eighteen holes. The layout settles onto the Serra d'Ivrea, which the club describes as the largest moraine in Europe: a natural balcony over the Po Valley.
Morrison was stopped in 1960 by heart trouble, and the work on greens, tees and fairways was completed by Donald Harradine, known as the "grass wizard". In 1967 John Dering Harris redesigned some of the greens. The club recalls two authoritative verdicts: Michael Hurdzan called it "a fine course on superior ground, signed by a master", and Gene Sarazen listed it among the courses not to be missed in the Pan Am guide.
As for the critics, according to the club the Top Ten award of Il Mondo del Golf has ranked it first 18 times, second 6 times and third 4 times in 29 years.
Playing Biella Le Betulle as a guest: 2026 rates
The course is open every day from 1 April to 31 October; until 30 March it is closed on Mondays. The secretary's office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. The club does not state a minimum handicap.
The 2026 rate card distinguishes FIG member guests, VAT-exempt, from everyone else.
| Green fee 2026 | FIG members, weekdays | FIG members, weekends and eves of holidays | Others (incl. VAT), weekdays | Others (incl. VAT), weekends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 holes | 75 euros | 110 euros | 90 euros | 130 euros |
| 9 holes | 60 euros | 85 euros | 75 euros | 100 euros |
There is also an AGIS/LGA agreement rate of 70 euros on weekdays. For hire: golf cart 60 euros, electric trolley 20, hand trolley 5. Visa and Amex cards are accepted. The green fee can be given as a gift with a voucher, requested online through the club's website.
The club today: golf hotel, practice range and academy
Beside the course stands the Golf Hotel e Ristorante Le Betulle, open from March to November, with traditional and Mediterranean cooking. The practice range has 13 synthetic mats and a broad grass area, plus a small putting green, a chipping hole with a bunker and two large putting greens; 30 balls cost 2 euros.
The school is the Reply Golf Academy by Guerisoli. The club hosts the Internazionali Under 16 maschili, whose roll of honour begins in 2012.
Curiosities
- A purchase in 170 entries. The land was put together by buying from about 170 different owners.
- A designer stopped by his heart. Morrison directed the works until September 1960, then had to stop.
- In the Pan Am guide. Gene Sarazen cited the course in Golf new horizons.
- A frame from 2006. The club's brochure shows Rory McIlroy at the 10th hole in that year.
Other courses in Piedmont to combine with it
Those with more days can head towards Turin. The Circolo Golf Torino La Mandria has been played since 1956 in the regional park that was once the Savoy hunting reserve, with two 18-hole par 72 courses. In the same Mandria park, the Royal Park I Roveri has 36 holes by Robert Trent Jones Sr., has hosted four Italian Opens and boasts, with the 17th hole, the one that the Gazzetta dello Sport in 2011 called the most beautiful in Italy. Farther east, towards Lake Maggiore, the Bogogno Golf Resort offers 36 holes by Robert Von Hagge, opened in 1997.
Frequently asked questions
How many holes does Biella Le Betulle have, and what is its par?+
Eighteen holes, par 73, over 6,534 metres. The course lies at about 590 metres above sea level.
How much is the green fee at Le Betulle?+
On the 2026 rate card, 18 holes cost 75 euros on weekdays and 110 at weekends for FIG members; 90 and 130 euros for other guests, VAT included.
Is the course open in winter?+
From 1 April to 31 October it is open every day; until 30 March it is closed on Mondays. The club does not state any other closures.
Who designed the course?+
John Morrison, who in 1960 had to leave the site because of heart trouble: the work was completed by Donald Harradine, and in 1967 John Dering Harris redesigned some of the greens.
Can golf carts and trolleys be hired?+
Yes: golf cart at 60 euros, electric trolley at 20 euros and hand trolley at 5 euros, according to the 2026 rate card.
Can one stay overnight at the course?+
Yes, at the Golf Hotel e Ristorante Le Betulle, open from March to November.
