Historic palaces open to the public near golf courses

A round of golf takes half a day; the other half can be spent inside a royal palace. Some Italian clubs are not merely close to historic palaces: they were built on the grounds of their parks, often former royal hunting estates. Here are five cases, from Piedmont to Friuli.

Five historic residences and their golf courses

Opening hours and tickets for the residences change: check them before your visit.

Stupinigi: Juvarra's Lodge and the city course

The Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, in Nichelino 10 kilometres from Turin, was designed by Filippo Juvarra and begun in 1729; work continued throughout the 18th century with Benedetto Alfieri and others. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Its emblem is the stag of bronze, copper and gold leaf by Francesco Ladatte, dating from 1766: the original is in the old stables, while a copy crowns the building.

The Golf Club Stupinigi, described by the club as Turin's only city course, began as a practice ground in 1953 and has had its nine holes since 1973, on 14 hectares. With a public transport stop at the entrance and a guest green fee of 20 euros for 9 holes and 25 for 18 on weekdays (price list with no year), it is the cheapest way to approach a royal palace with a golf bag. The club is closed on Mondays, except on public holidays.

Venaria and La Mandria: the Savoy hunting park

The Reggia di Venaria is part of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in Piedmont, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and according to the Reggia it is open Tuesday to Sunday, with gardens and the Castello della Mandria. In 2026 it offers exhibitions such as Queens on Stage (until October) and Atelier dei Moderni, with 20th-century paintings from the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon, from October 2026 to February 2027.

A few kilometres away lies the Circolo Golf Torino, which has played since 1956 inside the La Mandria regional park, a former Savoy hunting reserve. It has 36 holes (Blue and Yellow, both par 72) and hosted the Italian Open in 1999, 2013 and 2014. Edoardo and Francesco Molinari grew up as golfers here; Francesco won the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 2018. The visitor price list, with no year, starts at 120 euros on weekdays.

Monza: from the pheasantry to the Royal Park

The Villa Reale in Monza was built between 1777 and 1780 to a design by Giuseppe Piermarini as the summer residence of Archduke Ferdinand, governor of Austrian Lombardy; in 1805 Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais made it his main residence. The complex comprises the villa with its royal apartments, the Royal Gardens and the park; an exhibition by Michelangelo Pistoletto is on at the villa until October 2026.

The Golf Club Milano plays inside the Royal Park, almost 700 hectares of woodland: it was founded on 8 May 1928 in the pheasantry of Victor Emmanuel II, later restored by Pietro Portaluppi. It has 27 holes and has hosted nine Italian Opens, the last in 2017. It must be said clearly that on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the course is reserved for members and their guests; guests are welcome up to six times a year and green fees are not public.

Miramare and the Trieste Karst

Miramare Castle, built for Archduke Maximilian of Austria on the Gulf of Trieste, stands in a park of 22 hectares with a small castle, historic greenhouses and stables by Carl Junker (1856-1860); at the sea entrance stands a Ptolemaic granite sphinx from the 3rd century BC. According to the museum it is open every day of the year, and the car park has few spaces: bus, train or boat are recommended.

The Golf Club Trieste is in Padriciano, 350 metres above sea level on the Karst: 18 holes, par 70, 5,810 metres, the first golf course in Friuli Venezia Giulia according to the club, opened in 1955 to Trieste's golfers. In 2026 the green fee is 60 euros on weekdays and 80 on public holidays. It is closed on Tuesdays that are not public holidays.

Sala Baganza: Marie Louise's hunting lodge

The Golf del Ducato, known as La Rocca, has 18 holes, par 72, 6,103 metres, opened in 1985 to a design by Marco Croze. It runs over the grounds of a historic residence of Marie Louise of Austria, Napoleon's second wife, and the restaurant occupies her hunting lodge. It is not a palace with visiting hours: it is an address for dining, in the empress's rooms, on Parma cuisine of stuffed pasta, roasts and cured meats. The 2026 green fee is 90 euros on weekdays and 110 on public holidays; the club is closed on Mondays that are not public holidays.

When to go

Venaria is closed on Mondays, while Stupinigi and Trieste have different course closing days (Monday and Tuesday): if you want to combine palace and golf in one day, check both calendars. At Monza the weekend is off-limits for golf; on the other hand, the Villa Reale's exhibitions change, so it is worth enquiring before you set off.

Curiosities

• A stag on the roof. The Stupinigi stag, the emblem of the Lodge, is a copy: Ladatte's original, from 1766, is in the old stables.
• An Open with 73,000 spectators. In 2017 the Italian Open at Monza, won by Tyrrell Hatton with 263 strokes (-21), drew 73,000 spectators.
• 9 holes in the racecourse. In 1927 the Circolo Golf Torino played at Mirafiori, sharing the grounds with horse racing.