More than 230 shops and discounts of up to 70%, says Serravalle Designer Outlet, in the same municipality where a nine-hole course stretches among the Gavi vineyards: four outlets and a concept store, each paired with a course or a hotel.
A day of golf and a day of shopping are easier to plan together than you might think, because Italy's big fashion destinations often stand in areas that also have a good course. The addresses below are mostly designer outlets, plus one resort with a shop of its own.
Outlets and golf courses: five addresses
Four outlets and a resort with a concept store, each with a golf course or a golfers' hotel nearby. Numbers of brands, discounts and opening hours are those declared by the operators.
| Where | Shopping | Nearby golf or hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Serravalle Scrivia (Piedmont) | Serravalle Designer Outlet, more than 230 shops | Serravalle Golf Club |
| Franciacorta (Lombardy) | Franciacorta Designer Village, more than 190 brands | Franciacorta Golf Club, L'Albereta |
| Fidenza (Emilia-Romagna) | Fidenza Village, between Milan and Bologna | Salsomaggiore, Castell'Arquato |
| Castel Romano (Lazio) | Castel Romano Designer Outlet, more than 160 shops | Marco Simone |
| San Teodoro (Sardinia) | Caraluna, the resort's concept store | Due Lune Puntaldia, Puntaldia |
Serravalle: an outlet and a nine-hole course in the same municipality
The Serravalle Designer Outlet, at via della Moda 1 in Serravalle Scrivia, declares more than 230 shops with discounts of up to 70%. In the same municipality the Serravalle Golf Club has been played since 2006 on the Tenuta La Bollina estate, once the summer residence of the Figari marquises of Genoa: nine holes, par 36 and 2,910 metres, among two lakes, the Gavi vineyards and centuries-old woods, at an altitude of 260 metres. The club is closed on Mondays that are not public holidays; up-to-date green fees must be requested from the office, because the only online price list dates from 2016.
Franciacorta: fashion and bubbles
The Franciacorta Designer Village declares more than 190 brands with discounts of up to 70% all year round and, according to its website, opens every day from 10 am to 8 pm. In Franciacorta, the Franciacorta Golf Club has 27 holes, designed by Pete Dye and Marco Croze and opened in July 1986 on an abandoned clay quarry; the three nines are called Brut, Satèn and Rosé. It is open every day from 8 am to 6 pm; the price list, which carries no year, shows 80 euros on weekdays and 105 on weekends and public holidays in high season (1 March to 31 October).
For an overnight stay, L'Albereta, in Erbusco, is a late nineteenth-century neo-Renaissance villa that opened as a hotel on 23 September 1993; the Franciacorta Golf Club lists it among its partner hotels.
Fidenza Village: the list of brands
Fidenza Village presents itself as an outlet "between Milan and Bologna" and declares discounts of up to 70%, with opening hours of 10 am to 8 pm. Among the brands listed on the website are Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Etro, Ermanno Scervino, Fay and Ferrari Store. In the Emilian hills there are two golf courses: the Salsomaggiore Golf & Thermae, 18 holes, par 72, designed by Carlo Quintelli (1992), closed on Wednesdays that are not public holidays, and the Golf Club Castell'Arquato, 18 holes, par 73 with five lakes, closed on Tuesdays that are not public holidays.
Castel Romano and the castle of Marco Simone
The Castel Romano Designer Outlet declares more than 160 shops with discounts of up to 70%. Between Rome and Guidonia, the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, which hosted the Italian Open in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and the 2023 Ryder Cup, takes its name from a fifteenth-century castle: in 1457 the estate passed to Simone dei Tebaldi and his son Marco, and after it fell into neglect following the Second World War the designer Laura Biagiotti restored it together with the heritage authority. The club offers stay and play packages with the Rome Cavalieri and Savoy hotels.
Puntaldia: the concept store in the card room
The Due Lune Puntaldia was born in the 1980s at the wish of Peppino Fumagalli, the founder of Candy, who wanted a small village on the Gallura coast with a harbour, a little square, a hotel and a golf course. In the room where guests used to play cards there is now Caraluna, the resort's concept store. The course is the Golf Club Puntaldia: nine holes, with the sixth overlooking the rocks.
When to go
The outlets are open all year round: Franciacorta and Fidenza declare hours of 10 am to 8 pm, which may change on public holidays. For the courses, check the closing days: Monday at Serravalle, Tuesday at Castell'Arquato, Wednesday at Salsomaggiore.
Curiosities
- A designer saves a castle. Laura Biagiotti restored the abandoned castle of Marco Simone together with the heritage authority.
- From washing machine to golf. In 1946 Peppino Fumagalli built Italy's first washing machine and founded Candy; in the 1980s he created Puntaldia.
- A quarry turned course. The Franciacorta Golf Club stands where an abandoned clay quarry used to be.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these outlets has the most shops?+
According to the operators' figures, Serravalle Designer Outlet, with more than 230 shops; Franciacorta declares more than 190 brands, Castel Romano more than 160 shops.
Is there a golf course in the same municipality as an outlet?+
Yes, in Serravalle Scrivia: the Serravalle Golf Club and the Designer Outlet are in the same municipality.
Are the outlet discounts really 70%?+
It is the maximum percentage declared by the operators, and it varies by brand and season.
Are the outlets open on Sundays?+
For Franciacorta and Fidenza the website states opening hours of 10 am to 8 pm every day; for the others it is best to check the website.
Is there a golf resort with a concept store?+
Yes, the Due Lune Puntaldia in Gallura: Caraluna occupies the room where guests used to play cards.
Can you play Marco Simone?+
Yes, the club has hosted the Italian Open and offers stay and play packages with the Rome Cavalieri and Savoy hotels.
