Two sisters, two works at Garlenda: one had the 18 holes built, the other designed La Meridiana beside them in 1978. In Liguria golf is played all year round, and the best hotels for playing are almost all by the sea.
In Liguria a flat golf course is a rarity: the coast plunges into the sea with little warning, and the clubs have carved out their space in the valleys, among the olive trees of the hinterland or inside the city. For anyone travelling with a golf bag the consequence is practical: you choose a hotel by the sea and drive up to play on courses that declare themselves open twelve months a year.
Four golf hotels in Liguria at a glance
There are four addresses: two on the Western Riviera, one inland in the Val Lerrone and one in the Tigullio. None has a course of its own, but each is tied to a specific club, and what changes most is the way you book.
| Hotel | Where | Reference course | What it offers for golf |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Meridiana | Garlenda (SV) | Garlenda, on foot | Tee times from the reception desk, guest rates |
| Grand Hotel Alassio | Alassio (SV) | Garlenda, about 10 minutes | No package, book with the club |
| Royal Hotel Sanremo | Sanremo (IM) | Ulivi di Sanremo | Golf package and tournament in October |
| Excelsior Palace | Rapallo (GE) | Rapallo | No package, book with the club |
La Meridiana in Garlenda: the course on foot from the hotel
The Golf Club Garlenda was founded in 1964 to a design by the Englishmen John Morrison and John Harris: 18 holes, par 72, of 6,085 metres in the Val Lerrone, with the front nine among centuries-old olive trees and old farmhouses and the back nine among oaks and pines. The 11th, a straight and difficult par 4, is called “Amen Corner” by the club. The course is open every day of the year, and the practice range has Toptracer.
La Meridiana, built by Luisa Berto de Segre in 1978 in Provençal style, is the only one of the four hotels from which the club can be reached on foot. It has been a member of Relais & Châteaux since the same year and has 26 rooms and suites. The reception desk books tee times, lessons and practice sessions. According to the hotel, guests pay 60 euros for 18 holes on weekdays and 80 at weekends; there is a pass for five consecutive days and, every day from 3.30 pm, a nine-hole green fee. On 17 and 18 October 2026 the hotel hosts the Relais & Châteaux Trophy. After the round there is “Golf and Bubbles”: an hour with a pro and a glass of Italian sparkling wine, from 50 euros per person.
There is no spa, but there is a swimming pool heated to 27 °C with hydromassage, a private gym and a massage room. At the table you will find local oil, Taggiasca olives and the violet asparagus of Albenga, and a cellar with more than 2,000 labels.
Grand Hotel Alassio: a nineteenth-century palace with Garlenda ten minutes away
The Grand Hotel Alassio is a neoclassical nineteenth-century palace, reborn after years of works with its reopening in 2010; it is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. On golf it publishes neither packages nor discounts: the concierge points to Garlenda, about 10 minutes by car away, and green fees and tee times are booked with the club. Anyone playing in winter should bear in mind that Garlenda closes on non-holiday Mondays from November to March.
The real subject of the Grand Hotel is the sea. The Thalassio Medical Spa covers 1,500 m² in a glass pyramid building, fed by water from the Ligurian Sea, and is open to non-guests too, from March to January. On the beach there is the private Grand Beach Club. For families, the Kids Club welcomes children aged 4 and over from June to September.
Royal Hotel Sanremo: the autumn tournament at Ulivi
The Royal Hotel Sanremo opened in 1872 and the family runs it today in its fifth generation. It is the only one of the four with a golf package: at least three nights, two green fees per person and a dinner. The course is the Circolo Golf degli Ulivi, designed by Peter Gannon and opened in 1932: 5,203 metres, par 69, short but narrow, with eleven par 4s and only two par 5s.
In the 2026 price list the 18-hole green fee is 65 euros on weekdays and 80 on holidays; partner hotels pay 55 and 65. The club is closed from 29 September to 9 October 2026 for aeration and reopens on the 10th. Immediately afterwards, on 24 and 25 October 2026, the Royal organises the Royal Golf Challenge: a 36-hole Stableford, with a gala dinner at the hotel. The seawater swimming pool heated to 27 °C, designed by Gio Ponti in 1948, is open from April to October. The hotel, moreover, closes for some months in winter and reopens for the Sanremo Festival: the dates are not published, so it is best to ask.
Excelsior Palace in Rapallo: the oldest club, in town
The Excelsior Palace opened in 1901 as a Kursaal and presents itself as the only five-star luxury hotel on the Portofino Coast, which is 6 km away. The course it recommends is the Golf Club Rapallo: designed in 1929, 18 holes, par 70, 45 hectares along the Boate stream, with the Romanesque monastery of Valle Christi rising behind the 7th green. It is open all year, except on non-holiday Tuesdays. The course record, the club points out, is still 63.
The hotel has no golf packages: the tee time is booked online with the club. The club’s price list, which does not state the year, gives 60 euros on weekdays for FIG members; it is therefore best to confirm it with the secretary’s office. The dress code is strict: no jeans, T-shirts or flip-flops.
Two more courses worth knowing
Anyone with an extra day can head for smaller courses with character. The Golf Club Pineta di Arenzano is a nine-hole par 36 between the sea and the Beigua, designed in 1959 by Don Harradine: in 2026 nine holes cost 35 euros on weekdays, and the club is closed from 5 to 23 October. The Marigola in Lerici is a nine-hole par 28 on the Gulf of Poets; the 2026 daily green fee is 35 euros, and it is closed on Mondays.
The courses at a glance
| Course | Holes | Par | Open | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garlenda | 18 | 72 | All year | Since 1964, 11th hole “Amen Corner” |
| Rapallo | 18 | 70 | All year, closed on Tuesdays | Since 1929, 45 hectares |
| Ulivi di Sanremo | 18 | 69 | Closed 29 September–9 October 2026 | Since 1932, Peter Gannon |
| Pineta di Arenzano | 9 | 36 | Closed on Tuesdays | Sea and Beigua |
| Marigola (Lerici) | 9 | 28 | Closed on Mondays | Gulf of Poets |
When to go
The courses can be played even in January, but the hotels have different seasons. The Alassio spa is open from March to January, the Sanremo pool from April to October, the Excelsior’s Beach Club from June to September. For a trip combining golf and sea on the same day the most comfortable window is April to October; in winter prices fall and daylight shortens.
Curiosities
- An Open in 1971. Garlenda recalls the 1971 Italian Open on its own website.
- An English demonstration. At Sanremo golf was born on 1 December 1931 with a demonstration by two English gentlemen and two pros on the Ulivi hill.
- A stream moved. To extend Rapallo to 18 holes, in 1970, the Boate was diverted.
- A hole that changed its par. The 16th at Sanremo was a par 4 and is now a 228-metre par 3.
Frequently asked questions
Are there golf hotels in Liguria with the course in the garden?+
Among these four, no. La Meridiana is the closest: Golf Club Garlenda can be reached on foot, but it is a club in its own right.
How much does it cost to play at Sanremo in 2026?+
The 18-hole green fee at the Circolo Golf degli Ulivi is 65 euros on weekdays and 80 on holidays; partner hotels pay 55 and 65 euros. On non-holiday Thursdays there is a promotion at 50 euros.
Which Ligurian course is open all year?+
Garlenda and Rapallo declare that they are open all year, with one weekly closure: non-holiday Mondays from November to March at Garlenda, non-holiday Tuesdays at Rapallo.
Which Ligurian hotel has a golf package?+
Among the four, the Royal Hotel Sanremo: at least three nights, two green fees per person and a dinner. La Meridiana instead offers guest rates and tee-time booking.
Can you arrive from Genoa airport?+
According to the Excelsior Palace, Genoa airport is 32 km from Rapallo; for La Meridiana the hotel gives about an hour by car from Genoa. From the Royal in Sanremo, Nice airport is 62 km away.
Are the spas open in winter too?+
Yes, in part: the spa of the Excelsior Palace is open all year, that of the Grand Hotel Alassio from March to January.
