In 2024 Villa d'Este bought back the Montorfano course, which had belonged to the hotel until the late 1970s: a century after Peter Gannon's design, golf on the Lario is once again played at home.
Lake Como has a golf club founded in 1907 and another that hosted twelve Italian Opens in the twentieth century, yet the relationship between hotel and course is less obvious than one might think. For players, the address of reference on the Lario is one: Villa d'Este, with its own course. Alongside it there is the guest house of a historic club and, for those who want to change lake, a hotel in Stresa.
Villa d'Este: the hotel that brought its course home
Villa d'Este was built in 1568 as the residence of Cardinal Tolomeo Gallio and has been a hotel since 1873. For golf the keyword is Montorfano: the Circolo Golf Villa d'Este was designed by Peter Gannon in 1926, has hosted twelve editions of the Italian Open, an Italian record, and belonged to the hotel until the late 1970s; the hotel bought it back in 2024. In 2026 the club celebrates its centenary.
The course is not on the lake but about 14 kilometres from Cernobbio, inland, at an altitude of 400 metres among chestnuts, birches and pines: 18 holes, par 69, 5,760 metres. It is played from March to December, every day except Tuesday, and tee times are booked through the hotel's Guest Relations. The 2026 golf package is valid from 21 March to 21 November, with a minimum of two nights, and includes breakfast, an 18-hole green fee, a golf cart and club hire; for those short of time there are nine holes in the morning with lunch, or nine at sunset with a glass of Franciacorta. On the course stands the Terrazza al Golf, overlooking the 18th hole.
The airports, according to the hotel: Malpensa at 60 kilometres (about 48 minutes), Linate at 70 (60 minutes), Bergamo at 100 (about 100 minutes).
After the round: what companions will find
Those who do not play have a hotel that is a destination in itself. The 151 rooms are divided between the Cardinal's building, with 124 rooms, and the Queen's pavilion, with 27, in a ten-hectare park that belongs to the Grandi Giardini Italiani. The floating pool on the lake, opened in 1966, was, according to the hotel, the first on the Lario. There are also eight tennis courts, six of them clay, a gym open 24 hours a day and a Beauty Center.
At table the offering changes with the seasons: the Veranda and the Bar Canova stay open all season, the Grill from April to October, while in summer Il Platano and the Sundeck beside the pool join in. Tee times at the Montorfano course, as mentioned, are booked through the hotel's Guest Relations.
Sleeping at the course: the Menaggio guest house
The Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club was founded in 1907 and, according to the club's records, is the second oldest in Italy. The course, 18 holes, par 70, 5,482 metres, is played along narrow fairways and mature trees with the lake in the background. The club has a guest house with a lake view that hosts golfers and companions, a library with more than 1,200 golf volumes, the oldest dating from 1682, and a restaurant.
To play you need an exact handicap of 54, and it is best to book the tee time on Chronogolf; the 2026 season began on 13 March. The published price list shows 100 euros on weekdays and 120 on public holidays for 18 holes, but it does not state the year it applies to: confirm it at reception.
An address on Lake Maggiore: Villa e Palazzo Aminta
Those who cannot find a room or want to change lake can look to Stresa. Villa e Palazzo Aminta has no course of its own; according to the hotel there are nine affiliated clubs, and the concierge books the green fees. The two closest, at 5 kilometres, are the Golf des Iles Borromées (18 holes, par 72) and the Golf Club Alpino, nine holes, par 69, on Mottarone. The hotel does not publish the terms of the arrangement: they must be requested when booking.
The other courses between Como and the Brianza
| Course | Holes | Character | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villa d'Este (Montorfano) | 18, par 69 | Gannon, 1926 | Closed on Tuesday |
| Menaggio e Cadenabbia | 18, par 70 | Founded in 1907 | Exact handicap 54 |
| Carimate | 18, par 71 | Castle park, since 1962 | Closed on Mondays that are not public holidays |
| La Pinetina | 18, par 71 | Among the pines, John Harris | Adjoining hotel, 90-110 euros (online price list) |
| Lanzo Intelvi | 9 | At 1,000 metres, Harradine, 1962 | Dogs allowed on the course |
| Lecco (Annone Brianza) | 18, par 71 | Club house in a 1600s farmhouse | Beneath the Resegone |
| Monticello | 36 | Seven Italian Opens | Weekday green fee from 90 euros |
When to go
Montorfano and Menaggio open around mid-March and close in December; in May Villa d'Este hosts the Concorso d'Eleganza for vintage cars, held here since 1929, and in September the Ambrosetti Forum. Montorfano plays from March to December, Menaggio opened its 2026 season on 13 March: in January and February it is worth looking to Carimate, open all year and closed only on Mondays that are not public holidays. The hotel, meanwhile, has a programme of festive events from 1 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
Curiosities
- A chair at the club. Cassina's "Carimate" chair comes from the restaurant of the club house that Vico Magistretti was designing.
- Thirty thousand trees. The Montorfano course counts more than 30,000 of them, among chestnuts, birches and pines.
- A displeased parish priest. According to the records, Don Enrico Moltrasio noted the birth of the Menaggio club with disapproval.
Frequently asked questions
Does Villa d'Este have a golf course?+
Yes, the Circolo Golf Villa d'Este at Montorfano, about 14 kilometres from Cernobbio, bought back by the hotel in 2024: 18 holes, par 69, designed by Peter Gannon in 1926.
When can one play at Montorfano?+
From March to December, every day except Tuesday. The hotel's 2026 golf package is valid from 21 March to 21 November.
Can one stay inside a golf club on Lake Como?+
Yes: the Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club has a guest house with a lake view, open to golfers and companions.
Are a handicap and a membership card required?+
At Menaggio the club requires an exact handicap of 54, the federal limit, and recommends booking on Chronogolf.
Which airports serve Villa d'Este?+
Malpensa (60 km), Linate (70 km) and Bergamo (100 km), with driving times of about 48, 60 and 100 minutes, according to the hotel.
Are there other courses near Como?+
Yes: Carimate, open all year, La Pinetina with an adjoining hotel, Lanzo Intelvi at 1,000 metres, Lecco at Annone Brianza and Monticello, with 36 holes and seven Italian Opens.
