A hotel can be open while its course is not: at Verdura, in Sicily, the nine-hole Executive stays closed until spring 2027 and the West Shore is under works. Before booking a golf resort it pays to ask ten questions, and the answers are almost always on the hotel's website.
Choosing a hotel for a golf holiday is not like choosing a hotel with a course nearby: the course matters as much as the room, and the differences lie in the details that sales pages bury at the bottom. This is a checklist of ten questions, each with concrete examples from Italian golf hotels.
1. Is the course the hotel's own, next door or further away?
These are three different things. The course may belong to the resort, as at Il Picciolo on Etna; it may be on the course itself, as at Golf Lodge Andreus, built right on the Passeier.Meran; it may be adjoining but separate, as at Villa Arzaga, where the club is run by a different company from the hotel and green fees are paid to the golf club; or it may be at a distance, in which case the hotel is simply a base.
2. How many holes do I really need?
A nine-hole par-27 executive course trains the short game; it does not replace an 18-hole course, as is the case at the Apulian farmhouse hotels Torre Maizza and Torre Coccaro. At Verdura there are three courses, but as of 3 October 2026 only the East Links is free of restrictions; the West Shore is open with turf works under way until spring 2027, and the Executive is closed. Ask which courses can be played on your dates.
3. Will I be able to play? Handicap and access
The rules vary widely. At Castiglion del Bosco the club is private and guests play by booking in advance. San Domenico Golf requires an EGA handicap of no more than 36; the Unlimited Golf package at Cala di Volpe at Pevero, under the published conditions, a maximum handicap of 54; Il Picciolo a certified handicap or green card; the Passeier.Meran a federation card with handicap or a permit to play the course.
4. How much do I save as a guest?
There is often a reserved rate. At Il Picciolo in 2026, 18 holes cost 90 euros for hotel guests and 110 for outside players; at the Quellenhof in St. Martin in Passeier, 72 euros against about 105 on the price list; at Masseria San Domenico, 65-105 euros against 95-150 in 2026. At Hotel Castel in Tirol, the Golfcard gives a 20% discount on the nine South Tyrolean courses. Not every hotel offers discounts: Excelsior Palace in Rapallo and Grand Hotel Alassio publish neither packages nor conditions.
5. When is the hotel open?
A playable course is not enough if the hotel is closed. Masseria San Domenico closes, according to the Michelin Guide, from November to February; Due Lune at Puntaldia, according to Small Luxury Hotels, from November to April; the Excelsior on the Lido is seasonal, with the beach open from late May to mid-September. Check the dates of the offers too: the Golf Escape package at Il Picciolo, for example, is on sale from 28 March to 9 November.
6. Who books the tee time?
Some hotels do it for you: at Villa d'Este Guest Relations books the starting times, and at the Excelsior on the Lido it also arranges transfer and rental. Others do not: at Excelsior Palace and Grand Hotel Alassio you book directly with the club. Ask too where to leave your bag: Andreus and Golf Lodge have a caddy room under video surveillance.
7. And if it rains, or in winter?
Golf Lodge has the Boom Boom Room, with putting green, bunker and simulator; Andreus a free Trackman simulator from 8 am to 10 pm. Terme di Saturnia keeps three driving-range bays heated in winter. The Passeier.Meran can be played from March to December.
8. And what about non-golfers?
This question settles many holidays for couples. At Il Picciolo, in the Golf Escape package, a partner who accompanies a golfer without playing can spend the value of the green fees on spa treatments; at Is Molas there is no spa but a beach club with a shuttle from June to September; at the Excelsior on the Lido a free shuttle takes you to St Mark's in about a quarter of an hour.
9. How do I get there?
Distances are declared by the hotels themselves: from Verdura, the airports of Palermo and Trapani are about 80 minutes away, Catania about three hours; from Villa d'Este, Malpensa is 48 minutes away, Linate an hour. Ask whether the transfer is included.
10. Families, adults only, pets?
Some hotels are adults only: the Marlena from age 14, the Preidlhof from 16, Masseria San Domenico from 14. Others have children's programmes, such as Verdùland. For dogs, Terme di Saturnia has the VIPets programme, with walks along the golf course trails.
Curiosities
- A course tended with spring water. At Terme di Saturnia, once a week.
- Indoor golf. The Golf Lodge's Boom Boom Room presents itself as "365 days of golf in South Tyrol".
- A green shaped like a continent. At the 14th hole of Is Molas the green traces the outline of Africa.
Frequently asked questions
How do you choose a hotel for a golf holiday?+
Start from the course: whether it belongs to the hotel, lies next door or is at a distance; then look at the access rules, the guest discount and the opening period.
Is a hotel with its own course better than one with an affiliated course?+
An on-site course is more convenient; an affiliated one gives more choice. It depends on how many holes and how many days you want to play.
Do you need a handicap to play at a golf resort?+
Often yes: at San Domenico Golf no higher than 36, at Il Picciolo a certified handicap or green card. At some clubs the website does not say: ask.
Do hotels offer discounts on green fees?+
Many do. At Il Picciolo, in 2026, 90 euros instead of 110; at Masseria San Domenico 65-105 euros instead of 95-150.
When is it best to book?+
Check the calendar of both the hotel and the course: Masseria San Domenico closes from November to February, the Passeier.Meran is open from March to December.
Can you play in winter?+
Yes, in some places: Terme di Saturnia can be played all year round according to the resort, Is Molas publishes green fees for every month, and in South Tyrol you fall back on simulators.
