In Stresa, according to the hotel, the concierge books green fees at nine affiliated clubs; in Rapallo the Excelsior states that it publishes no dedicated golf services. Before you leave, find out which of the two cases applies to you.
In Italian luxury hotels the word «concierge» means very different things. At Villa e Palazzo Aminta the concierge, according to the hotel, books green fees at the nine affiliated golf clubs within reach of Stresa; Grand Hotel Fasano publishes no golf packages, and its concierge can arrange private transfers; Excelsior Palace in Rapallo states that it has no golf package and no dedicated services such as booking tee times. Three luxury hotels, three different answers. The golf concierge is not a standard: it is a promise to be checked, and it is best checked before you arrive.
1. Who books the tee time, and how?
The first question, and the most important: does the hotel book the tee time, or do you book it yourself? A few examples:
- At the Guest Relations desk of the Excelsior Venice you can book tee times, and the staff also arrange the transfer by car, taxi or water taxi and the hire of equipment for the Circolo Golf Venezia, the links at Alberoni.
- At Forte Village the reception takes care of everything, from tee times to transfers, the practice range and the hire of clubs and golf carts at the Circolo di Is Molas.
- At the Grand Hotel Rimini the hotel books tee times and looks after your bag: the golf package includes at least two nights and two green fees per person at Rimini Verucchio.
- At the Hotel Castel in Tirolo the staff book tee times, and the stay includes the South Tyrol Golfcard, with a 20% discount on the green fee.
- By contrast, Grand Hotel Alassio and Excelsior Palace do not publish dedicated services: green fees and tee times are booked directly with the club.
If the hotel does not book, ask all the same whether the club has an online booking system, like the one that, according to Excelsior Palace, the club near Rapallo has.
2. Is the green fee discounted, and for whom?
Another question to ask in writing. The South Tyrolean hotels are the most explicit: at the Hotel Castel and the Hohenwart in Scena the Golfcard gives a 20% discount at participating clubs, and at the Preidlhof membership of Golf & Country Südtirol includes a guaranteed tee time when you register at reception. At the Quellenhof Passeier guests pay, according to the hotel, 72 euros instead of around 105 euros for 18 holes (figures given without a year). Ask which clubs are included, whether the discount applies at weekends and whether it is already in the room rate.
3. How do you get to the course?
Here the most useful answers are concrete ones: how far it is and whether there is a transfer. The Golf Lodge at Andreus, for example, arranges a shuttle or private taxi from the airports on request (Bolzano about 45 minutes away, Innsbruck an hour and a half, according to the hotel). Posia, in the Salento, arranges a tailor-made transfer to the Acaya Golf Club, about 15 minutes away. Ask too about the check-out time, if your tee time is early.
4. Equipment: hire, bag, storage
Check three things: are good-quality clubs available for hire? (at the Excelsior Venice and at Posia the hotel arranges it), where can you leave your bag (the Golf Lodge has a video-monitored caddy room, the Parkhotel Marlena a lockable one, the Grand Hotel Rimini offers storage) and whether the golf cart or trolley costs extra. As for the bag on the plane, airline rules are another matter: check with your own airline.
5. Lessons, practice and beginners
If someone in the group does not play or is just starting, ask about courses. The Parkhotel Marlena offers «Handicap in 5 days», four days and 10 hours of individual lessons with an exam for the FIG handicap; the Quellenhof Lazise a package with a course and an exam for the golf licence during the stay.
6. What the concierge does when you are not playing
The concierge at Villa e Palazzo Aminta, for example, also books tickets for Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella and Isola Madre, and for the Villa Taranto gardens: for anyone travelling with a partner who does not play, it is the most underrated question. Villa e Palazzo Aminta publishes neither golf packages nor the terms of the affiliation: ask for them when you book. Its golf is on the lake: the two nearest clubs, 5 kilometres away, are the Golf des Iles Borromées and the Golf Club Alpino.
The list to copy
- Who books the tee time, and how far in advance?
- Is there an affiliation or a green fee discount? For which clubs?
- Is there a transfer? At what cost?
- Can clubs and golf carts be hired? Where do you leave your bag?
- What happens if it rains or the tee time is cancelled?
- Are there lessons or a pro?
- What is there for those who do not play?
Frequently asked questions
Does the hotel concierge really book tee times?+
It depends on the hotel: at the Excelsior Venice the Guest Relations desk does it, at Forte Village the reception, at Villa e Palazzo Aminta the concierge books green fees; Grand Hotel Alassio and Excelsior Palace in Rapallo, on the other hand, state that they offer no dedicated services.
What is the South Tyrol Golfcard?+
According to the Hotel Castel it is included in the stay and gives a 20% discount on the green fee at the nine courses in the province.
How far in advance should you book a tee time?+
It depends on the club and the hotel. At the Romantik Hotel Turm, according to the hotel, guaranteed tee times can be booked well in advance, even from home; in other cases, ask directly.
Can I leave my bag at the hotel?+
Some hotels have storage: the Golf Lodge Andreus a video-monitored caddy room, the Parkhotel Marlena a lockable one, the Grand Hotel Rimini offers bag storage.
Does the hotel arrange transfers to the course?+
Some do: Excelsior Venice, Forte Village and Posia state so. Others do not: ask before you book.
How does club hire work?+
Ask whether the equipment is included in the green fee or paid for separately, and of what standard; at the Excelsior Venice and at Posia the hotel takes care of the hire.
