At Saturnia the greenkeepers spray spring water at 37.5 degrees on the turf every week, because the sulphur keeps fungus at bay; at Galzignano there are fumaroles among the fairways. In Italy golf and thermal spas share more than one address: seven courses, with what you need to know before booking.
Golf asks precision and stamina of the body; thermal spas return the favour at the end of the day. In Italy the pairing has a clear geography: the Maremma, the Euganean Hills, the Emilian hills, Ciociaria, the Tuscany of Montecatini and the Oltrepò Pavese. Here you will find seven courses in a spa town or its immediate surroundings, and a single hotel with a course on site and a spring: Terme di Saturnia.
For thermal treatments and their effects, it is best to consult the medical staff of the establishments.
The comparison in a table
| Course | Location | Holes | 18-hole green fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terme di Saturnia | Manciano (GR) | 18, par 72 | rates to be requested from the secretary's office | inside the resort; Golf Inclusive package |
| Golf Terme di Galzignano | Galzignano Terme (PD) | 9, par 31 | to be requested from the club | part of the Galzignano Resort |
| Golf Club Padova | Galzignano Terme (PD) | 27 | 80-90 euros (FIG members, undated) | relais in the clubhouse |
| Salsomaggiore Golf & Thermae | Salsomaggiore Terme (PR) | 18, par 72 | to be requested from the club | closed on Wednesday |
| Fiuggi | Fiuggi (FR) | 18, par 70 | 50 euros weekdays, 70 weekends and holidays (2026) | open 7 days a week |
| Montecatini | Monsummano Terme (PT) | 18, par 72 | 70 euros (base rate 2026) | closed on Tuesday |
| Salice Terme | Rivanazzano Terme (PV) | 9, par 70 | 25 euros weekdays, 60 weekends and holidays (2026) | open from February to December |
Saturnia: the course with the spring
Among these seven addresses it is the only one where course, hotel and spring coincide. The Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort was founded in 1919 on the spring that gushes out at 37.5 °C, after some forty years underground from Monte Amiata. The course, designed by Ronald Fream, has 18 holes, par 72, over 6,316 metres on 70 hectares of Maremma; it earned GEO environmental certification in 2014 and, the resort says, uses no insecticides or pesticides. The most curious detail concerns the water: every week the greenkeepers treat the turf with thermal water, because the sulphur prevents fungal diseases.
The Golf Inclusive package requires at least two nights and includes breakfast, one 18-hole green fee per person per day, a 50% discount on the second player's green fee, use of the practice range and a couple's cryotherapy session. The practice range has 43 bays, three of them heated in winter, and the resort presents the course as playable all year round. Halfway round, in a farmhouse on the course, stands the trattoria La Stellata.
Euganean Hills: Galzignano and Padua
Galzignano Terme lies in the Euganean thermal basin, of which Abano is the best-known town and which the Galzignano club describes as one of the most celebrated in Europe. At Galzignano you can play on two courses.
The Golf Terme di Galzignano is a par-31 nine-hole course by Marco Croze (1999), short (2,048 metres) but scenic: the 4th tee stands in the middle of a lake, the 9th green seems to float, and on the course you come across the fumaroles, puffs of steam recalling the ancient volcanic activity of the Hills. It is open all year (9 am to 7:30 pm in summer, 9 am to 5 pm in winter); the green fee must be requested from the club.
The Golf Club Padova is the larger of the two: 27 holes (Yellow, Red and Blue, all par 36) on 78 hectares in the Euganean Hills Regional Park, founded in 1962 as Golf Club Euganeo and designed by John Harris. The 2nd hole of the Yellow has the Porta di Diana of Villa Barbarigo as its backdrop. In the clubhouse there is a relais with rooms overlooking the course. The undated price list sets 80 euros for FIG members (January, February, July, August and December) or 90 euros for 18 holes; the club is closed on Monday, with seven-day opening in spring and autumn according to the club.
Emilia: Salsomaggiore
The Salsomaggiore Golf & Thermae has 18 holes, par 72, on 70 hectares at Contignaco, at 360 metres, built in 1992 to a design by Carlo Quintelli and completely renovated in 2018. Three lakes come into play on five holes. Play requires a handicap certificate (maximum 54), soft spikes and a reservation on 0524 583102. Hours change with the seasons: 9 am to 5 pm in winter, 9 am to 7 pm from April to September. The green fee must be requested from the club.
Fiuggi, Montecatini and Salice Terme
- Fiuggi. The course, founded in 1928, sits at 641 metres above the spa town and the club regards it as the first public course in Italy; it is managed without herbicides. The 2026 price list asks 50 euros on weekdays and 70 at weekends and holidays for 18 holes. No tracksuits or jeans.
- Montecatini. At Monsummano Terme, 18 holes by Marco Croze among more than 2,000 olive and cypress trees; the 2026 base green fee is 70 euros. It has a restaurant with a terrace, rooms and a swimming pool; closed on Tuesday.
- Salice Terme. Nine holes with double tees (par 70, 5,470 metres) among the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese, with three swimming pools and two padel courts. The 2026 price list runs from 25 euros on weekdays to 60 euros for 18 holes at weekends and holidays.
How to combine golf and spa
- Consider the order. Many resorts pair lessons and treatments, such as the "Swing & Spa" programme at Saturnia: ask at reception how to organise the day.
- Check the closing days. Salsomaggiore closes on Wednesday, Montecatini on Tuesday, Padua on Monday.
- Look for the package. Saturnia has Golf Inclusive; at Galzignano, for guests of the resort hotel, there is a package combining green fees on three courses, thermal pools and treatments.
- Consider the light. Salsomaggiore closes at 5 pm in winter and at 7 pm in summer: in autumn a morning tee time is the better choice.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you play golf near thermal spas in Italy?+
Terme di Saturnia (Maremma), Galzignano and Padua (Euganean Hills), Salsomaggiore, Fiuggi, Montecatini and Salice Terme.
Can you play golf inside a thermal resort?+
Yes: Terme di Saturnia has an 18-hole, par-72 course inside the resort, and Galzignano also has a nine-hole course in the resort.
How much is the green fee at the spa courses?+
On the 2026 price lists: 50 euros (Fiuggi, weekdays), 70 euros (Montecatini, base rate), from 25 to 60 euros (Salice Terme). Padua asks 80-90 euros (FIG members, undated price list). For Saturnia, Galzignano and Salsomaggiore the rate must be requested from the secretary's office.
When is the best time to go?+
The spas are open all year; for golf, Saturnia and Galzignano state that they play all year, Salice Terme from February to December and Fiuggi seven days a week.
Are the spas good after golf?+
Many resorts offer relaxation circuits after the round, but for effects and contraindications a doctor's opinion is needed.
Do you need a handicap?+
It depends on the course: Salsomaggiore requires a handicap certificate (maximum 54); Fiuggi does not state a minimum handicap for guests. Ask at the secretary's office.
