Who has advice from golf around Lake Como?

[Joel Zuckerman]

Amazed to see all the educated responses to the recent post about golf in Florence....

I will be in Lake Como for an extended period next June. Who can recommend courses?  Ideally, I would like to visit and play six or eight over the several weeks I will be in the area. Thank you in advance for the expertise!

[Bill_McBride]

Amazed to see all the educated responses to the recent post about golf in Florence....

I will be in Lake Como for an extended period next June. Who can recommend courses?  Ideally, I would like to visit and play six or eight over the several weeks I will be in the area. Thank you in advance for the expertise!

I guess you missed the part about why play golf in Italy when there is so much wonderful sightseeing, wine and food.   Lake Como is blissful. Take a ferry to Bellagio and look for George Clooney's house.  Spend a day exploring the citte alta in Bergamo, find Donazetti's tomb. 

[David_Elvins]

Joel,

I haven't golfed there but I just pulled "Golf Courses in Lombardy, Italy" off the book shelf.  It is a bit old (1989) but provides a few useful hints.  

It lists Francia Corta as being a co-design between Pete Dye and Marco Croze.  It is not referenced in The Golf Courses of Pete Dye (author mistake? ) but may have enough of a link to the great man to make it worth the effort for a Dye junkie to visit.  
http://www.franciacortagolfclub.com/

It is only 15 mile or so from Como but GolfClub Lanzo caught my eye.  A short nine holer but seems to have the required amount of quirk, and contouring to make it a GCA favorite.  http://www.golflanzo.it/site/index.htm

Milano Golf Club is a fairly exclusive club apparently and a reasonable tournament venue.  

The golf course at Villa d'este is just near Como and looks reasonably good.  
http://www.golfvilladeste.com/en/circolo.php

Menaggio and Cadenabbia is at Como - a JH Taylor design (atleast part of the course).  It looks ok, but their golf library is reported to be amazing, you can see a bit of it in this course profile.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8KMbZ_aoZA

Garda golf has some profile but I would not recommend based on what I have seen.

Hope that helps.

[Mike_Clayton]

Joel,

My distances will be a bit dodgy - but Monza Golf Club is good.It's right next to the race track. I'm not sure how far it is from Como but it won't be crazy.
We used to play Monticello GC at the Italian Open - decent but no better than that.
You could take the train to Ascona in Switzerland.It's not far and the course is ok - and the train ride is beautiful.

[Scott Macpherson]

Hi Joel,

I have been to Menaggio & Cadenabbia about 6 times. We are advising them on changes to the course (but no work has started yet).

It is maybe about 45 mins or an hour north of Como, (1 and half hours drive from Malpensa airport), on the West side of the lake, and on top of a hill with some views of the lake from the clubhouse. I think it is a pretty special place. The course is undulating and currently restricted by trees in places, but a good walk and bright experience. Certainly the Clubhouse, which has all the virtues of golf in early times is worth the visit alone. Stay for lunch or dinner and just enjoy the wonderful Italian countryside.

Caio

12th Hole


Clubhouse


Library


14th Hole

[Rich Goodale]

I played Franciacorta a few years ago and it is definitely worth visiting with a number of quirky holes played through the ancient vineyards.  You can see Dye's hand in many of the holes, if use your imagination.  When you finish make sure to try one or two of the local wines which are very good for their genre (vino paisano) in the rather sumptuous clubhouse.  The surrounding are is fairly prosaic for Italy, and not worth too much more of your time.  I spent 4-5 days there on a "cultural" exchange (i.e. an extended piss up) as-the local municipality (Corte Franca) is twinned with my home village of Aberdour.  What is worth your time is the nearby Lake Iseo, which is Lake Garda in miniature and relatively free of Turistas wearing bad clothes dangling expensive cameras and clutching maps leading to Clooney's villa....

[Mike Policano]

Joel,

I have played 10 or so courses in that neck of the woods. The Villa D'Este Golf Club is the best course and experience in the immediate area. And luckily for you, it is less than 30 minutes from Como on the east side of the lake. I recommend playing it two or three times if you can. It is one of the top 5 courses in Italy.

Go to M&C.  It has a very historic clubhouse. It is on a hilly and narrow site. The lunches alone are worth the trip. Please note that straight shots are recommended.

An hour and a half from Como in Biella, is Golf Club Biella. It is rated by some as the No. 1 course in Italy. It is a fun course to play with some excellent holes. You should definitely go play there. Be warned that if you are afraid of heights, the ride up to the club from the valley might be a challenge.

Two hours from Como, just outside Torino, is the Royal Park Club. They have 36 holes including a H&F 18 that hosted the Italian Open this year. It is considered top 3 in Italy. It is a very good course to play. The second 18 is by Rees Jones which I haven't played yet. You might want to go there and play both.

Cheers

[Joel Zuckerman]

Bill, there is a significant difference between this topic and the other one about Florence. I have the luxury of time, while the other fellow is very limited in his time in Florence.
Furthermore, although I enjoy small helpings of museums, cobblestone streets, ancient artifacts, etc., I would be remiss in not exploring the golf options in an area that I have come to understand is one of the top golf areas of Italy, even if that statement is something of an oxymoron along the lines of Jumbo shrimp, honest politician, etc.

To everyone else, thank you for those thoughtful recommendations, and if there are any other viable golf options around the lake, or close to Milan, I would love to hear about them.

[David_Tepper]

Joel Z. -

I remember reading a lengthy article about golf around Lake Como 5-10 years ago in the the Sports Illustrated Golf Plus supplement. I tried to find it online, but did not have any luck.

Here is an article on Lake Como golf from LINKS magazine:

http://www.linksmagazine.com/golf_travel/international/italy/lake-como-italy-golf-vacation/   

DT

[Howard Riefs]

I visited Lake Como five years ago for a wedding. A wonderful destination for a few days. I didn't play golf, but would recommend....

Grand Hotel Tremezzo -- If you don't stay at Villa d'Este, Grand Hotel Tremezzo is a very nice hotel with good service, food and a pool right off the lake. A tad too north (across the lake from Bellagio) though.
          http://www.grandhoteltremezzo.com/

Villa del Balbianello -- An 18th century villa on the tip of a peninsula. Wonderful sights and views for photos. The setting for scenes in "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" and Casino Royale.
          villabalbianello.com
          http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/06/30/villa-del-balbianello-james-bond-villa-lenno-lake-como/

Locanda dell'Isola Comacina -- A memorable meal at a rustic setting on a small wooded island accessible by boat. Conde Nast describes it well: "the meal combines a rustic feast with a delightfully hokey homespun floor show."
          http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/italianlakes/restaurants/14619
          http://www.comacina.it/en/restaurant.php
          http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/07/26/locanda-dell-isola-comacina-lunch-lake-como/

[Gary Slatter]

Joel,

I have played 10 or so courses in that neck of the woods. The Villa D'Este Golf Club is the best course and experience in the immediate area. And luckily for you, it is less than 30 minutes from Como on the east side of the lake. I recommend playing it two or three times if you can. It is one of the top 5 courses in Italy.

Go to M&C.  It has a very historic clubhouse. It is on a hilly and narrow site. The lunches alone are worth the trip. Please note that straight shots are recommended.

An hour and a half from Como in Biella, is Golf Club Biella. It is rated by some as the No. 1 course in Italy. It is a fun course to play with some excellent holes. You should definitely go play there. Be warned that if you are afraid of heights, the ride up to the club from the valley might be a challenge.

Two hours from Como, just outside Torino, is the Royal Park Club. They have 36 holes including a H&F 18 that hosted the Italian Open this year. It is considered top 3 in Italy. It is a very good course to play. The second 18 is by Rees Jones which I haven't played yet. You might want to go there and play both.

Cheers




I played the Ville d'este course in the Italian Open and it is a superb experience - years later we played it with my wife and she said it's the first course she felt comfortable wearing pearls while playing.   Excellent par three holes.

[Keith Phillips]

I played and enjoyed the Villa d'Este course a decade ago, albeit before I really paid any particular attention to architecture.  Lake Como is one of the truly special places on this earth - I forget the name of the restaurant on an island in the middle of the lake, but it is a must!

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Bone up on your Peter Gannon before playing Milano or Villa d'Este (M and C, too). Christoph Meister is the expert. If he doesn't see this, try an IM to him.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

If you are there long enough to make a trip to the great wine regions of Piedmont (Barolo and Barbaresco) I have a friend who lives there who is a wine importer into Britain and he has amazing connections. I'm sure he would look after you proudly. Just don't attempt to drive after sampling! The food is stunning. And, of course, you would have to visit the town of Bra - what an uplifting name!

[Howard Riefs]

I forget the name of the restaurant on an island in the middle of the lake, but it is a must!

Nice to see it seconded.

Locanda dell'Isola Comacina -- A memorable meal at a rustic setting on a small wooded island accessible by boat. Conde Nast describes it well: "the meal combines a rustic feast with a delightfully hokey homespun floor show."
          http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/italianlakes/restaurants/14619
          http://www.comacina.it/en/restaurant.php
          http://www.gourmantic.com/2011/07/26/locanda-dell-isola-comacina-lunch-lake-como/

[Bill_McBride]

Bill, there is a significant difference between this topic and the other one about Florence. I have the luxury of time, while the other fellow is very limited in his time in Florence.
Furthermore, although I enjoy small helpings of museums, cobblestone streets, ancient artifacts, etc., I would be remiss in not exploring the golf options in an area that I have come to understand is one of the top golf areas of Italy, even if that statement is something of an oxymoron along the lines of Jumbo shrimp, honest politician, etc.

To everyone else, thank you for those thoughtful recommendations, and if there are any other viable golf options around the lake, or close to Milan, I would love to hear about them.

I also forgot that you would be working as well as playing!   Have fun. 

If you get around to Varenna on the east side, walk down the highway south a half mile or so and find the Fiume Latte, the "River of Milk," shortest river in the word.  Leonardo DaVinci found it, it's underground most of its length and bubbles into view near the lake.  It's so frothy it looks like milk. 

[Padraig Dooley]

Not too far from Lake Maggiore is Circolo Golf Bogogno. 36 holes, played one of 18s many times and liked it a lot. Great lunch in the clubhouse as well!!

[Ulrich Mayring]

Villa d'Este is a good, bot not great course in my opinion. I liked Menaggio and Cadenabbia better for its quirk and views. It's all trees at Villa d'Este, although the clubhouse is something to behold. But the only view you'll get  all day is from the terrace.

Ulrich