The Italian Lakes have drawn discerning travellers for centuries: poets, aristocrats and adventurers held by clear water beneath snow-capped peaks. Today the same scenery gives golfers a strong reason to linger, with championship courses where a round plays out against mountains, woodland and lake light.
Within an hour of Milan, seven courses wait, each with its own character. Some began with Victorian-era English gentlemen, while others carry the signature of Jack Nicklaus or Robert Trent Jones Sr. You can look for elevation changes through ancient woods, or choose lakeside fairways where Alpine summits sit in the water's reflection.
Golf Club Menaggio & Cadenabbia
Set on the slopes of Monte Crocione above Lake Como's western shore, Menaggio & Cadenabbia has a clear place in Italian golf history. A group of English visitors founded it in 1907 after falling for the lake, and it remains the second-oldest golf club in Italy and one of its most romantic.
The course climbs and drops through 18 holes with a sense of theatre. Narrow fairways run between mature trees and ask for precision more than power, while the elevated position gives views that can pull even a focused golfer out of the shot. From the signature holes, Lake Como spreads below like hammered silver, with the villas of Bellagio in the distance and the Grigne mountains to the east.
The club's motto, Far and Sure, catches the rhythm of the place: this is golf for thoughtful play and patience. After the round, the elegant clubhouse, home to one of Europe's finest golf libraries, makes a graceful setting for a restorative pranzo with fellow enthusiasts.
Address: Via Wyatt, 54, Frazione Croce, 22017 Menaggio (CO)
Hours: Summer 8:00-18:00 daily; Winter 9:30-12:30 Mon-Fri*
Course: 18 holes, Par 70, 5,482m
Phone: +39 0344 32103
Email: reception@menaggio.org
Website: golfclubmenaggio.com/en/
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Circolo Golf Villa d'Este
Menaggio carries the romance of golf; Villa d'Este brings the competitive charge. Leading Courses ranks this layout near Montorfano as the #1 course in Italy, and it has hosted twelve editions of the Italian Open while testing many of the world's finest players.
Peter Gannon designed the course in 1926, threading it through more than 30,000 century-old chestnut, birch and pine trees at 400 metres elevation. The terrain has the feel of the great Scottish heathland courses: undulating, strategic and demanding a full range of shots. Water hazards arrive at important moments, and the greens sit within a cathedral-like canopy of ancient trees that punishes loose approaches.
The historic villa clubhouse overlooks the small Lago di Montorfano and suits the scale of the golf around it. Recently reacquired by the Villa d'Este hotel on Lake Como, the club now offers exclusive packages combining lakeside luxury with championship golf just 14 kilometres away. The on-site Lodge Golf Villa d'Este provides accommodation within the first nine holes for those who want to stay close to the course.
Address: Via per Cantù 13, 22034 Montorfano (CO)
Hours: March-December, daily except Tuesdays*
Course: 18 holes, Par 69, 5,760m
Phone: +39 031 200 200
Email: reservation@golfvilladeste.com
Website: golfvilladeste.com
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Golf Club Varese
Some golf clubhouses occupy buildings of architectural interest. Golf Club Varese occupies an 11th-century monastery, one of the oldest clubhouses in the world and among the most atmospheric. The former Monastery of Sant'Antonino, with its medieval cloister and converted chapel, now receives golfers before they step onto a course that matches the setting.
Founded in 1897 and established at this Luvinate site in 1934, Varese offers an 18-hole championship layout at 425 metres elevation. Gannon and Blandford designed it originally, with later refinements by Peter Harradine. The course moves through ancient woodland, with each hole framed by trees that have stood for centuries.
The views make Varese memorable. From different points on the course, four bodies of water come into view: Lake Varese directly below, Lake Monate to the west, glimpses of Lake Maggiore in the distance and Lake Comabbio completing the quartet. Beyond them rises the bulk of Monte Rosa, its glaciers bright in the morning light. On clear days, the panorama alone justifies the journey.
Address: Via Vittorio Veneto, 59, 21020 Luvinate (VA)
Hours: February-November, closed Mondays*
Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6,029m
Phone: +39 0332 229302
Email: info@golfclubvarese.it
Website: golfclubvarese.it/en/
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Golf Des Iles Borromées
Rising 500 metres above Stresa on the Alto Vergante plateau, Golf Des Iles Borromées may have the most spectacular panorama of any course in the region. From the 18th tee on clear days, you can see the Milan skyline with the naked eye, along with four lakes, Maggiore, Varese, Monate and Comabbio, and the sweep of the Swiss and Simplon Alps.
Properties on Lake Maggiore & Lake Como
Discover your dream home on the Italian lakes
The course itself, 18 holes, par 72 and 6,122 metres, rewards strategic play across ground that shifts from open meadow to close woodland. The microclimate is fresh in summer and sunny in winter, so players can come year-round, while the natural environment remains largely untouched by development.
Just six kilometres from Stresa and the famous Borromean Islands, the club works well as a base for golfers exploring Lake Maggiore. The clubhouse and restaurant provide sustenance between rounds, while the area's Grand Hotels, including the Regina Palace and Grand Hotel des Iles Borromées, offer accommodation suited to this corner of Italy.
Address: Località Motta Rossa, 28833 Brovello Carpugnino (VB)
Hours: Year-round; closed Mondays in winter months*
Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6,122m
Green fee: Winter rates from €45 (18 holes)
Phone: +39 0323 929285
Email: booking@golfdesiles.it
Website: golfdesilesborromees.it/eng/
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Golf Club Continental Verbania
Many lake-district courses climb mountainsides. Golf Continental Verbania follows the shore of Lake Mergozzo, the purest lake in Europe, fed entirely by underground springs. Its flat, parkland-style layout gives a more accessible test while keeping the scenery close.
The 18-hole, par-69 course winds through extensive alder woodland, with internal water features adding strategy to the round. The Alpine backdrop, including views towards the peaks of the Val Grande National Park, gives the place its quiet character. On a fairway here, you may pause for the silence, broken by birdsong and the distant bells of lakeside villages.
The club is developing a new clubhouse and hotel complex, scheduled to open in 2026, which speaks to growing recognition for this understated course. For now, excellent practice facilities, a welcoming atmosphere and proximity to both Verbania and Stresa make Continental a strong choice for golfers who want quality without pretension.
Address: Via 42 Martiri, 15, 28924 Fondotoce di Verbania (VB)
Hours: Summer 8:00-21:00 daily; Winter 9:00-17:00, closed Wednesdays*
Course: 18 holes, Par 69
Phone: +39 0323 80800
Email: info@golfcontinentalverbania.it
Website: golfcontinentalverbania.it/en/
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Golf Club Castelconturbia
Castelconturbia gives golfers true championship pedigree. This 27-hole complex, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., has twice hosted the Italian Open and remains one of northern Italy's most respected tournament venues.
Jones himself described the site as "stupendo", and the setting explains his response. The course occupies rolling ground with the Monte Rosa massif as a backdrop, while mature trees and strategic water hazards ask for a full range of shotmaking. Three distinct nine-hole loops, Yellow, Blue and Red, can be combined in different configurations, giving variety across multiple rounds.
The estate includes the Golf Hotel Castelconturbia for those who want to stay on-site, plus excellent dining facilities and an extensive practice area. From January 2026, the new Edoardo Molinari Golf Academy will offer instruction from one of Italy's most accomplished professionals, a fitting addition to a club serious about both the development of the game and its preservation.
Address: Via Castelconturbia, 10, 28010 Agrate Conturbia (NO)
Hours: Daily except Tuesdays; winter closure Jan 7-30*
Course: 27 holes (3 x 9), Par 72 (18-hole combinations)
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Phone: +39 0322 832093
Website: golfclubcastelconturbia.it/en/
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Le Robinie Golf Club
Italy has exactly one golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus, and it sits in the Lombard countryside between Milan and the lakes. Le Robinie is the Golden Bear's single Italian course: 70 acres reshaped by two million cubic metres of earthmoving into amphitheatres, terraced bunkers and strategic ponds that professionals consider among Europe's finest.
Nicklaus designed Le Robinie to be "challenging but not punishing", playable for all skill levels while still offering championship-calibre tests. The course occupies the grounds of an 800s-era Lombard farmstead, whose historic buildings now serve as a resort hotel and restaurant alongside the contemporary golf facility.
Located just 45 minutes from Milan Malpensa Airport, Le Robinie works well as a first or final stop for international golfers, or as a destination in its own right, for the design and the ease of getting there. The resort accommodation allows multi-day stays around one of Italy's most distinctive golfing experiences.
Address: Via per Busto Arsizio, 9, 21058 Solbiate Olona (VA)
Hours: Year-round*
Course: 18 holes, Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Green fee: €70-€100
Phone: +39 0331 329260
Email: golf@lerobinie.com
Website: golf.lerobinie.com
Note: *Hours may vary seasonally. Verify before visiting.
Planning your golf journey
The concentration of quality courses in this region, eight championship-calibre layouts within 80 kilometres, gives golfers plenty of scope for focused itineraries. Base yourself in Stresa for Lake Maggiore courses, Como or Cernobbio for Lake Como options, or choose a central location such as Varese to reach both regions with ease.
Spring (April-June) and autumn (September-October) offer ideal conditions: pleasant temperatures, lighter crowds and the added beauty of Alpine wildflowers or autumn foliage along the fairways. Summer brings longer days and warmer weather, while several courses remain playable through winter thanks to the lakes' moderating influence on local climate.
Most clubs welcome visitors with valid handicap certificates, though advance booking is essential during peak seasons. Many offer packages combining golf with local gastronomy, wine tasting or cultural excursions, because among the Italian Lakes, even committed golfers find good reasons to set their clubs aside and savour la dolce vita.
Gallery
