Golf in Tuscany, a wide variety of courses

Thanks to Tuscany's position in central Italy - it stretches from north to south - it provides visitors with a wide range of different views. From small medieval villages to large historical cities, not to mention the coast that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea with crystal-clear waters.

Cities like Florence, Siena, Lucca are some of the most beautiful in the country, but also smaller towns like San Gimignano, Pienza, and Montalcino offer great experiences. In terms of gastronomy, it is probably the most iconic region of Italy, boasting two must-haves for food and wine lovers: the Fiorentina steak and Chianti wine. 

From a golfing perspective, there are about thirty golf courses in Tuscany. It's fun to note that they all possess very different characteristics: there are genuine hill courses, with large undulations shaping the holes; but also flat courses that overlook the sea or are situated near urban centres. Not only 18-hole courses but also 9 or 27, let's explore some of these beautiful courses in Tuscany together.

Travelling from north to south, you'll come across Golf & Country Club Le Pavoniere in Prato, personally one of my favourite courses in Tuscany. The signature of Arnold Palmer on the course's design is palpable and offers 18 beautiful holes, the first nine in particular are truly spectacular, the latter ones more in line with a typical American course.

The constant presence of water forces players to pay great attention to all shots. Immaculate course maintenance at all times of the year, perfect fairways and hard, fast greens: it's hard to find such high playing conditions on other courses. The signature hole is the 18th: after a tee shot that needs to be placed in the centre of the dogleg to the right, the shot to the green is a medium-long iron over a water hazard that protects the landing area. 

The Toscana Resort Castelfalfi is of a completely different type. We are in the hills, about 40 kilometres from Siena, and the scenery is truly enchanting. The Castelfalfi course offers visitors two fairly different types of courses: the Mountain course (18 holes) is very hilly with steep slopes, both uphill and downhill; while the Lake course (9 holes) is a bit flatter but equally beautiful to play.

For both courses, the use of the cart is recommended, even for the more experienced players. The practice area is spacious and well-maintained, it is a pleasure for those who have the opportunity to spend a few hours practising. The maintenance of the course is very thorough, with perfect fairways and uniform greens. The reception at the secretary's office, as often happens in Tuscany, is very hospitable. 

A golf resort of the highest standard nestled in one of the most beautiful places on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Argentario facility leaves you astounded from the moment you enter and welcomes you with a very high standard of treatment. Moving on to the course I found a design, on which there is also the signature of the great Baldovino Dassù, which is truly original.

There is no shortage of technical holes, where strategy is essential, as there are some elevated tee shots that provide breathtaking scenery, hole 2 and hole 3 above all. Water hazards also come into play a great deal, complicating the holes considerably. The course, which is in excellent condition despite the very hot season, does not have any extreme differences in height. However, the use of a cart is recommended for those who find it more difficult.

The clubhouse is beautiful and the welcome very warm. In three words: a fantastic experience!

The Punta Ala Golf Club features 18 holes in a scenic area overlooking the sea. It's a picturesque course in terms of landscape, with gentle undulations of the terrain, scattered with natural obstacles. It's nestled in the midst of the Maremma scrubland composed of thick evergreen vegetation, domestic and maritime pines, ancient cork oaks, oaks, lush oaks and strawberry tree shrubs.

From various holes, the blue of the sea can be seen, with the hills, covered in the intense green of the Mediterranean vegetation, contrasting in the background. The nerve centre of the club is the sea view clubhouse.

A pleasant surprise near the village that gave birth to Leonardo da Vinci. A fairly easy 9-hole course but with beautiful views of the Tuscan hills rich in vineyards and olive trees. A nice course to play, fairly undulating, and with different starts on some holes that make them different in the second round. Excellent welcome, really honest price. The perfect course to stop at if you are on a car journey.