The ultimate golf, city & culture trip to Rome

The legendary performance from Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup may have put Rome on the map in terms of golf, but it is still largely overlooked as a golfing destination. When booking a golf trip to Europe, one often turns towards the giants of Portugal & Spain with their wealth of golf courses and great weather. But hopefully by reading this blog you will be convinced that Italy and its capital has some fantastic golf of its own and all on the doorstep of the most historic and exciting city in Europe.

The particular trip I was lucky enough to attend was with our sales team for a bit of winter sun in November of 2024 and boy did it deliver. Anyone looking to escape to 20 degrees + climes, look no further than Italy. I am going to take you through the perfect way to spend 3 days in Rome, with a balance of glorious golf and unbeatable sightseeing and culture, not forgetting a quick stop off at Europe’s only modern wonder of the world.

We embarked on an early flight from Stansted Airport that got us into Roma Ciampino at 09:35. A quick nip to the car hire, which I would absolutely recommend for this break, and we were on the road in no time and racing towards our first treat of the trip.

Our first stop was the wonderful Olgiata Golf Club, a top 5 golf course in Italy according to Top 100 Golf Courses. Within 40 minutes you arrive at this stunning golf course and the first thing that strikes you is the tall pine trees and old oaks that line the fairways.

We met Andrea, who was a wonderful host and took us for a tour of the site. The clubhouse is beautiful, and traditional Italian style with a lovely terrace that overlooks the 1st, 9th & 18th holes, all of which are stunning looking golf holes. This was our first taste of Italian cuisine, and it did not disappoint, starting with fresh bread & local olive oil and moving on to a spaghetti truffle dish. Fresh ingredients, cooked simply, the Italian way – molto bene.

Thoroughly satisfied it was time for a quick pre-round putt to remind myself of my complete lack of feel and as is tradition, stroll on to the first tee box devoid of all confidence. The course was in good condition, despite them having a very dry September followed by storms in October. The greens were unbelievably quick and undulating, an absolute pleasure to putt on so I made sure I had at least 3 goes on most.

It was a stern test throughout but a very fun challenge and the back 9 was a real highlight with some brilliant holes. The par 4 12th has a terrific, elevated approach shot into the green & the par 3 14th & long par 5 15th are great holes with water coming into play around the greens. A very high-quality golf course. We finished off with a quick post round Birra on the terrace with the Italian sun setting & then set off to our hotel.

The journey to the NH Rome Villa Carpegna was roughly 40 minutes, it’s in a great spot just on the outskirts of Rome, so far easier to get to and from the golf than a city centre hotel. It’s a four-star hotel with parking on-site. We stayed in the Classic Twin rooms which were plenty spacious enough with comfortable beds and a lovely en-suite. There is also an outdoor pool which is a rare and welcome addition for a hotel that is in such close proximity to a city centre.

We dropped bags and got an Uber to the Trastevere region, this was about 10 minutes from the hotel and the taxi fare is very cheap. You are absolutely spoilt for choice with bars & restaurants, we opted for a little Trattoria that served fresh pasta, and I duly tucked into my first Cacio e Pepe of the trip, a personal favourite of mine.

It was magnificent and the clean plates around the table were a sure sign that the team were in agreement. Fuelled on the delights of Italian Cuisine we embarked on a tour of the best bars Trastevere had to offer, a mixture of traditional little Italian Enotecas and, of course, a couple of Irish Bars for those who were beginning to miss home. A few juices and a brief club visit later and it was time to hit the hay so we were suitably rested for day 2.

The group woke up a little blurry-eyed on Saturday morning, some earlier than others. The buffet breakfast was a much-needed delight with all you could hope for: continental, English and everything in between.

The sun was shining once more so we took a trip to the local Tennis & Padel centre for a bit of morning Padel to work off the Friday night indulgence. The club was a 10-minute drive away at Play Pisana, where there is an abundance of Padel courts and clay court tennis, a perfect setting for some sub-par sport. A quick shower back at the hotel and the next stop was the ancient centre of Rome.

There is a bus that leaves from not far outside the hotel, but we opted for another cheap Uber to Piazza Navana for lunch. An amazing setting for the group to enjoy a range of Pizza, Pasta and Risotto. Dessert was then enjoyed with an Ice Cream by the oldest active building in the city, The Pantheon, a former Roman Temple that has become a Catholic Church & was built around 125 A.D! The historical tour had firmly begun.

The walking tour guided by our very own Sales Manager, Mark Bell, took us through Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps & culminated in a visit inside one of the 7 modern wonders of the world, The Colosseo.

An incredible experience that gets you imagining Gladiatorial battles of old. A brief look at Palatine Hill & a stroll through the Roman Forum as the sun sets completes an epic day of sight-seeing. Yet another delicious Italian meal in the centre followed with a couple of evening drinks before heading back to the hotel to rest up before the grand finale.

The day was finally here. Ryder Cup Sunday. We were greeted by another beautiful morning in the Italian Capital, and we took the 40-minute drive from the hotel to the home of Italy’s first ever host to the biggest competition in golf Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Right from the long driveway leading up to the grand, modern clubhouse, you know you’re in for something special. Marco, the club’s general manager, met us and took us straight to the grass range which was immaculate and once I’d completed my meticulous pre-round routine (shank, fat, thin, hook), we were escorted to the putting green and yet again, it was very apparent this was going to be a tough test, they were extremely slick. It was then time for the course.

The main take home of the course for me, is that it was just terrific fun. You can tell why it made one of the great Ryder Cups. A wicked Match Play course, with risk/reward options on pretty much every hole. The stretch of holes from 16-18 is a very special golfing experience.

16 – Tommy Fleetwood’s winning tee shot to the driveable Par 4 will live long in the memory of European golf fans. Our group tried to emulate the legendary shot with wildly varying results. If you hook it left, there’s a lovely line into the green.

17 – the Par 3 that was the scene of McIlroy’s miraculous chip which stopped on a sixpence, one of our sales agents attempted to recreate this one.

18 – A sweeping downhill dogleg Par 5 with a perilous approach shot as a greenside lake awaits to gobble up any slightly pulled stroke. Rahm, Rose & Hovland all holed big putts to ensure Team Europe didn’t lose a single match on Day 1, similar triumphant fist pumps ensued when one of our number rolled in a putt.

An amazing day at an incredible course. To top off the bucket-list experience we finished with a selection of Italian meats & cheeses on the terrace before being taken to the Ryder Cup Locker Room to glance upon the players lockers where greatness came to fruition. A truly special place and experience and the perfect end to our Roman Holiday.

I would wager there is no other golf break quite like this one. A city that is so rich with culture and history, that has also laid host to golf’s greatest competition. A city famed for its cuisine, that is also home to one of architecture's great phenomena.

There is an unrepeatable experience around every corner. A common Italian phrase that was oft used during our weekend away is how best to describe an experience in Rome – ‘La Dolce Vita’. The sweet life.