Golf Club Venezia Alberoni-Lido di Venezia

The eighth golf course in the order of appearance on Italian soil – initially 9 holes designed by the Scot Bobby Cruickshank in 1930, increased to 18 in 1951 by C.K. Cotton – was created to attract an elite tourism in the Lagoon. An area of 100 hectares was chosen as site with natural dunes around an old Austrian fortification built to defend the Most Serene Republic during the Lombardo-Venetian rule halfway through the 19th century, when Venice was the capital. The stables and military quarters were transformed into what is still the clubhouse. It is on southernmost tip of Lido Island, in the Alberoni hamlet: reaching it from the mainland is neither simple or casual. Your efforts will be rewarded by that ambiance of low profile innate elegance which has intrigued figures such as the Duke of Windsor, the billionaire John Davison Rockefeller, or celebrities from the past and present such as Bing Crosby and Clint Eastwood. Course: 18 holes, Par 72, 6199 m Architects: Cruikshank & C.K. Cotton Pro’s comments: When you enter the Golf Club Venezia, founded in 1928, you can understand why it is worth the effort of waking up early to take the ferryboat to reach it: the atmosphere there is truly different. Not overly long, the course is flanked by wonderful trees and the silence permeating it is a remarkable plus. Hole 9, the par 3 with the bell, is unforgettable: not long, it is played blind (the green cannot be seen because it is hidden by defense canals and the fort’s ramparts). When you have finished the hole, you must ring the bell to indicate that the green is free. You will also greatly enjoy the other 17 holes. A Venice attraction to be compared to Saint Mark’s Square or the Rialto Bridge: not to be missed.