7 nights at Conti Thun Wine Resort with 3 green fees (Gardagolf Country Club, Arzaga Golf Club, Golf Bogliaco)

The history of Gardagolf, in the immediate surroundings of the lake from which it takes its name, began in 1986 with the brilliant foresight of its promoters: the choice of a well-suited piece of land – the 110 hectares of the historic estate of the Omodeo family dominated by the stunning villa which today serves as clubhouse – with a mild and temperate microclimate that allows for play even in the colder months. Designed by the English architectural studio Cotton, Penninck, Steel & Partners, the first 18 holes opened (Red and White courses), and then were extended to 27 (Yellow course) four years later. The technical qualities of the course were immediately acknowledged on an international level: the Ladies Italian Open was played here in1990, won by Belgian Florence Descampe, followed by two memorable editions of the Men’s Italian Open, in 1997 and 2003, in which the Swede Mathias Gronberg and German Bernhard Langer triumphed respectively. The most memorable hole? Probably Hole 2 on the Red course, a par 3 of 145 meters: it is an aesthetically pleasing hole that is rolling and tortuous with flowering bushes and soaring cypresses. With its beauty, this hole aims to distract you and often succeeds. This is a huge error, because even if it isn’t very long and the descent shortens it even further, the green is deliberately narrow and the lake defending it is quite large on the other hand. The green also has some wicked slopes, all towards the right side and the water. A three-putt is always lurking around the corner. Technical details Course : 18+9 holes, Par 72/36, 6055/2798 meters Architects : Cotton, Pennink, Steel Topography : very hilly, large water hazards Distinctive features : long drives are not obvious, more advisable is a short and deliberate game Pro’s comments Gardagolf is a course that challenges a golfer’s ability. It’s all there. Greens with steep slopes, very undulating fairways with rather dramatic differences in level, a lake breeze and a perfectly respectable overall length: all these add together to make it among Italy’s most beautiful and difficult courses. Concentration, strategy and experience are indispensable qualities and that is why being able to play your handicap at Gardagolf is enormously satisfying. Some advice: on holes 1,2, 6 ,8 ,13 and 18, try not to put yourself in the position of playing downhill putts. Unless you’ve got Jordan Spieth’s touch, getting out with only two putts becomes a heroic undertaking.

A dip into the history of Italian Golf. Since more than a century, in fact, the western hills of Lake Garda host these undulating and spectacular fairways, created in 1912 due to the initiative of a local hotelier and to meet the requirements of the growing number of British and German tourists. The atmosphere here is unique, as is the landscape – we are 100 m above sea level and the lake can be admired in nearly all of its length. Those greens have witnessed history: visited by royalty and famous personalities in the first decades, in 1934 for reasons of State the course became a wheat field, later transformed by the German troops in an airstrip and later on by the American troops as a baseball diamond field. The return of golf is dated 1952. The holes, originally only 9, grew to 18 in June 2004. It’s better to leave at home the desire to emulate the power of Bubba Watson, seeking instead precision and accuracy: the fairways are narrow, with trees either side and sometimes significant drops, few water hazards will take care of the most daring balls. In the Art Nouveau building that hosts the clubhouse, simple and comfortable, it’s worth visiting the restaurant on the first floor, with a terrace that on fine days offers the sight of an unforgettable sunset over the lake. Course: 18 holes, Par 70, 5235 m. Architect restyling : Fulvio Bani Topography: Contrary to what we could think, the play here is no so Physical. Just hole 2 and hole 4 are in high position. Distinctive features: breathtaking view on Garda Lake, a luxuriant vegetation and sometimes narrow paths. A course which exudes history and tradition, with delicate and extremely narrow fairways and a unique gem, the 5th hole, where an extraordinary panorama awaits the player on the tee. It’s a downhill par 3 with breathtaking view over part of lake Garda: take your time for a souvenir photo. Later on, there are plenty of fun shots towards small and very well guarded greens. Why not trying it?