3 nights incl. 1 green fee plus 2 dinners and a visit to a chocolate factory with tasting

As soon as you leave the county road connecting Novi Ligure to Ovada and take the avenue lined with centuries-old chestnuts, leading to the clubhouse, Villa Carolina Golf Club will fascinate you, from the very first moment. The clubhouse, an eighteenth century villa, carefully restored according to listed building regulations, offers a wide range of facilities in the heart of a big park: the complex belonged to a noble family from Genoa and in 1992 was acquired by a group of 5 co-founding partners. Nowadays in the estate there are two 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts, two swimming pools and several dwellings, some of which made out of the renovation of ancient farmhouses. The historical imprint and the familiar atmosphere define the charm of a club where you really feel at home. The “La Marchesa” course was the first one created and alternates an American style – long fairways, light undulating ground, large greens – with more delicate holes such as hole 10, 11 and 12, that leave little margin for mistake. The “Paradiso” course, with its back 9 holes, completed in 2014, is much more hilly, with more important height drops and rather insidious greens. La Marchesa most beautiful spots are on tee 7, a 305m par 4, from which, with a little luck, you may see many ducks and herons in the nearby stream; hole 11, a 402 m par 4, stunning in its natural beauty, runs through the woods without any intervention on the ground; after the second shot, getting closer to the green, you may happen to see deers grazing the grass. Last but not least, the most refined dining, (and the best value for money) is undoubtedly here. Pro’s comments Villa Carolina offers two outstanding courses: La Marchesa and Il Paradiso. La Marchesa is the more level of the two, with broad greens that are well-defended by insidious bunkers. I would like to mention two very challenging par 3s on this course: Holes 5 and 12, very long (both 189 meters from the yellow tees) with greens well-defended by water (the 12th) and bunkers (the 5th). Scoring two pars is complicated even for expert players. Il Paradiso is completely different, as it is more undulating with small and difficult greens. I recommend Hole 7 to Bubba Watson’s emulators: a par 5 of 561 meters from the furthest tees, all uphill, with a lake on the right side which affects the second and third shots and a split-level green. Majestic and imposing, a signature hole you aren’t likely to forget. Technical details: Course: “La Marchesa”, 18 holes, Par 72, 6161 meters Architect: Bryan Silva Topography: flat Distinctive features: great concentration is required because of artificial hazards. Course: “Paradiso”, 18 holes, Par 72, 5820 meters Architect: Graham Cooke Topography: flat Distinctive features: easy at first sight, but it requires a technical game mostly on the green