5 nights at Hotel Settecento and 2 green fees per person (Golf Club Bergamo Albenza and Villa Paradiso)

Discreetly hidden on a tranquil bend of the Adda River in a protected natural area – the Regional Northern Adda Park, halfway between Milan and Bergamo – the 18-hole course inaugurated in 2001 is a delightful surprise which appears as soon as you start down the steep slope leading to the clubhouse. The club takes its name from an old villa that stood here but was destroyed, and was unable to see the opening of this pleasant course rolling over the lands of an abandoned quarry, with its varied and intriguing 18 holes and their well maintained championship-level fairways and greens. This is a modern concept course that is technical and long, all the while entertaining for all types of golfers, due to the presence of five strategically positioned lakes, which give the holes their high technical value. Each hole with its own six tee boxes, nonetheless, will thoroughly satisfy even less powerful players. In addition to the championship course, there is a 9-hole course of only par 3s, perfect for newcomers but also interesting for improving your short game. Technical Details Course : 18 holes, Par 72, 6223 m Architect : Franco Piras Topography : modern technical and long course, only 20 minutes from Milano and Bergamo Special features : enjoyable for all types of golfers Pro’s comments Villa Paradiso is one of the best golf clubs opened in Italy this new century: an easygoing atmosphere with an impressive course; the 18 well-designed entertaining holes created by friend Franco Piras, have the virtue of mixing length and difficulty perfectly. Hole 8, a rather long par 4, is particularly beautiful, with a double lake that will hinder tee-shots as well as shots to the green. Finishing out the hole with a par is a completely respectable result.

Acknowledged for years as one of the best Italian golf courses, “L’Albenza” – as it is generally known among the golfers – nestles in the hills surrounding Bergamo, one of the most famous cities for art. A large-scale parkland, which stretches along pine and broadleaf woods, where Costantino Rocca, pride of Italian Golf with his five triumphs on the European Tour and the three Ryder Cup’s ventures in the Nineties, took his first steps a s a golfer and grow to be such a great champion.. The high-level technical side of the course doesn’t spoil the pleasure of a game among friends on the 27 holes of the three golf courses, created in different ages: Cotton & Sutton in 1961 started to plan the first 18 (Blue and Yellow) sponsored by a group of local entrepreneurs, with a British-style course. Springs and streams offer natural water hazards while the undulating ground provides the right action to the fairways, the holes are naturally above ground, the abundant vegetation assures coolness even in the hottest months. On this course was held the 53rd Italian open in 1996, won by Jim Payne. Meanwhile, in 1988 the last 9 holes were born, the “Red” course, designed by the Australian Tom Linskey, coach and mentor of Rocca- and by the Venetian architect Marco Croze. Nothing more soothing, at the end of the game, than a drink on the terrace of the clubhouse or inside, in front of the large windows, enjoying a magnificent view on the course. Technical Details Course : 3 x 9 holes, Par 36 each 6082 meters Architect : Cotton & Sutton (18 holes), Marco Croze & Tom Linkskey (9 holes) Topography : tipical anglo-saxon style, many water obstacles Special features : the great presence of trees makes the game on this course very pleasant, especially during summertime. The 9 holes course is not so easy as the 18 holes : the isolated greens, and the thick woods which line in the fairways and a Par 5 of more then 500 meters require great skill Pro’s comments It’s on the 8th of the Blue course that you can notice the difference between an attacking player and a more conservative one. The second shot towards a very narrow green is guarded by a water hazard and has to be played downhill; dexterity and perfect technical movement is mandatory here! I advise the mid to high hcp level player to take a second shot to the right, in order to comfortably reach the green with the third shot.