Golf in Rome: All 7 Courses, Green Fees and How to Play Marco Simone

Rome is the only capital city in the world where you can play a Ryder Cup course in the morning and stand inside the Colosseum in the afternoon. Marco Simone Golf & Country Club hosted the 2023 Ryder Cup, and is the reason most international golfers look at Golf in Rome in the first place — but it is one of seven courses spread across the Roman countryside, and the trip works best when you play more than one.

This guide covers every course near Rome, how visiting golfers actually get on them, what it costs, where to stay, and how to build the whole thing into a golf trip.

Golf courses in Rome: the complete list

All distances are measured from the historic centre. Every one of these is playable on a day trip from a city-centre hotel.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club — 17 km, 30 minutes

The 2023 Ryder Cup venue and the most requested tee time in Italy. Originally designed by Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane in 1991, it was completely rebuilt by Tom Fazio II and Dave Sampson Ahead of the Ryder Cup, who reshaped 17 of the 18 holes. A modern stadium course, 7,268 yards, par 71, with the dome of St Peter’s on the horizon. Full details Below.

Olgiata Golf Club — 41 km, 40 mins

Twenty-seven holes on the Via Cassia, north-west of the city. The West Course was redesigned by Jim Fazio and has hosted several editions of the Italian Open — the most decorated tournament club in Rome after Marco Simone, and a proper members’ club with the atmosphere to match.

Parco di Roma Golf Club — 16 km, 20 min

The closest serious course to the centre, set inside the Parco di Veio nature reserve and designed by P.B. Dye. Rolling, well-defended greens and a view of St Peter's Dome from the course. The obvious choice when you only have half a day.

Castelgandolfo Golf Club — 23 km, 30 min

Laid out by Robert Trent Jones Sr. within an extinct volcanic crater in the Castelli Romani hills, with a 17th-century villa as the clubhouse. Visually the most memorable round in the region and, for many visitors, the one they talk about afterwards more than Marco Simone.

Golf Nazionale (Sutri) — 51 km, 50 min

The home of the Federazione Italiana Golf and a regular fixture in Italy’s top ten. Bermuda grass fairways make it the most reliable course in the region in.

Golf Club Parco de’ Medici — 16 km, 30 min

Twenty-seven holes (White, Blue, Red) on flat terrain between the city and Fiumicino airport, protected more by water hazards than by elevation changes. Highly playable, and fifteen minutes from the airport – the standard choice for a round on arrival or departure day.

Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta — 12 km, 25 min

Founded in 1903, the oldest golf club in Italy, laid out along the Appia Antica with the arches of the ancient Roman aqueducts running straight across the course. Short by modern standards and not a championship test, but there is no other course in the world like it.

Preferisce il quadro completo in italiano, con i contatti di ogni club? Vedi il nostro Map of golf courses in Rome.

Playing golf in Rome as a visitor: access, green fees and dress code

Can visitors play golf in Rome? This is the question we are asked most often, and the honest answer surprises Americans in particular: Rome has no public or municipal golf courses. in the sense you would find in the United States. Every course listed above is a private members’ club.

That is far less restrictive than it sounds. In Italian practice, Nearly all private clubs accept visiting golfers. on payment of a green fee, provided you can produce two things:

• a Membership card from your home club (or a national federation card);
• a Disability certificate — most Roman clubs ask for a maximum handicap of 36, some are stricter at weekends.

The practical constraints are the ones that catch visitors out: weekends are reserved for members at most clubs, several close one day a week, and Marco Simone only releases visitor tee times through authorised operators Direct booking from abroad is rarely possible. Golf Tour Experience is an official partner of the club.

Green fees vary considerably by course, season and day of the week, and clubs revise them annually — Marco Simone sits at the top of the range at around €350, reflecting its Ryder Cup status, while the other Roman courses are a fraction of that. We confirm the current published rate for every course at the moment we hold your tee time, so there are no surprises. Dress code is uniform across the region: collared shirt, tailored trousers or shorts, soft-spike shoes. No denim.

👉 Which courses would you like to play? and we will come back within 24 hours with availability and current green fees.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: the Ryder Cup course

Located in Guidonia Montecelio, north-east of Rome, Marco Simone sits on rolling countryside with one of the most spectacular skyline views in world golf — on clear days the dome of St Peter's Basilica is visible in the distance.

Marco Simone: the course in numbers

• 4 miles 375 yards from the championship tees, par 71
• Strategic risk-reward holes designed specifically for match play
• Natural amphitheatre greens – the same ones that held 50,000+ spectators in 2023
• The iconic 16th, “the Cathedral”, with Rome on the horizon
• Bunkering and water positioned exactly where you don’t want them

This is neither a links nor a parkland course — it's a modern stadium course built for drama, closer in spirit to TPC Sawgrass or Whistling Straits. Every shot matters.

The 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone

The Ryder Cup was played in continental Europe outside the UK and Ireland for the first time since Valderrama in 1997. Team Europe, captained by Luke Donald, beat the United States 16½–11½ in front of partisan Italian crowds, with memorable performances from Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and rookie Ludvig Åberg.

For golfers visiting today, walking the fairways where Tommy Fleetwood holed the winning putt is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most of the pin positions used during the Ryder Cup are still marked, so you can recreate the shots you watched on television.

Booking a tee time at Marco Simone

Marco Simone is a private members’ club, but tee times are available to international visitors through a select group of authorised tour operators. Golf Tour Experience is one of them.

• Best seasonApril–June and September–October (avoid the July–August heat and the December–January cold)
• Green feefrom around €350, premium pricing that reflects the Ryder Cup status
• Dress codeCollared shirt, tailored trousers or shorts, soft-spike golf shoes
• Caddie servicehighly recommended — the course is technical and walking is encouraged
• Advance booking: 30 days minimum, ideally 60–90 days in peak season

Golf holidays in Rome: where to stay and stay-and-play packages

Marco Simone is thirty minutes from central Rome by car. We recommend staying in the city centre and driving out to the courses — Rome is not a resort destination, and the whole point of a Roman golf trip is what happens after the round.

Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie ★★★★★

A stone's throw from Piazza del Popolo, Rocco Forte’s flagship Roman property is the favourite of discerning travellers. The secret garden in the inner courtyard, the De Russie Spa and the Stravinskij Bar make it a destination in its own right.

👉 Stay & Play: An Unforgettable Experience in Rome — 3 nights at Hotel de Russie, a round at Marco Simone, private transfers and concierge.

Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel ★★★★★

Set on Monte Mario hill with sweeping views over the city, the Cavalieri is the only true resort experience in Rome — outdoor pool, tennis courts and the three-Michelin-star The Pergola. The choice for golfers who want hotel-level amenities.

👉 Stay & Play: Cavalieri Experience — 3 nights at Rome Cavalieri, a round at Marco Simone, spa and dining included.

Combine Rome with Florence and Sicily

For a multi-stop Italian golf trip, our The Rocco Forte Experience Italy links Florence, Rome and Sicily across the Rocco Forte collection — Marco Simone, Olgiata, Ugolino in Florence and Verdura Resort in Sicily.

Rome between rounds: culture, food and the Colosseum

One of the great pleasures of a Roman golf trip is the contrast: eighteen holes in the morning, the Vatican Museums or a long lunch in Trastevere in the afternoon.

• Vatican Museums and Sistine ChapelBook a skip-the-line guided tour for 9:00 AM the day after tomorrow.
• Colosseum and Roman ForumA 90-minute private guide is the only way to do it properly.
• Borghese GalleryBook four weeks ahead, world-class art in two hours
• Trastevere food tourcacio e pepe, carbonara, supplì — eat where Romans eat
• Aperitif at the Stravinsky Bar or the Hassler Roof Garden

When to visit: The Roman Golf Calendar

• April–May18–24°C, courses at their peak after the winter rains
• September–OctoberThe same conditions with fewer tourists — the ideal window for a focused golf trip
• November–MarchPlayable, but with shorter days and occasional rain, and lower green fees.

Avoid August: extreme heat, most Italians on holiday, many restaurants closed.

Golf in Rome: frequently asked questions

Golf courses open to the public in Rome

No — there are no municipal or public-access courses in Rome in the American sense. All seven courses in the region are private members’ clubs. In practice, however, nearly all of them accept visiting golfers who pay a green fee and can show a home-club membership card and a handicap certificate.

Visitor access to Marco Simone

Yes, visitors can play at Marco Simone, but not by booking directly. Marco Simone is a private club that releases visitor tee times through a small group of authorised tour operators. Golf Tour Experience is an official partner and books rounds there for international golfers year-round.

How many golf courses are there near Rome.

There are seven championship or historic golf courses within an hour of Rome's centre: Marco Simone, Olgiata, Parco di Roma, Castelgandolfo, Golf Nazionale, Parco de’ Medici and Acquasanta.

Distance from Marco Simone to central Rome

Seventeen kilometres north-east, roughly thirty minutes by car from the historic centre — and about fifty minutes from Fiumicino airport.

Handicap certificate and club membership

Yes, in most cases. Roman clubs generally ask visiting players for a handicap certificate — 36 or better is the usual requirement — together with proof of membership of a club at home. Bring both; a photograph on your phone is normally accepted.

Rome golf season: spring and autumn

The best times of year to play golf in Rome are April to June and September to October. Conditions are almost identical in both periods, but autumn tends to be quieter. July and August are uncomfortably hot for playing eighteen holes.

Plan your golf trip to Rome

Marco Simone is a pilgrimage, and the other courses in Rome are the reason to stay for a week rather than a weekend. For golfers from the United States, the United Kingdom, or anywhere else, playing where the Ryder Cup was decided – and then playing a Robert Trent Jones course inside a volcano – is a story you'll be telling for the rest of your golfing life.

Plan your Italian golf trip with Golf Tour Experience. We are official partners of Marco Simone Golf Club and the only Italian tour operator specialising exclusively in golf travel. Tell us your dates and we will build the itinerary.

📧 booking@golftourexperience.com · 📞 +39 02 39005170 · 🏌️ golftourexperience.com

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Further reading: Luxury golf holidays in Italy · Golf in Sicily · Golf in Veneto · Golf in Apulia · Golf Map of Italy