Castelgandolfo

This astounding golf course is laid out in the in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is designed by Trent-Jones and has been very expensively financed by the Aga Khan and Gianni Agnelli of Ferrari fame.

Whilst you get some width off the tees, it gets much tighter as you approach the greens, which themselves are fast, undulating and tricky. It is a lovely experience to play there, but it's hard to score well. The 4th hole is consistently voted in the top 500 most beautiful holes in the world. The clubhouse is a wonderful old 16th century Cardinal's residence and the club is very close to the Pope's summer residence overlooking Lake Albano . It is just 15 minutes from Ciampino, so you can be walking up the first fairway within an hour of your plane touching down. This course is a favourite among golfers the world over.