Italy is not the first thought when considering must-visit European golf destinations where countries like Portugal, Spain and Turkey have built up a real foothold over the past few decades.
Antognolla is posed to change all of that within the next three years. Located in Umbria just outside of Perugia (football fans will recall them in Serie A in the early 2000s, Serie C these days) slap bang in the middle of Italy, Brits can be in a real golf paradise with a flight of just under two hours.
The country is not traditionally thought of as a golfing hotbed, even though Marco Simeone in Rome hosted the Ryder Cup in 2023. However, Antognolla’s new £210m development set to be ready in 2028 will change the landscape dramatically.
The golf course is already up and running and has been for 27 years. Now, construction is in motion to renovate the iconic castle that sits atop of the hill in the beautiful valley and partner that with a brand new hotel opposite it.
After being shown the pristine course from afar and being wowed by the views, MailSport had to pay a visit to what might be one of the premiere stay and play destinations in Europe in a few years time.
Because it is set in a valley, every single vantage point offers you a stunning view
A setting like no other, truly breathtaking. Now the castle will be put to it’s best use
When the project is finished, this is a good idea of what it will look like with hotel and residencies on the right side
The golf course
We played two rounds on Antognolla’s golf course and the first to note is the intoxicating views.
The bottom of the complex is the charming restaurant, golf shop and course. As you make your way up to the places to stay and where the castle sits, magnificent views hit you from every direction. The course sits at the bottom of a valley that is covered in gorgeous green from every direction – it’s literally like you enter another private world.
The course really stepped up a notch in 2019 when a multi-million euro investment under the supervision of original course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr saw all bunkers renovated with new irrigation and drainage systems also installed.
The greens are also well kept, but they will test you with their speed and slopes
The condition of the course looks like it could host a championship tomorrow
We saw this first hand when thunder storms flooded the fairways after our first day but the grass was dry as a bone the next morning.
New cart paths and a brand new driving range also added to the course’s arsenal.
It’s not the longest course in the world clocking in under 7,000 yards, but it is beautifully kept and manicured. Each tee box, fairway and putting green was boarderline faultless. On UK shores, it reminded me of how well Centurion Club is kept near London. That has been a championship course and that is openly Antognolla’s aim.
The views from the raised tee-boxes as you approach the end of the front nine
The greens are where you can lose a lot of shots if you’re not careful here. Very slopey and very fast, they certainly take some time to adjust to if you’re typically playing council courses back home.
Some highlight holes on the course includes the first par 3 that is a little pitching wedge downhill with the castle serving as a mighty impressive backdrop. That same castle welcomes you home when you play the 18th that has one of two bodies of water to navigate on the course.
After you make the turn, the back nine will see you came down the hill you’ve spent the first half of the round traversing and the views are a fine reward.
The eighth hole is a monster to take on. A par five that requires a very precise first shot off the tee to the first sniff of a fairway that has danger all around it. You have to hit it 150 yards or so over a steep hill with rangy trees just to get there.
Even the driving range is a sight! A great way to start a round
Then you hit another shot over more dodgy, steep terrain that gives you some serious incline heading 100 yards up to the hole. To make it onto the green for par is a sensational achievement by any stretch (I did not!).
César Burguière, the general manager of the course insists they will change the hole before the wider hotel opens in late 2028 and it has already been designed. Once they have done that, they are satisfied they will have a championship calibre course ready to showcase to the tours.
The 16th is a delightful dogleg right that plays onto another raised green and that is swiftly followed by the 17th which is a sharp drop of a par three with plenty of rough terrain in between you won’t be able to get your ball from. It’s a nice finish to a course that has just enough imagination to compliment the beauty.
The golf club
Playing Antognolla is currently £103 (120 Euros) a round and given the condition of the course and the surrounding scenery, that is money well spent.
Right now the club has a small team of just over a dozen employees and while that might seem low, they clearly have a great thing going judging by the results on the course. The condition is almost immaculate.
Virtually every hole on the golf course gives you reason to stop and stare
Some of the lodging options if you were to visit Antognolla now before the redevelopment
The general manager insists they hire on character as much, maybe even more so than experience and skills. You can definitely feel that notion when walking around various areas of the complex.
They have around 160 members paying around £2,000 a year to play there.
Once the construction work is done and the course begins to hold more prestigious events, these prices are naturally bound to go up. So heading to Umbria in the near future is not a bad call.
Our rooms during our stay were supremely modern. Luxurious bedding, a toto toilet (very fancy) and brand spanking new appliances mean they’re ready to give visitors the premium experience right now, let alone in late 2028.
Our area had separate rooms, but communal areas to watch TV and utilise a kitchen.
The Castle
Castello di Antognolla is a 12th century castle that sits proudly atop one of the highest peaks in this blissful mini world that is Antognolla.
While the landmark serves as a unique charm to the area, it is also being redesigned to feature some true high-class rooms for those that can afford them complete with a drinking lounge and much more.
Six Senses is behind the renovation project in Antognolla which will see an initial 71-key hotel – 16 suites of which will be located in the original castle – a state-of-the-art wellness center and 17 bespoke residences surface sat against the olive groves (they produce their own olive oil) and vineyards (they’re in the process of creating their own wine) that fuel this 560-hectacre uptopia.
The castle has already been restored to an impressive condition whilst keeping it’s charm
This is what the buyable residencies will look like once finished
The heartbeat of Antognolla and the staple of the new development – Castello di Antognolla
Many luxury golf destinations now offer you a chance to buy a property within their resort and Antognolla is doing the same. It’s understood that these properties will be available in the region of £1.2m and once you walk through one like we have, you quickly understand why.
The castle itself is steeped in history and has had several owners through the centuries amid power struggles and a variety of visions for it. A pope in the 14th century actually gifted the castle to the Antognolla family who essentially fought wars over it and even the Agenlli family – who own Juventus to this very day – have also been in possession of it.
What else is there to do locally?
If you can tear yourself away from the impressive golf course, Umbria does have many other delights to indulge in from truffle hunting (you’ll find it in many foods in the area) wine tasting and the city of Perugia is just a 20 minute drive away.
You may remember Perugia from Serie A back in the early 2000s with Hidetoshi Nakata and Jay Boothroyd were plying their trade at the Stadio Renato Curti.
Perugia is a beautiful city full of character, but it is hilly so bring trainers!
Some of the local cuisine sampled in Perugia that exceeded expectations
Umbria has the right conditions for wine and there are plenty of places to get a good tasting
There is a plethora of fantastic dining options in the city (as I suspect is the case with Italy full stop) and plenty of culture and history to wet your beak with. We racked up 20,000 steps in a matter of hours taking in the sights around the city.
Depending when you go, you might see the International Jazz festival that has welcomed major names like Elton John, Prince, Lady Gaga and Sting. That’s been going since 1973, but the city also has the Eurochocolate Festival that goes down every autumn and that attracts millions of tourists.
Overall
If you decided to travel to Antognolla and play tomorrow, you’d have a fantastic time. It’s a special course and they have cultivated a warm, endearing atmosphere for a place spoilt with beauty.
But by the end of 2028 when the building is hopefully all finished, I truly believe this destination is going to explode. Antognolla is going to become one of the must-visit places in Europe, no question.
When the project is finished, their own olive oil and wine will be produced on site
Antognolla feels like it’s own little world in the valley
Speaking to Burguière – himself an impressive scratch golfer – made me believe everything will come to fruition. This isn’t a dream or an ambition; it’s in motion and tangible.
And when it does, it will be perfect for one of the major tours to take advantage of and I can’t see how they’d resist. It has the desirable location, the weather, the quality course, the rich history and soon, the facilities that precious few will be able to match.
I guarantee you’re going to hear a lot more about Antognolla Golf.
