Argentario Golf Resort & Spa

Argentario Golf Resort & Spa: One of Italy's more recent Stay&Play golf resorts is scenically located on the promontory of Argentario. This small and mountainous "island" provides a pleasantly varied and quiet setting for Argentario's 18-hole championship course.

Laid out on a mix of flat and undulating terrain, the course occupies a natural environment of open rural countryside, olive groves and occasional cork forests. With sea breezes possibly adding another variable into your game, Argentario demands both precision and power, especially if attempted from the back tees.

Early and scenic elevation changes on the front-nine provide spectacular views out to sea and across the two lagoons separating Argentario from the mainland. The stunning downhill par-3 2nd and long, relatively tight par-5 3rd, also played from a wonderfully elevated tee, are two holes to savour on the opening nine-hole loop.

The elevation changes are less pronounced on the second nine, where several holes pass directly through olive groves on their way to generally well-bunkered, nicely undulating greens. The island's tree-clad mountainous interior gives a scenic backdrop to the back-nine.

Small lakes and water ditches occasionally threaten: the par-5 6th and par-4 7th are unnervingly wrapped along each side of a small lake, while the par-5 9th and par-3 17th greens are also menacingly water defended. The bermuda grass fairways and thick grassy rough beyond them can give the course a slightly rustic feel, although the layout may also need more time to mature into its best condition.