Play Golf At Marco Simone Where The 2023 Ryder Cup Was Played

Forbes

16-07-2025

Italy's Marco Simone Golf & Country Club welcomes golfers from around the world to play its course ... More where the 2023 Ryder Cup was held. The club is located near Rome.
During the hotly contested 44th Ryder Cup in 2023, some of the world's top professional golfers including Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay battled it out at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in the outskirts of Rome, Italy.
'It's definitely the best course I've ever played in Italy, hands down,' Patrick Cantlay of Team USA said at the time.
It was the first time the Ryder Cup—professional golf's premier team event— had been held in Italy and only the third time the competition had been held in Continental Europe.
Marco Simone's meticulously maintained 7,299-yard long course offers sweeping views of Rome in the ... More distance, including St. Peter's Basilica. The 16th green is seen here.
The Ryder Cup Course At Marco Simone
Little at Marco Simone has changed since the Ryder Cup was held there two years ago. Not only is the course the same but even the individual lockers bearing the names of each of the 2023 Ryder Cup players are still present. And while it operates as a private club, Marco Simone welcomes visitors from around the world to play the course. The experience should be at the top of every golf enthusiast's list as Marco Simone is one of the top golf courses in Europe.
The meticulously maintained 7,299-yard long course offers sweeping views of Rome in the distance, including St. Peter's Basilica. 'The beauty of Marco Simone is that it already has a canvas that is really, really good,' Zach Johnson, Captain of Team USA commented at the start of the 2023 event. 'The course, the grass, is extremely healthy and very pure. The greens are fantastic.'
Johnson praised the Marco Simone facilities and for being a venue that tests all aspects of the players. 'Marco Simone is a very high-character golf course,' he said. 'It (requires) everybody on both sides to have all elements of their game to be on, and I think that's a true test of the golf course. They have done a great job. They should be very proud.'
While it presents a true test for seasoned players, the course is also enjoyable and approachable for novices.
In preparation for the Ryder Cup, the course was redesigned to make it more challenging. The 17th ... More hole is seen here.
Ranked Among The Top Golf Courses In Europe
The pros are not the only ones in the global golf community praising Marco Simone. Indeed, it is considered to be one of the best in Italy and ranks among the top courses in Europe. It was recently ranked in tenth spot in the Golf World Top 100 Most Awe-Inspiring Courses on the European Continent.
The original course, designed by world-renowned golf architect Jim Fazio, opened in the late 1990's. In preparation for the Ryder Cup, the course was redesigned by Fazio's son, Tom Fazio II and was remodeled between 2018 and 2021. The original course offered 27 holes, but nine were sacrificed in order to develop hospitality offerings required for the Ryder Cup in which as many as 50,000 spectators were there each day to watch the competition.
European Golf Design, a United Kingdom-based golf design firm, worked with Fazio to reconfigure holes, specifically the last four holes, to make them more challenging and ideal for match-play purposes with the opportunity for high risk and high reward for competitors. Several of the par 4 holes are drivable, but bunkers surrounding landing areas present challenges for longer hitters.
The 15th hole, for example, is a long and difficult par 4 while the 16th hole is a very short par 4 that has a challenging, but drivable green with water on the right side. The 17th hole is a difficult and long par 3, with three levels of greens. The final hole, the 18th, is a very short par five. 'These four holes were designed while thinking about the match play format,' says Marco Aquilino, General Manager of Marco Simone.
Luke Donald, European Ryder Cup Captain, enthused about these holes which he considered to be particularly exciting. 'The 17th hole is not an easy par three with water in play and really nowhere to miss it,' Donald noted, adding that the 18th hole is another spectacular par five down a hill with water by the green.
In preparation for the Ryder Cup, a 7,000-square-meter clubhouse with a restaurant and pro shop twas ... More added. The building has event spaces, meeting rooms and expansive terraces, enabling it to host private events including weddings.
A Meticulous Restoration And Expansion
Marco Simone is owned and operated by Italian designer Lavinia Biagiotti, president and chief executive of the Biagiotti Group, one of Italy's largest fashion houses. In addition to having the golf course redesigned, Biagiotti Cigna also oversaw the meticulous restoration of a stunning 11th century castle located on the premises. Marco Simone has been a lifelong passion for Biagiotti since her late parents bought the property in 1978.
In preparation for the Ryder Cup, Biagiotti added a 7,000-square-meter clubhouse with a restaurant and pro shop that features golf apparel from such brands as J.Lindeberg, FootJoy, Ecco, and Adidas. The building also offers event spaces and meeting rooms enabling it to host corporate and team building events as well as weddings. The complex has expansive terraces with beautiful views of the course and surrounding countryside.
Additional club facilities include a driving range (the only driving range in Central Italy with Trackman technology), an indoor golf simulator and other practice facilities. Marco Simone also offers five tennis courts, a swimming pool and a fitness center featuring state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. An off-site hotel alongside the 10th fairway offers several apartments for those of who want to stay close to the club. The club will add a fitting center in the near future.
Marco Simone has partnered with GolfZon Leadbetter Golf Academy that enables members and guests can take lessons and participate in clinics. The golf academy, which opened on June 1, also developed a juniors program to encourage young Italians to take up the sport. 'We are constantly improving the quality of the product for the local community to increase the number of players,' says Aquilino. 'We also wanted to offer a higher level of lessons for visitors. The result is a golf academy with a very high standard.'
In addition to having the golf course redesigned, the owner also oversaw the meticulous restoration ... More of a stunning 11th century castle located on the premises.
No Need To Bring Your Own Set Of Clubs
There is no need to travel with equipment as the course offers Callaway club rental sets. Greens fees to play the 18 hole course vary depending on the season and range from 195 Euros to 270 Euros for weekday play and 195 Euros to 270 Euros per player during weekends. The high season for 2025 includes April, May, June, September and October (ending on November 2). Low season is January, February, July, August and November 3 to December 24. (The course is closed from June 23 to June 27 for maintenance, December 25 through January 1 and during various Italian bank holidays.)
Last year, more than 9,000 guest golfers came from around the world, with half being from the United States with the remainder from the United Kingdom, Continental Europe and a small portion from Asia.
Marco Simone, which has also hosted the DS Automobiles Italian Open four times (1994, 2021, 2022 and 2023), offers club memberships but also welcomes visitors. International annual memberships are also offered for 3,000 Euros and include unlimited play, special greens fees for guests of members, and full access to all of the facilities at Marco Simone.
'Hosting the Ryder Cup was just the beginning,' says Aquilino. 'It was a turning point that represents the club's transformation when everything was elevated, from the course to its facilities. But it was not the pinnacle for Marco Simone which continues to improve its offerings.'
The lockers for the 2023 Ryder Cup players can be seen at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
Located in Guidonia, Lazio, Marco Simone is only 20 minutes from the center of Rome.
Additional information about Marco Simone Golf & Country Club can be seen on its website.