Why Sicily Is The Ultimate All-In-One Golf Getaway

Wherever you go in Italy, you are bound to find the inimitable blend of culture, climate and cuisine that has become synonymous with the country. Even crossing the border from France into Piedmont is enough to feel the difference; the character of the place practically drips from the walls. This is as true in the countryside villages as in ancient cities like Turin and Milan, while further south awaits Florence, Rome and Naples, Pisa by the west coast and Venice to the east. 

The video below offers an in-depth view of what golf in Sicily has to offer...

In search of the perfect golf break, I went a little bit further, to the southern tip of the peninsula and over the Strait of Messina. To be more accurate, I cut the corner altogether with a flight from London to one of Sicily’s four international airports: Palermo. Over the years Italy has become arguably my favourite European nation for a golfing getaway, but this region had remained unvisited until now.

It did not disappoint. The cities were picture-perfect, the beaches were spectacular and the landscapes inland - most notably around Mount Etna - were extremely beautiful. That is without mentioning the golf. 

The view from the plane window as you come into land on Sicily’s north coast fails to really convey the sheer size of the island. The drive from Palermo to my first stop alone was an hour and a half, with countless towns to stop in and some incredible views the whole way. So, it may come as a surprise that there are only a handful of golf courses spread out across the 25,000 km² - for reference, that’s not much bigger than Wales. 

Quality over quantity is the name of the game here, and that is evident from the moment you pull up at Verdura Resort on the southern shoreline. It was my first time in Sicily, but this incredible destination has been on my bucket list since I started working in the golf industry over 12 years ago. While a lot has changed since then – including a significant update to both championship courses that was enforced by flooding in 2018 - Verdura remains one of the most impressive golf resorts in Europe and a must-visit for anyone who loves the sport.

If you have cash to splash, you would be hard pressed to find a better golf getaway anywhere on the continent than Verdura. The headlines are, of course, the two 18-hole tracks. Kyle Phillips (the man behind modern classic links courses like the critically acclaimed Kingsbarns) worked his magic in the late 2000’s to craft both the East and West courses before returning to reroute and remodel the holes after those unfortunate floods. 

It is hard to split these two sensational courses. The East is an embodiment of traditional links in a spectacular Italian setting, even including a couple of double greens across the par-72 layout. Meanwhile, the slightly shorter West plays to a par of 70 as it builds up to one of the best finales of any course I have played. The final five holes all hug the coastline, offering an unobstructed view of the endless blue Mediterranean. 

Unlike most resorts with more than one course, there really is no clear ‘better’ layout at Verdura and I would recommend making time to play both when you visit. Both reminded me of some brilliant venues from around the world, with little pieces of Kingsbarns, Costa Navarino and even the Kiawah Island Ocean Course blended in there. There is a short par 3 course – also designed by Phillips – and driving range to keep you occupied between rounds… if you can find the motivation to leave the incredible hotel.

Before reaching our second course, we stopped off at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. If you like history – or even if you do not – this archaeological goldmine is certainly worth a look around, with ancient ruins dating back to the 5th century BC. A tour generally takes a few hours, but we took a whistle-stop version that hit most of the major sites in half that time. 

Then it was on to I Monasteri Golf Resort, just outside the ancient city of Syracuse. Accommodation here was also luxurious and dinner (like all the food we sampled in Sicily, I should mention) was of the high standard you would expect from Italy. I knew very little about the course going in but found it really enjoyable in its own right. I Monasteri is a very flat layout lined with prickly pear cacti and fragrant orange trees, with the most challenging holes coming around the turn, which is dominated by water hazards. 

This corner of Sicily is also home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Syracuse (birthplace of Archimedes) and Val di Noto, which encompasses much of the south-eastern part of the island and includes the popular town of Noto itself. We stopped off at both and suffice to say you will not find a more quintessentially Italian place, from the architecture to the food and drink. Both are fine examples of how much this region has to offer away from the golf courses. Still, we were eager to get to our last hotel ahead of the final round of the trip.  

Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort could not have been more different from I Monasteri. This layout is on the slopes of the iconic Mount Etna and is very hilly as a result, meaning constant elevation changes that reward you with some fantastic views of the Italian landscape. This is definitely a ‘thinking golfer’s’ track, thanks to some seriously tight tee shots. I was advised to keep my driver in the bag to avoid falling foul of these narrow fairways. Naturally, I hit the driver off of most tees anyway, but higher handicap golfers will do well kicking off even some of the par 5s with an iron. Do not be fooled into thinking that the difficulty is a flaw, though – this is still a really fun course that you do not want to miss, especially as Etna itself and the surrounding area is so beautiful. 

So, Italy, and more specifically Sicily should be right at the top of any travelling golfer’s list – but what is the best way to experience the region? If you like a bit of a golfing road trip, I recommend flying into Palermo and out from Catania. With a hire car, you can hit a wide variety of great golf courses and so many cultural attractions, giving you a taste of just about everything Sicily has to offer in only a few days. If you’re of more of a resort persuasion, there is plenty of choice here too, and you can’t go wrong with Verdura. Whatever your preference, with three golf resorts that cover just about all bases, you’re guaranteed to find your ideal course on this Mediterranean paradise of an island.