Tag: Marco Simone

Italy: Blossoming Golf Destination

Brian Mull
Villa d’Este is scenic and challenging and one of Italy’s many elite golf options.

Toward the end of Tiger Woods’ post-Masters press conference an Italian journalist asked the freshly jacketed champion about the 2022 Ryder Cup, which will be held for the first time in Italy.

Woods brushed off the query. The event is three years away. His answer was unimportant, anyway. The question – and the performance over the last year by Woods’ final round playing partner Francesco Molinari – are examples that golf is thriving these days in Italy, a country with 250 courses and 90,000 regular golfers.

Earlier in the week, before he squandered the 54-hole lead, Molinari was asked about golf’s growth in his homeland and to measure the impact of his impressive victory last summer in The 147th Open at Carnoustie.

PerryGolf’s 2020 British Isles Golf Cruise includes final round of The 149th Open.

“I think fortunately, golf is starting to be, you know, very different now from where it was when I was growing up, and dreaming of just purely being here one time and playing in one major, would have already been a dream coming true,” Molinari said. “So I think now, the situation is a lot better. Obviously I’m helping a little bit with getting golf in the news and hopefully, you know, kids will see more and more about me and about golf in general and pick up the game, and there’s going to be more Italians in the future.”

Molinari, No. 7 in the world golf rankings, wasn’t the only Italian golfer who competed in Augusta in April, either. Four ladies participated in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, giving another indicator of the game’s health in Italy.

With its Old World charm, beauty, culture and gastronomic delights, Italy has forever been a prime destination for travelers. Now, excellent golf options make it an even more attractive option.

PerryGolf’s Best of Italy Escorted Golf Vacation is a 12-night tour from Aug. 30th to Sept. 11th in 2020 delivering five rounds of golf, including a round at Marco Simone, site of the aforementioned Ryder Cup in September 2020. Located 10 miles from the center of Rome, the club was named for the castle on the property which was built during the Middle Ages.

Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane designed the original golf course in 1989 and Marco Simone won the bid for the Ryder Cup in 2015, selected over courses in Austria, Germany and Spain.

The 24 competitors in the 2022 Ryder Cup matches – and the guests on PerryGolf’s 2020 Tour – will tackle a completely redesigned golf course. Tom Fazio II (son of Jim Fazio) is working with European Golf Design to build holes that will test the best in the game. The renovation also creates a more efficient infrastructure, allowing the necessary room for hospitality suites and grandstands.

Golfers will continue to enjoy views of St. Peter’s Dome on a property enhanced with new ponds, lakes and an irrigation system for the golf course.

“We are truly honored and fully committed to host an ‘epic’ Ryder Cup,” Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna, President of Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, told RyderCup.com. “We are excited to share our passion and to open our doors to every player, amateur and fan who wishes to be part of the spectacular transformation that is taking place. We are working to build a strong legacy for the next generation of golfers.”

Marco Simone will carve its place in the Ryder Cup’s storied history soon enough. It’s the centerpiece of any golfing journey to Italy but hardly alone in a discussion of the nation’s elite golf courses.

Firenze Ugolino opened in 1934. The layout, designed by U.K natives Cecil Blandford and Peter Gannon, ripples through the Chianti hills, accentuating the landscape of olive trees and indigenous vines.

On May 1st, 1983 the late, great Seve Ballesteros chipped in for eagle on the 18th hole in the final round of the Italian Open to force a sudden-death playoff with Bernhard Langer and Ken Brown, which he won.

Villa d’ Este, located near the beautiful Lake Montorfano was also designed by Gannon. The course sits roughly 1,200 feet above sea level and meanders through a variety of native woodland areas. A quaint par-69, this well-manicured course attracts the nation’s premier golfers annually.

PerryGolf has delivered seamless customized trips to the world’s premier international golf destinations since 1984. We are uniquely qualified to arrange every aspect of your vacation.

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Enjoy these 5 must-see attractions in Rome

Brian Mull
Opened in 80 AD, the Colosseum had a capacity of 80,000 spectators, making it the largest amphitheatre ever built. The ruins still stand and are a certain stop on any tour of Rome.

 

Rome is a city beyond compare, combining a blend of romance, culture, history and beauty to create an ideal destination for any traveler possessing a keen sense of adventure and intellectual curiosity about previous eras.

Millions of guests from around the globe visit Italy’s capital each year, mingling with the city’s 2.8 million residents amid relics and structures that date back two thousand years. While many visitors indulge in exquisite dining and fine wines in the evening, they perhaps walk the avenues the next day to observe the architecture, parks, gardens, monuments and museums, burning calories while enjoying the scenery.

PerryGolf offers a 14 night Escorted Tour to Italy in late August / early September which wraps up in Rome where guests are pampered at the 5-star Hotel Bernini Bristol, a historical palace built in the late 1800s that offers an abundance of modern amenities and an ideal location in the heart of the city in the shadow of Piazza Barberini.

The golf is fantastic and diverse in Italy as guests on a PerryGolf Escorted Tour enjoy six rounds, including one at Marco Simone, located 10 miles from the center of Rome and sharing the grounds of an 11th century castle. Marco Simone is the site of the 2022 Ryder Cup and from several holes offers a view of St. Peter’s Dome, which was designed by Michelangelo. The brilliant Italian fashion designer Laura Biagiotti (“The Queen of Cashmere”) and future husband Gianni Cigna bought the property in the late 1970s and commissioned American architect Jim Fazio in 1989 to carve out the outstanding 27-hole golf course.

PerryGolf also offers an array of Custom Tours to fit your schedule and desires as well, for groups large and small. Whatever your preferred route, plan or party size, be sure to visit these five places on your visit to Rome.

The Colosseum

If your travels to Rome allowed you only one sight to see, this would surely be it. Then again, you’ll hardly face that problem on a PerryGolf Escorted Tour as there is ample time allotted for each sight to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace. And this architectural wonder deserves to be savored and explored.

Also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, The Colosseum was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and his son, Titus, opened it with a bang eight years later, presenting 100 consecutive days of games – which included gladiators battling and wild animals fighting. After four centuries, the arena fell into neglect and only one-third of the original structure remains today. Nearly four million visitors tour the grounds each year.

https://youtu.be/KlC7jS9awiE

Pantheon

Perhaps Michelangelo himself best described this former temple the first time he gazed upon it, saying it looked more like the work of angels than the work of humans. The best preserved Roman Monument, it was built in 120 AD by Emperor Hadrian, who collaborated with Apollodorus of Damascus on its design. The building became a church in the 7th century and features the world’s largest unsupported dome, measuring 142 feet in diameter – nearly 50 feet larger than than the dome on the U.S. Capitol. Supporting the building are 16 massive Corinthian columns weighing 60 tons apiece. During construction each column traveled down the Nile River during spring flooding and onward across the Mediterranean Sea before arriving in the heart of Rome.

Vatican City

Located inside the city of Rome is the world’s smallest fully independent city-state which serves as headquarters to the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican City gained its current status on the 11th of February, 1929,  signed into existence by the Italian leader Benito Mussolini. St. Peter’s Basilica, built between 1477 and 1480, is a featured building while inside the Vatican Palace the Sistine Chapel features the renaissance art of Michelangelo, including his remarkable paintings on the ceiling, which have been fully restored in recent years and are vibrant and clear today. A central point to the ceiling art is nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, including The Creation of Adam, a work without compare in the High Renaissance world. The majority of Vatican City’s 600 residents live abroad, although it remains, of course, the residence of Pope Francis.

Roman Forum

The center of ancient Rome, the Forum ruins give a glimpse of the temples, basilicas and vibrant public spaces that beginning in the 7th century served as host to religious and secular events. Rectangular in shape, it was once the home to battles between gladiators, general elections, public speeches, criminal trials and also functioned as the centerpiece of Roman commerce. It developed and transformed over many centuries under different rulers and was eventually replaced by nearby buildings constructed under the rule of Julius Caesar among others. Augustus Caesar gave the Forum its final configuration.

Trevi Fountain

As legend has it, toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain and ensure your return to Rome. Millions of liras and euros have no doubt plummeted to the fountain floor in this pursuit. Dating to the earliest Roman times, the fountain served as a display of an ancient Roman aqueduct. Built mostly of travertine stone, the Trevi Fountain is 85 feet high and spills 2.8 million cubic feet of water daily. The theme of the fountain is the ‘taming of the power of water.’ The muscular, majestic form of Neptune (16 feet in height) is the primary figure among the intricate carvings, which include his two steeds and their tritons as well as Abundance, holding the horn of plenty and Health, drinking from a serpent filled cup. Pope Nicholas V ordered a restoration in 1453 and the fountain has enhanced its reputation as Italy’s most beautiful in the centuries since.

 

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Discover These 3 Ideal Destinations for Golf-Loving Couples

Brian Mull

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence is one of many memorable attractions in Italy made readily available on a PerryGolf Escorted Tour, catering to couples.

From the banks of Venice to the shores of Sydney, whether observing the flightless Kiwi or simply gazing out upon the beautiful water of Lake Como, PerryGolf offers myriad destinations for couples who seek to combine their passions of travel and golf.

Enrich your mind and replenish your soul while pursuing those pesky pars, making lasting friendships along the way with similar minded folks who walk alongside on a unforgettable journey. Each of PerryGolf’s Cruises, Custom Tours and Escorted Tours provides not only a host of activities, sightseeing, dining and, of course world class golf on amazing courses, but also ample time for relaxing, recharging and enjoying a vacation certain to create indelible memories.

(Also, keep in mind that if you book a PerryGolf cruise by March 31st, your better half saves HALF, and you will also receive free internet while on board select Azamara cruises).

While PerryGolf can take you from the British Isles to South Africa and many points in between, learn more about these three destinations which are ideal for golfing couples:

Italy

If ever there was a country suited for traveling couples, it’s this European destination which is famously shaped like a boot.

Milan. Venice. Rome.

Shopping. History. Food & Wine.

Whatever you prefer – or why not a taste of each? – Italy caters to couples, allowing ample opportunity to indulge and inhale each scene and delight. Inquire about PerryGolf’s Best of Italy Escorted 2018, which begins Aug. 25 and spans two weeks, traveling from bustling city streets to quiet countryside. Admire Michelangelo’s amazing painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, feel in awe while gazing deep into Da Vinci’s Last Supper and you never know which A-List celebrity you may bump shoulders with while strolling about Lake Como.

The golf is stellar. Marco Simone will be the site of the 2022 Ryder Cup and is certain to present a daunting challenge to the finest professionals from Europe and the United States. Located 10 miles from the center of Rome and meandering around an 11th century castle, Marco Simone combines a creative mixture of challenge, beauty, risk and reward, designed by noted American architect Jim Fazio. The par-5 16th hole, measuring 550 yards from the championship tees with its green defended by a menacing stream is certain to snare the attention of each man or woman who passes through.

The quaint, beautiful towns of Sorrento and Positano sit perched high upon steep cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean.

A major shipping hub and port in the 18th century, Positano today is a sophisticated resort gazing down over the gorgeous central Amalfi Coast in Italy. Explore along steep flights of steps, if you wish. The town’s origin is traced to the ninth century and its nucleus centered around a Benedictine Abbey.

John Steinbeck, Pablo Picasso and Liz Taylor are among those who have fallen hard for the charm of Positano.

 

New Zealand

Sparse in population, rich in beauty and abundant in local hospitality, New Zealand demands at least one visit from any adventurous traveling couple.

From Taupo to Queenstown and every interesting point in between, PerryGolf delivers a unforgettable experience in New Zealand, offering both an Escorted Tour which begins Nov. 5th and a delightful cruise which departs in January, 2019 in addition to Custom Tours of your preference.

Let’s start with the golf, which in recent years has increased in quantity and quality. The incredible landscapes, rocky cliffs and vistas of sparkling blue water provide the perfect canvas, enabling talented course designers to craft masterpieces worthy of the trip required to experience them.

Along those lines, Cape Kidnappers receives all the headlines – and rightfully so. This Tom Doak masterpiece makes Pebble Beach look mundane, demanding shots over trees to targets in slivers of land nestled 500 feet above the glorious Hawke’s Bay. Equally enjoyable is Royal Wellington – the first in New Zealand to receive the Royal designation – and a regular host of the New Zealand Open – most recently in 2014.

Away from the links, Hawke’s Bay and its world-renowned wineries will make any wine connoisseur feel warm and fuzzy. It’s the nation’s oldest wine producing region in New Zealand is known for its full-bodied red wines and complex Chardonnays.

Lake Taupo is a destination beyond description. Called “Nature’s Ultimate Playground,” the brilliant scenery from Huka Falls to Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings must be explored and PerryGolf provides ample time for just this on the journey.

 

Australia

Dates haven’t been finalized for the Best of Australia Escorted Tour 2019, but expect it to begin in January or February – and expect it to fill up quickly. The array of quality golf, interesting cities and warm people make Down Under a special landing spot. Then again, the warm climate awaiting when most Northern Hemisphere residents battle nip and chill of winter doesn’t hurt Australia’s seasonal popularity, either.

The golf is stunning in this grand sporting nation. We’ll discuss, momentarily, the world renowned layouts and immaculate conditions. But first, consider the wealth of attractions to realize in Sydney, Melbourne and beyond.

When discussing iconic images, the Sydney Opera House takes center stage. Located on the glorious Sydney Harbour and perhaps the most easily recognized structure in all of Australia, it welcomes seven million visitors annually. Take a guided tour or better yet – enjoy one of the 1,500 performances the Opera House holds each year.

For deluxe accommodations, the Langham Melbourne is an exquisite 5-star hotel on the banks of the Yarra River. Calm your body, mind and soul as East meets West in the Chuan Spa, which is considered among Australia’s finest.

Vue de Monde is simply one of many elite dining options available in downtown Melbourne. Be sure to save room for the rest and enjoy the view from 55 stories above the city, gazing across the skyline.

In Queensland be certain to visit one of these restaurants. We can almost taste the Patagonian Toothfish and Sydney Rock Oysters.

There are so many of the world’s best golf courses from which to choose. New South Wales (right) opened in 1928 after the Scottish architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie unveiled his brilliant vision. Abutting the Tasman Sea and Botany Bay, the layout is routinely ranked within the top five in Australia. Over on the northeast coast of Tasmania, the two courses at Barnbougle Dunes – The Dunes and The Lost Farm send scribes scrambling to the online thesaurus seeking other ways to say spectacular.

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3 Golf Destinations for Couples in 2018

Brian Mull
L’Hemisfèric, an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and lasertarium is a central component in the innovative, remarkable City of Arts & Sciences in Valencia, Spain.

Traveling with your spouse creates an opportunity to recharge and reconnect, while sharing lifetime memories visiting interesting locations that are rich with history, beauty and fantastic golf. PerryGolf recommends these three destinations for adventurous couples who enjoy spending time traveling, chasing birdies and basking in the wonders of the world.

IBERIAN PENINSULA

Take delight in the finest ports throughout Portugal and Spain on the 690-guest Azamara Quest, featuring 8 Nights and 5 Rounds of golf.

https://www.perrygolf.com/golfcruising/iberian-peninsula-2018-cruise.php

Enjoy the antics of the cute Barbary apes near the Rock of Gibraltar. These lovable primates are the only wild monkeys in Continental Europe.

Barcelona captures the imagination of thousands of visitors annually.

Savor the majesty of Barcelona, with its ideal blend of food, scenery and nightlife. The second-largest city in Spain is one of the most frequently visited destinations in the world and was the host of the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Tour the gothic cathedral in Valencia, and savor Oceanogràfic inside the City of Arts and Sciences, which is one of the 12 Treasures of Spain

Equally unforgettable is the beautiful port city of Malaga and its glorious renaissance cathedral, which was built between 1528 and 1782 and whose interior includes both the renaissance and baroque styles.

Walk in the footsteps of golf’s legends during a round at Valderrama, considered the top ranked course in continental Europe and site of the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, won this year by tournament host Sergio Garcia.

Finca Cortesin, which played host to the Volvo World Match Play Championship on three occasions, is a divine Cabell B. Robinson design routed through a dramatic valley located near the Mediterranean. It’s routinely ranked as one of the top courses in Spain.

ITALY

When it comes to romance, history and gastronomic delight, Italy is difficult to beat.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/italy-escorted-golf-vacation-2018.php

PerryGolf’s escorted tour includes 14 Nights and 6 Rounds of Golf.

Admire the countryside while traveling stress-free on Italy’s wonderful railway system.

Enjoy the Roman Edifices while touring the city of Verona, which served as the setting for three Shakespeare plays, including Romeo and Juliet as well as The Taming of the Shrew.

Perhaps glimpse a celebrity while taking a moonlit stroll on the banks of Lake Como.

The elegance and beauty of Italy’s Lake Como defies description.

Spend time studying the intricacy of Leonardo Da Vinci’s magnificent painting, ‘The Last Supper.’

The Marriott Venice Resort & Spa is known across Europe for the most luxurious accommodations. Nights spent there are relaxing and divine.

And, of course, there are terrific golf options.

Roma Acquasanta is Italy’s oldest golf course and features stunning views of the Rome skyline.

Also located only 10 miles from Rome is the delightful championship layout Marco Simone, which is the site of 2022 Ryder Cup. Saint Peter’s Dome is within view from several holes on this Jim Fazio design which unfolds on the grounds of an 11th century castle.

Venice Golf Club basks in a spectacular setting between the Adriatic Sea and Lagoon of Venice and features distinct links characteristics and the ever present bora and sirocco winds. Great champions from Palmer to Jacklin to Trevino have battled this formidable foe.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand has roughly four million residents, making it one of the world’s least populated countries. Golf is the most popular sport with more courses per capita of population than any country in the world. And the world-class courses are complemented by food, wine and phenomenal scenery.

PerryGolf takes you there for a 13-Night, 7-Round Escorted Tour that simply must be experienced first-hand.

https://www.perrygolf.com/escorted-tour/new-zealand-escorted-golf-package-nov5.php

The Kiwi is a small, flightless bird that’s considered a symbol of sparsely populated New Zealand.

Admire native birds like the Kiwi or the Moa. The Kiwi, which is a flightless bird, has loose hair, strong legs and no tail. It is the national icon of New Zealand and the unofficial national bird. They can live from 25-50 years, although they are vulnerable to predators because they lack a sternum and have underdeveloped chest and wing muscles.

For the wine lover, Hawke’s Bay and its world-renowned wineries, is a highlight of any trip to New Zealand. It’s the nation’s oldest wine producing region in New Zealand is known for its full-bodied red wines and complex Chardonnays.

Speaking of breathtaking beauty, the golf at Cape Kidnappers provides the pinnacle.  This unique Tom Doak design in Napier ranked No. 44 in the world in Golf.com’s 2017-18 rankings delivers stunning panoramic views of Hawke’s Bay. The fairways perched 157 meters above the sea, on the grounds of what was formerly a 5,000-acre sheep station.

 

Our goal in designing golf courses is to create interesting holes you wouldn’t find anywhere else. That wasn’t hard to do at Cape Kidnappers, because the site is not like anywhere else in golf. If it were any bigger or any more dramatic, it would probably be cordoned off as a national park. – Tom Doak

 

Cape Kidnappers features amazing scenery and thrilling golf.

Tour the Lord of the Rings trilogy filming locations around Wellington, which is described as ‘the coolest little capital in the world.’

The only Jack Nicklaus signature course in New Zealand, is Kinloch, a links-style design tucked between gorgeous views of Lake Taupo and rugged farmland.  Often compared to the classic seaside links of the British Isles, Kinloch is a fair, yet demanding and memorable test of golf.

A scenic cruise of Lake Taupo features the Mine Bay Maori Rock Carvings and full commentary on the Maori culture and the area’s vast volcanic history.

And, tucked inside Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables Mountain Range, is Jack’s Point, located 20 miles from the cozy resort town of Queenstown. Measuring nearly 7,000 yards from the championship tees, the course winds through a natural environment of tussock grasslands, native bush and massive rock outcroppings.

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