Marco Simone: Brilliant Ryder Cup Course – Thanks to Women Power

One of the most beautiful and also most challenging golf courses in Italy is Marco Simone.
Pure women power created this gem for golfers near Rome.

  Fast and flawless greens in the middle of the Roman summer help Leander secure putting success, as seen here on hole 14. (Foto: Luzia Kopp)

First fashion entrepreneur Laura Biagotti, who together with her husband purchased the Castello Marco Simone, with its surrounding land, at the end of the 1970s. She decided to have an 18-hole championship course built in the rolling hills by Jim Fazio, which opened in 1990. To challenge Ryder Cup players to the fullest, her daughter and heir Lavinia Biagiotti had the course modernized by Tom Fazio II by 2022, including the clubhouse and facilities. The course is demanding but very playable for good and mid-handicap golfers, even in the middle of the Roman summer — as we tested ourselves.

The meticulously maintained course, with 6676 Meters lenght, offers views of Rome including St. Peter’s Basilica in the distance. The beauty of Marco Simone is the design and the course condition: the grass, is extremely healthy and pure. The greens are fantastic - Thanks to another woman, the young Spaniard Lara Arias, who is the greenkeeping superintendent at Castello Marco Simone. She has considerable Championship course experience, having worked at prestigious venues such as Le Golf National near Paris ( 2018 Ryder Cup) and TCP Seagrass.

 

Mit deem zweiten Schlag an Fahne,  die südamerikanischen Greenkeeper aplaudieren. (Foto: courtesy Marco Simone Golf) 

AMAZE!	Great Design and Best Conditions even in the Roman Summer.
HIGH LIGHTS	My favourite hole is No 5: Around 300 meter to play from the Blue Tee: vigourous drive just to the water hazard.  Then playing a nice shot with the rescue over the pond, with the Marco Simone castel in sight behind…  When the ball rolls down the falling green and reaches the flag with the second shot by 140m, the South american greenkeepers watching in the shadow with their big hats, clasp their hands…
FUN Factor	Playing hole 16 like Rory McIlroy remains a dream: — Rory can drive it straight onto the green from 300 meters off the back tees. Nice try... We both had to lay up short of the the pond instead...
HOW to PLAY	The fairways are quite wide and impeccably maintained. But anyone who misses the fairway ends up in the tall grass, which is dry but makes the ball almost unplayable, if you find it. And all around, challenging undulations and bunkers are placed, requiring tactical play.
Golfing Ability	+ /-  28 Hcp advised...

 

Site  / Design
Maintance
Fun Factor
Facilites

 

 

Hole 16 — even with the flag at the front, it is difficult to reach the green, even for PRO's (Courtesy of Marco Simone Golf)

BOOKING and FACILITIES  

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club https://www.golfmarcosimone.it/
Via di Marco Simone, 84/88  00012 Guidonia (RM)
Telefono: +39 0774 366469  
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

In Summer  we recommend to take a bogey, also because the holes are long and to the next the tee it's quite a bit to walk.