photo: Mateusz Feliksik / Pexels (stock photo, indicative only)Ryder Cup golf and Roman wine country
Three days north of Rome, opening at Marco Simone, the 2023 Ryder Cup venue, with wine cellars toward the Castelli hills and the springs at Cretone. Fiumicino airport is 38 km away, straight-line.
Morning: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, host of the 2023 Ryder Cup and the anchor for this itinerary.
Afternoon: Poggio Le Volpi, 16 km away, or Vini Fontana Candida, 17 km, both open for visits south toward the Castelli hills.
A tasting on the estate, 16 km from Marco Simone. From 25 euro per person.
Terme di Cretone, 14 km from the clubhouse, is the only measured thermal stop in this itinerary.
For golfers who would rather play a second round, Parco di Roma Golf Club is 13 km away, the closest alternative course to Marco Simone.
Morning: Olgiata Golf Club, 24 km away, host of the 1964 Eisenhower Trophy and two World Cups.
Afternoon: Cantina da Santino, 18 km from Marco Simone, before the drive back toward the airport.
| From | To | Km | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | |||
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Poggio Le Volpi | 16 km | |
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Vini Fontana Candida | 17 km | |
| Day 2 | |||
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Terme di Cretone | 14 km | |
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Parco di Roma Golf Club | 13 km | |
| Day 3 | |||
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Olgiata Golf Club | 24 km | |
| Marco Simone Golf and Country Club | Cantina da Santino | 18 km | |
Distances measured from the clubhouse on OpenStreetMap data, August 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Drive times vary with rural roads and are not shown here.
About 38 km, straight-line distance to the clubhouse.
Distances are straight-line from each airport to the clubhouse, not driving distance. A car is essential for this itinerary.
April ranks first here: 19.7 degrees on average and 6.1 washout days, ahead of the summer heat.
July is the hottest month measured in this set at 33.6 degrees, with only 3.8 rain days.
November is the wettest month at 132.5 mm, more than double April’s total.
April tops our ranking at 19.7 degrees; June runs hot and dry at 29.5 degrees, 6.2 rain days.
The hottest window here: 33 to 34 degrees, driest in July at 3.8 rain days.
September eases to 27.2 degrees; October turns wetter, 11.0 rain days.
Cool and wet, peaking in November at 132.5 mm. Quiet fairways close to Rome.
Computed from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), daily data 2015–2024, Marco Simone Golf and Country Club coordinates.
The wine country south of Marco Simone runs into the volcanic soils of the Roman Castelli hills, where Malvasia and Trebbiano have long supplied the Roman table.
Marco Simone hosted Europe’s Ryder Cup win in 2023, the first time the match was played in Italy. Olgiata, older still, staged the 1964 Eisenhower Trophy and two World Cups.
Rome’s inland hills run hot and dry in summer and properly wet in November. April ranks first in our model, before the summer heat sets in. See the measured chart above.
Tuned to the climate above. April, the best-ranked month, comes right before the summer heat.
Flying into Fiumicino with your own set: a padded travel cover costs less than replacing a bent driver at the carousel.
Between Poggio Le Volpi, Fontana Candida and Cantina da Santino, you will want to fly home with a case. Inflatable bottle sleeves or a padded wine case turn a dozen bottles into safe checked luggage.
November brings 132.5 mm here, the wettest month measured in this itinerary.
July is the hottest month at 33.6 degrees: the heat, not the rain, is what to plan around.
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Want it tailored and booked end to end? Tee times, tastings and treatments, reserved by people who know these roads.
Request a custom quoteYes. Every stop in this itinerary sits on a secondary road, and the longest measured drive is 24 km, to Olgiata. A car is essential.
By our climate model, yes: 19.7 degrees on average and 6.1 washout days, before the summer heat and well ahead of wet November.
Courses in this itinerary are private clubs that accept green-fee visitors. A handicap certificate is standard practice in Italy, and booking ahead is wise, especially at Marco Simone.
About 38 km away, straight-line; the drive will take longer than the distance suggests once you are on Rome’s roads.
The two itineraries are 25 km apart and combine well into one trip: Marco Simone and Olgiata here, Castelgandolfo and the Castelli cellars to the south.
