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Groundskeeper mowing the green on a golf course during a sunny day, showcasing lush landscapes and maintenance. photo: Pexels (stock photo, indicative only)

Destinations / Lombardy / Lake Como

Golf, Wine & Spa in Lake Como: 3-Day Itinerary

the deepest bench of courses on this site

Lake Como returns 23 courses within range of Golf Villa D'Este, the 1926 club ranked No.4 in Italy and an Italian Open host: more choice than any other itinerary in this wave. Wine and spa are genuinely thin here, one microwinery and one wellness hotel, and this page says so rather than dressing up the gap.

23 courses in range
1 winery in range
1 thermal spot in range
4 itineraries within 2 h
Groundskeeper mowing the green on a golf course during a sunny day, showcasing lush landscapes and maintenance.
01

The 1926 classic, then the valley's one cellar

Morning: Golf Villa D'Este, the base for this itinerary, a 1926 design ranked No.4 in Italy and a repeat Italian Open host.

Afternoon: Runch, 21 km away in Montevecchia, an artisanal microwinery working steep terraced slopes by hand. It is the only winery this itinerary's measured radius returns, so treat it as a genuine find rather than expect a full wine-country afternoon.

Recommended tasting

Runch

A small tasting at a microwinery practising heroic viticulture on terraced slopes. From 20 euro per person.

Fairway in the Brianza hills
02

Como's other courses

This is where the itinerary's real strength shows: Buena Vista Social Golf, 6 km away, Golf Club Carimate, 8 km out, and Golf Club Monticello, 9 km out, all sit within a 15-minute drive of the base, more choice packed into one radius than anywhere else in this wave.

Further north up the lake towards Menaggio, Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club, founded in 1907 and among Italy's oldest, plays right above the water. It sits well beyond this page's short-hop radius, so treat it as a separate day trip up the lake rather than a stop on this three-day plan.

Wellness spa interior
03

One more round, then the honest spa day

Morning: pick whichever of Buena Vista Social Golf, Carimate or Monticello you did not play on day two.

Afternoon: Impero Hotel, 18 km away, is the one wellness address this itinerary's measured radius returns, and it sits inland rather than on the water. The lake's real wellness reputation runs through its grand lakefront resort hotels rather than a standalone thermal facility, so if a spa afternoon matters more than golf, book a resort with its own spa rather than expect a dedicated terme here.

The recommended route
FromToKmDrive
Day 1
Golf Villa D'EsteRunch21 km~30 min
Day 2
Golf Villa D'EsteBuena Vista Social Golf6 km~10 min
Golf Villa D'EsteGolf Club Carimate8 km~15 min
Golf Villa D'EsteGolf Club Monticello9 km~15 min
Day 3
Golf Villa D'EsteImpero Hotel18 km~25 min

Distances calculated from OpenStreetMap coordinates, August 2026. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Drive times are estimates on rural roads. Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club is excluded from this table: the routing data returned for it is an outlier we do not trust and are re-measuring.

Getting there by car

MXP
From Milan Malpensa

About 36 km, around 40 minutes.

LIN
From Milan Linate

About 38 km, around 45 minutes via the tangenziale.

BGY
From Milan Bergamo

About 46 km, under an hour.

Times are approximate, to Golf Villa D'Este, outside peak traffic. A car is essential for this itinerary.

The weather

Bars: average rain days · Line: average daily max, °C
0102030°C7.49.512.415.919.424.426.926.521.617.111.48.2JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJFMAMJJASOND
01

May is the wettest month, 18.1 rain days and 13.9 of those washouts over 3 mm, enough to make the wine and spa half of the trip a useful plan B.

02

July is the hottest reading at 26.9 degrees, with rain easing back to 12.6 days: the best summer trade-off.

03

September is the measured best month, 21.6 degrees with washout days down to 8.0, the calmest window before the lake's famously grey November sets in.

When to go

Apr–Jun

April is mild at 15.9 degrees; May turns wet fast, 18.1 rain days, before June warms to 24.4.

Jul–Aug

Warm, 26.5 to 26.9 degrees, and a little drier than the spring. Good conditions for the deep bench of courses here.

Sep–OctOur pick

September holds the measured peak, 21.6 degrees and 8.0 washout days, before October's rain days climb back up.

Nov–Mar

Cold and often foggy on the lake by January, 7.4 degrees. Quiet fairways, lower rates, and plenty of empty tee sheets across 23 courses.

Computed from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), daily data 2015–2024, Golf Villa D'Este coordinates.

Groundskeeper mowing the green on a golf course during a sunny day, showcasing lush landscapes and maintenance.

The territory

photo: Pexels

The land

Terroir

This is not a wine itinerary in the way the rest of this site is: the historic vineyard country closest to the lake, Valtellina's terraced Nebbiolo slopes, lies north of this page's measured radius, which is why the single winery it returns, Runch in Montevecchia, sits in the Brianza hills rather than on the lakeshore itself.

History

Golf Villa D'Este, founded in 1926, and Menaggio & Cadenabbia, founded in 1907, are two of Italy's oldest clubs, part of a lake that has drawn wealthy visitors, and their private golf courses, since the 19th century.

Climate

A lake climate on the edge of the Alps, wetter through spring than the Mediterranean coast and prone to winter fog. The golf year runs April to October, with September the measured calm point: see the chart above.

Groundskeeper mowing the green on a golf course during a sunny day, showcasing lush landscapes and maintenance.

Golf courses

Wineries

Spas and thermal baths

Outlet shopping nearby

Continue the trip
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Franciacorta & Bergamo
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Lake Garda & Valpolicella
Lake Garda & Valpolicella
Veneto · 129 km away

What to pack

Tuned to the climate above. Pack for a genuine amount of golf: this is the deepest course bench in this wave, and the itinerary is built to use it.

A packable rain shell

May averages 18.1 rain days here. Keep a light shell in the bag through June as well, before the drier midsummer stretch.

A second golf glove

With three or more rounds realistically on the table across this itinerary's course count, a spare glove earns its place in the bag.

Travel cover for the clubs

Flying into Milan with your own set: a padded travel cover costs less than replacing a bent driver at the carousel.

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Good to know

Do I need a car?

Yes. The courses cluster within a short radius of each other, but there is no useful public transport between them, and Runch and Impero Hotel both sit off the lake itself. Book the car before the tee times.

Why so few wineries and spas on this page?

Because the measured data genuinely returns very little: one winery and one wellness address within this itinerary's radius. Lake Como's real strength, by the numbers, is 23 courses, more than any other itinerary in this wave; we would rather say that plainly than pad the page with entities that are not really here.

Is Menaggio & Cadenabbia worth visiting?

Yes, for the history alone, founded in 1907 and among Italy's oldest clubs, right above the water. It sits far enough up the lake that it deserves its own day rather than a slot inside this three-day plan.

Is September really the best month?

By the measured numbers, yes: 21.6 degrees with washout days down to 8.0, against a wetter spring and a lake that turns grey and foggy by November.

Are visitors welcome at Golf Villa D'Este?

It operates as a members' club first; green-fee access for visitors is more limited than at resort courses, so check directly and book well ahead of a visit.

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