From Lake Garda to Franciacorta and on to the Adamello Park, the region’s top-class golf clubs offer a comprehensive experience combining sport, nature, wellness and fine food and wine. The sector is driven by a strong international presence: at the clubs around Lake Garda, foreign golfers account for over 60% of the total, with visitors coming mainly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland
The Brescia area remains one of Italy’s leading destinations for golf tourism, a sector that generates over €800 million in revenue nationwide. Thanks to a wide and varied range of courses totaling over 150 holes, the province combines technically challenging courses with unique scenic settings.
International appeal is the true engine of the sector: in Garda-area facilities, foreign golfers — primarily from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — exceed 60%, with a season that, thanks to the lake’s microclimate, extends nearly year-round. From Lake Garda to Franciacorta, and up to the peaks of the Adamello Park, the province’s golf clubs — Arzaga Golf, Franciacorta Golf Club, GardaGolf Country Club, Garda Hotel San Vigilio Golf, Golf Bogliaco, and Golf Club Ponte di Legno — offer different experiences united by high service quality and strong integration with the territory.
Between nature-immersed resorts, historic courses with over a century of tradition, and scenic mountain layouts, golf becomes an opportunity to experience the region in an active and contemporary way, combining sport, relaxation, wellness, and gastronomic excellence.
Arzaga Golf and QC Grand Hotel Villa Arzaga: wellness, design, and golf on the hills of Lake Garda
Garda within a 144-hectare park, Arzaga Golf blends sport, design, and wellness in a charming setting. The club features 27 holes designed by two icons of world golf: Jack Nicklaus II, author of the first 18-hole par 72 course, and Gary Player, who designed the additional 9-hole par 36 course.
Nicklaus’s course follows an American-style layout with wide fairways and emerald greens, designed to challenge golfers of all levels amid stunning scenery. Player’s course integrates seamlessly with the gentle hills of Valtenesi, featuring greens protected by deep, rounded bunkers.
The sports offering is enhanced by one of Europe’s most advanced driving ranges and an academy led by professionals from the Alain Vergari Academy, using cutting-edge technology.
A distinctive feature is its integration with QC Grand Hotel Villa Arzaga, a 15th-century Renaissance residence featuring a wellness center immersed in nature, offering over thirty sensory experiences including panoramic pools, saunas, steam baths, and relaxation paths inspired by the territory. The property also includes three residences with 78 rooms, providing direct access to the spa and golf courses.
Completing the experience, the Arzaga Bistrot, with large windows and terraces overlooking the course, offers a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional cuisine, paired with a selection of over 400 labels.
For more information: www.arzagagolf.it
Franciacorta Golf Club: among vineyards in the heart of Franciacorta
Nestled in an 80-hectare green oasis among woods and vineyards, Franciacorta Golf Club is a prime example of harmony between sport and territory. Located in Corte Franca, it offers 27 holes divided into three courses named after local wine excellences: Brut (technical), Satèn (scenic), and Rosé (modern and challenging).
Founded in the 1980s by Vittorio Moretti, the course was designed by American architect Pete Dye and Italian architect Marco Croze. Since 2009, the club has embraced the identity of “The Wine Golf Course”, developed with the Franciacorta Consortium to merge sporting excellence with renowned DOCG sparkling wines.
Today, it is also a key venue for sporting events, hosting over 190 competitions annually, including national championships, international tournaments, and prestigious events.
Alongside competitive play, the club offers a full experience: a modern clubhouse with the “Bistrò del Golf,” awarded Best Restaurant at the Italian Golf Awards 2022, wellness areas, swimming pools, tennis courts, and relaxation services. The club is also a pioneer in sustainability, recognized with the “Impegnati nel Verde” certification. For more information: www.franciacortagolfclub.it
GardaGolf Country Club: 40 years of history and tradition at the heart of golf on Lake Garda
Overlooking the hills of Lake Garda’s Brescia side, GardaGolf Country Club is a leading name in Italian and international golf, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Founded in 1986 by Riccardo Pisa e Giorgio Simonini, the club combines sport with landscape enhancement.
The 27-hole course — White, Red, and Yellow — was designed by Cotton, Pennick, Steel & Partners with Golf & Gardens, offering panoramic views and high-level play.
The club has hosted major international events, including three editions of the Italian Open and European Tour competitions. It is ranked among the top 200 courses in Continental Europe and holds GEO environmental certification.
The clubhouse, set in a historic villa, offers elegant spaces and panoramic terraces, alongside fine dining at the Bucadiciannove restaurant led by Michelin-starred chef Piercarlo Zanotti.
Additional experiences include tastings, slow driving tours, and painting classes, along with the boutique hotel Maison GardaGolf and a well-established golf academy. For more information: www.gardagolf.it
Garda Hotel San Vigilio Golf: excellence among the Garda morainic hills
Located near Lake Garda in Pozzolengo, Garda Hotel San Vigilio Golf is one of Italy’s most important golf resorts. Built around a 12th-century Benedictine abbey, it features a 36-hole course designed by Kurt Rossknecht.
The club gained international recognition by hosting the 77th Italian Open in 2020 and receiving multiple awards, including best golf resort in Italy. It also holds GEO Foundation certification for sustainability.
The 4-star resort offers a wide range of services: a 1,000 sqm spa, pools, sports facilities, and outdoor experiences such as sailing tours, vintage car itineraries, and sustainability activities.
The experience is rounded off with a wide range of activities for guests: tastings of wine, olive oil and local specialities, cookery classes, cocktail challenges with professional bartenders, as well as outdoor experiences such as sailing trips on Lake Garda, classic car tours through the Morainic Hills and activities linked to sustainability, such as tree planting.
In addition to the daily activities, with the start of the summer season, the Club House comes alive with evenings featuring live music every Thursday and Saturday. Among this year’s new features, the Pro-Shop stands out, distinguished by the presence of a food and wine corner. For more information: www.gardahotelsanvigiliogolf.it
Golf Bogliaco: over a century of golf overlooking Lake Garda
Located in Toscolano Maderno, Golf Bogliaco is one of Italy’s oldest golf clubs, founded in 1912. The 18-hole par 70 course sits in a green valley with breathtaking lake views.
After various transformations, including its use as farmland during WWII, the course returned to golf and expanded to its current layout. Thanks to the mild climate, it is playable year-round.
The club offers accommodation, a panoramic restaurant, and an academy, and since 2018 has partnered with Terme di Sirmione to integrate wellness experiences.
The range of offerings is further enhanced by exclusive, bespoke packages that combine golf with premium experiences: from the NON-STOP GREENFEE package (unlimited play during your stay) and lessons for all levels, to wine and food tastings and tours, hiking, cycling and lakeside activities. For more information: www.golfbogliaco.com
Golf Club Ponte di Legno: high-altitude golf in the Adamello Park
At 1,500 meters above sea level in the Adamello Park, Golf Club Ponte di Legno offers a unique alpine golf experience. Designed in the 1980s, the 9-hole course is surrounded by streams, lakes, and forests.
Set in Valbione, the course features natural elevation changes and scenic views, with double tee boxes providing varied gameplay.
The course comprises 9 holes surrounded by natural streams, ponds and fir woods, set within a rolling valley that lends the course a technical and scenic character. The changes in elevation and natural obstacles make for a challenging round, whilst some of the panoramic holes offer stunning views of the valley. The presence of dual tees is also particularly appreciated, as they make some holes different between the first and second rounds, offering a constantly varied playing experience. Over the years, the club has maintained a strong focus on protecting the surrounding landscape, earning the ‘Impegnati nel Verde’ certification from the Federation, an award given to clubs that adopt sustainable and environmentally friendly management practices. For more information: www.golfpontedilegno.it
