How Can I Play Marco Simone Golf And Country Club?

The 2023 Ryder Cup returns to Europe following the match at Whistling Straits two years earlier, and, for the first time, it will be held in Italy. 

The course chosen for the 44th edition of the biennial match is Marco Simone, located just 10 miles from capital city Rome. 

Marco Simone was designed by Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane and opened in 1989. The club has had its share of high-profile tournaments, too, having hosted the Italian Open in 1994, 2021, 2022 and 2023. However, in 2015, it was thrust firmly into the spotlight when it won the bid to host the Ryder Cup.

The main course (there is also a nine-hole resort course) is a par-72 affair that benefits from the natural beauty of its surroundings, namely, the rolling Italian countryside. 

However, anyone who played the course when it opened would find it wholly different if they returned to it today. That's because it was redesigned in 2018 by European Golf Design and Tom Fazio II (son of the course's original designer). Work included making the holes longer and introducing more bunkers - a task that was finally completed in 2021.

There are undulations and plenty of water for even the most confident player to think about, as well as a generous number of bunkers guarding its immaculate greens. 

Meanwhile, the course has some challenging elevation changes, with some greens perched high above the fairways. There are hints at the country’s history, too, as exemplified by the 1,000 year-old tower of Marco Simone’s castle, which can be seen from the first hole. Players can also enjoy incredible views of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican from several of its tees.

Even following its redesign, at 6,937 yards, the course won’t challenge players from a length perspective, but the wind that regularly blows over it could give the 24 players competing in the Ryder Cup plenty to think about.

So could the closing stretch, which is tailor made for match play golf. The devilish par-3 16th precedes a drivable par-4 and a dogleg par-5 finisher that features water hugging the green on the left-hand side. Expect fireworks if there are a lot of matches that come down to the wire.

Generally, the par-3s are a real strength of the course, while the large, undulating greens are not to be taken lightly.

Members of the public are able to play the course, with green fees ranging from as little as €45 for juniors up to €350 for general members of the public in the weeks immediately following the Ryder Cup. 

Green fees also vary depending on what time of the week you play, whether it's in low or high season and whether you're playing as a guest of a member. 

There are a range of membership options, too, with annual fees starting at €1,050 for 13 to 18-year-olds and rising to €7,000 plus sales tax for business membership. Another option is an individual annual membership at €3,500, while children under 15 accompanying members go free. 

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