How Can I Play Marco Simone Golf And Country Club?

The venue for the 2023 Ryder Cup is located among rolling Italian countryside, but can you play it?

The fifth green at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club
The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup takes place at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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. 

A view of Marco Simone Golf and Country Club

The course has rolling fairways and undulating greens

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

A view of the tower of Marco Simone's castle from Marco Simone Golf and Country Club

The tower of Marco Simone's castle can be seen from the first hole

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

The 18th green at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club

The course was redesigned between 2018 and 2021

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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. 

Marco Simone Green Fees

Working Days

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SeasonPublic RateRegional PlayersMember's GuestJunior (up to 18 years)
Low Season (2 Jan-26 Feb, 20 Nov-31 Dec)€190€100€9050%
High Season (27 Feb-31 Aug, 31 Oct-19 Nov)€220€120€9050%
Ryder Cup Season (4 Oct-30 Oct)€350€175€9050%

Saturday/Sunday/Bank Holidays

Swipe to scroll horizontally
SeasonPublic RateRegional PlayersMember's GuestJunior (up to 18 years)
Low Season (2 Jan-26 Feb, 20 Nov-31 Dec)€190€120€11050%
High Season (27 Feb-31 Aug, 31 Oct-19 Nov)€220€140€11050%
Ryder Cup Season (4 Oct-30 Oct)€350€175€11050%

Marco Simone Key Information

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Yardage6,937
Par72
Date Opened1989
LocationGuidonia near Rome, Italy
DesignersJim Fazio and David Mezzacane

Marco Simone Location

Who Owns Marco Simone Golf And Country Club?

Fashion and home furnishings designer Laura Biagotti owns Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, which she and her husband Gianni Cigna opened in 1989. The club is built on 150 hectares and features a total of 27 holes. 

Which Tournaments Has Marco Simone Golf And Country Club Hosted?

Marco Simone Golf and Country Club was named host of the Italian Open in 1994, 2021, 2022 and 2023. However, in 2015 it gained more exposure when it was named as the venue for the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Mike Hall
Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 


He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 


Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 


Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.