|
IN SPRING, they say, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.
But, to paraphrase Tennyson, that’s also when a golfer’s fancy longingly turns to thoughts of summer holidays with daily rounds over the greensward and cocktails on a sun-kissed terrace.
The only fly in the sun cream, for British and European golfers at least, is that summer golf is merely a day dream at many of the golf holiday destinations where sunshine is guaranteed. Most countries bordering the Mediterranean and to the south of it are, as the old ditty had it, too darned hot.
Which is why Britons generally take their holidays en masse in the northern Spring and Autumn. The problem then, of course, is that every golfer in Europe has similar ideas. Hence, crowded courses, six hour rounds, frustrations and heated tempers.
It’s long been a no-win situation for those golfers committed to summer holidays because of family and schooling. But – blessed be the booming low cost airlines -- alternatives are now to hand. The problem has been widely recognised and the solution has brought a golden bonus to a clutch of holiday venues that few would have considered for golf.
Among them is Italy, a land with an abundance of top flight courses, a sophisticated infrastructure, myriad airports only a short, no-frills flight away and with every attraction for the inner man and his best beloved: first rate hotels, outstanding service, food and wine, oodles of culture and a welcoming populace.
Early last summer, for example, we toured the Veneto region, which encompasses Venice, Padova and Verona and stretches from Bologna, in the south, to Lake Garda. We were bowled over! The courses, virtually deserted, were glorious; the weather, soothingly warm, was idyllic, the off-course distractions, like the cuisine, were memorable.
Several low cost airlines offer a choice of departure and arrival points; and there are dozens of golf courses scattered over an area that includes historic cities loaded with alternative attractions.
A bonus is that summer is their low season for tourism. So prices generally are in decline, courses and hotels are under-populated, and while temperatures can reach the mid-80sF in July and August the heat is not oppressive. Forget that short break: stay for a month!
ITALY IS richly endowed with history, tradition, culture and cuisine. The quality of life is enviable, enhanced by a relaxed and highly individualistic approach that borders on the philosophical. Style here is paramount, elegance the norm.
This is a land of castles and villages, of monasteries and vineyards, frequently with the snow-capped Dolomites painting the horizon. Restaurants? Don’t even try to count them! Drive the country lanes anywhere off the beaten track and you’ll find one around every bend, all check-clothed ambience and tempting aromas.
“Must remember that one for tonight,” you tell your best beloved, but promptly forget it as you spot the next one. Without exception they all offer high quality cuisine at most reasonable cost. They have to be good to survive; food in Italy is more than a staple, it’s part of the life-style. And nowhere is it superior to that found in the nation’s golf clubs.
There are 220 or so clubs nation-wide and most major destinations I’ll list (see the next page) offer a wide choice of playing opportunities within a short drive. Several courses are part of golf resorts but most are at private clubs, all with elegant clubhouses and swimming pools.
The game has long been an exclusive pastime here but golf tourism has now entered the equation, both as an aid to the economy and to help develop the game. Even the most exclusive club has a well-trodden welcome mat.
Page [1], [2], [3] - [next page]
|
