Any vacation in Italy is a
kaleidoscope of
food, art, fashion and history. Even a golf outing reflects the
culture. Well-dressed golfers linger over pinot and risotto. On the
course, you
may pass a tree with an antique holy-water receptacle.
But there’s
no
need to pray for good weather, which is steadfastly glorious from May through
September in Lake
Como, a postcard-scenic region an hour
northeast of
Milan. Backed by
an Alpine canvas, the
sapphire blue lake (one of Europe’s
deepest) is dotted with
forests, gardens and villas of the rich and famous of
centuries ago and
today. When it comes to golf, Italy will never be mistaken for
Scotland, but
Lake
Como’s
quality courses amid
such scenery and style have few peers.
Golf
There are about 50 courses in the region, but four
in
particular are molto bene. Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club is a
wooded
wonderland. Built in 1907, the club is one of the oldest, and
tightest, courses
in Italy, with a golf library that
rivals the R&A’s.
Circolo Golf Villa d’Este
is an old, stately
charmer reminiscent of Wentworth with much, much better food.
Situated
on Lake
Montorfano, the
par-69
course is a stern test and host to many international
competitions. Golf Club
Monticello, an
Italian Open site, has
two distinct 18s, with one longer and more demanding than
the other. La
Pinetina Golf Club boasts a flashy Milanese membership, a newly
rebuilt
clubhouse complete with guestrooms and slick, well-maintained greens in
a beautiful parkland setting.
Accommodations
The most luxurious of Lake Como’s
hotels include Grand
Hotel Tremezzo in Tremezzo, Grand Hotel Villa d’Este
in Cernobbio, and
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio. Albergo Terminus is
a classic
but updated hotel located right on the lake in Como. In Varenna, Hotel
Villa Marie
charges modestly for rooms with million-lire views.
Dining
Cernobbio’s
Il Gatto Nero has low
prices, great food and movie-star drop-ins. Ask for the
balcony and
homemade antipasti at La Fagurida in Tremezzo. The Hotel Milano in
Varenna offers fabulous three-course meals. And be sure to check out
the
pre-prandial cooking classes at Salice Blu in Bellagio.
Activities
Bellagio, called the prettiest town in
Europe, offers top boutique shopping, great
food and the
best nightlife around. Highlights of Como are its
glorious cathedral and the Museo
Didattico della Seta (Silk Museum). The jewel of Cernobbio is
legendary neoclassical Villa d’Este,
built in 1568 and
transformed into a hotel in 1873. Panoramic views from
Tremezzo are a
draw, and nearby are the Villa Carlotta museum and botanical
gardens
and Villa del Balbianello, seen in Star Wars: Episode II.
