SkyGolf Blog... Golf Courses Around the World: Parco de Medici Golf Club, Roma, Italy

After so many courses around the world it is time to present and post some photos of my home course. Parco de Medici Golf Club www.golfclubparcodemedici.com is a 27 holes course located in Rome, Italy, just 8 miles from Leonardo Da Vinci Intercontinental Airport (FCO) and it is part of the Sheraton Parco de Medici Golf Hotel & Resort. Three 9 hole courses, White (Par 35), Blue (Par 37) and Red (a short Par 35)...White and Blue nines combined represent the Championship Course, an enjoyable and challenging resort style layout Par 72, 7000 yds long from the tips. Water hazards and/or OBs involve almost every hole of the course and precision is a must when playing here. The tight fairways and the small greens can give an hard time even to the most skilled golfers.

Parco de Medici Golf Club opened in 1990 designed by architects David Mezzacane and Peter Fazio. The area where the course is built was part of a private hunting reserve of Pope Leone X, born Giovanni De Medici, second son of Lorenzo De Medici (Lorenzo The Magnificent). Leone X spent part of his live leaving on the nearby Castello della Magliana with his court of literates, musicians and artists where he hunted deer and wild boar as depicted in a narrative by historian Ranke “… there he spent his life in a sort of intellectual ecstasy”.

The signature hole is the final 18th, a beautiful par 5 almost 600yds long from the tips, where ancient roman ruins can be seen in the middle of the fairway and a small green surrounded by water expects your third shot (...or second shot).