September 2020 and just when I thought there would be no opportunity to explore this golfing area a window of opportunity opened.

So in these strange Covid times off Dream Golf Holidays went to experience what the area has to offer.

It’s an easy question to answer. Golf, culture, cuisine, this mantra is met in bucket loads.

Day 1

Flight in to Rome, get the hire car and off on the road, really easy to get around Italy, the road structure is good if not narrow in the smaller towns and villages, just breathe in!

Just over two hours and we are having our first culture boost in Perugia. Amazing buildings and views, you soon find out touring around that every city, town and village has something incredible to offer in terms of culture and history

Perugia

Everywhere you turn you find gems everywhere.

After a refreshing drink it was time to go to our first destination. Castello Valenzino is an amazing property, set in superb grounds with views down the valley, it is a perfect base from which to explore Umbria. There are a number of apartments in the complex all built within the restored buildings of the castle.

m4143_18.jpg.jpeg — Castello Valenzino

Luxury peaceful accommodation

Day 2

Castello Valenzino is 10 minutes from the golf course of Antognolla. A very short drive to a very good golf club in a setting that is tranquil and extremely peaceful.

The Robert Trent Jones JNR course was a joy to play, every hole was different, tricky green complexes, water to carry off tees, so everything you would want from a golf course. And to top it off is the Castle on the hill, part of Antognolla Golf Club and under renovation for a conversion in to a luxury hotel, can’t wait for that to be opened.

B9330041.jpg.jpeg — Antognolla. Golf Club

A Robert Trent Jones JNR gem

Changes are occurring at the golf club, new locker rooms and Pro shop, and an uplift of the restaurant so all exciting. The food at present at the golf club is pretty special now so can’t wait for the upgrade!

wm_antognolla_0620_122_dsc_5225 mid res.jpeg — How fresh?

Amazing tastes and textures with such humble food

Whilst in the area we spent some time at the winery which is very close to Castello Valenzino called Vineria del Carmine, an amazing winery with a truly amazing story, visit the place and find out.

Wonderful wines, olive oils and truffle products are produced here. Highly recommended.

A great variety of very nice wines

If you can find these anywhere take a tipple or two

And finally in this area we were recommended a restaurant, we were at Castello Valenzino for two nights and ended up going to the same restaurant twice it was that good.

The Il Caldero was off the beaten track but well worth finding. Amazing venue and stunning rustic Umbrian food.

Super fresh super tasty

Italian food at it’s best

Day 3

On leaving Castello Valenzino it was a couple of hours journey to La Bagnaia Golf resort in Tuscany. Before arriving though more culture was required with a quick whistle stop tour of Sienna.

Everywhere is just so full of history and the buildings are just majestic

La Bagnaia is an old medieval village that has been renovated and turned into a wonderful, restful, tranquil resort. There is no need to rush here, everything is at a wonderfully slower pace.

La Bagnaia

Tranquility in the Tuscan countryside

So the second Robert Trent Jones JNR course on the trip, Royal Bagnaia is a very Links’y course which is very well laid out. The green complexes are really good and the greens extremely quick. Perfect luxury in the resort and a two minute drive down the dirt track to the golf course, absolutely superb.

La Bagnaia golf.jpeg — Royal Bagnaia

Sweeping uphill par 5 to finish with a few bunkers to contend with. I got my par with a chipped 4th shot to a foot or so!!

Day 4

The big sightseeing tour, you are so close to Pisa and Florence that it would be rude not to go. Pisa was first stop, like everyone says there isn’t too much to see but what there is is worth seeing. The obligatory photo was taken and off we went for the next whistle stop tour of Florence.

Pisa

The area around the leaning Tower is quite amazing.

Florence is a City where you could spend hours going down every street, finding something new and being amazed. Churches, spires, squares, statues, You have Roman history staring at you from every direction. Truly awe inspiring.

Santa Maria Cathedral

Towers over the city, you get a great view of the whole city from Piazzale Michelangiolo.

A great days sightseeing then back to La Bagnaia which took about 1 hour. Don’t miss the opportunity to see these amazing historical landmarks

Day 5

So a meander back through Tuscany and Umbria on our way to Terra de Consoli on the outskirts of Rome.

And again a great opportunity to visit some amazing towns along the way.

Montepulciano was the first place, amazing windy cobbled streets looking down on the the vast vineyards below, a really enjoyable place to visit.

Montepulciano

Fantastic views of the countryside and vineyards of this famous wine region

And the last visit before Terra de Consoli was Orvieto which again sprung some great surprises with what it had to offer. The buildings and Cathedral in Florence were amazing, this one in a small town was just off the scale. The Duomo of Orvieto is amazing.

The Duomo of Orvieto

Definitely a stop to put on your list.

Finally we arrive at Terra de Consoli, the third of the Robert Trent Jones JNR courses in this trilogy. The resort sprawls over a vast area, with apartments of varying sizes to rent. The golf course is really good, very well laid out and a real test. Definitely one to enjoy. The facilities are being improved all the time, a brand new club house had just been built, and not fully open, I would guess it is now. And there is a boutique hotel and spa to come on stream very soon.

Terre Dei Consoli

A great layout with the new clubhouse in the distance

So that’s the trilogy done. This is a super golf, culture, cuisine trip. Lot’s to see, more than could be fit in to our timescales, a good couple of weeks here would be great.

We then had a few days in Rome really taking in the sights and sounds of what is an amazing City, if you like your history, this is the place for you.

This for me was the stand out place of many.