Reasons to go to the 2023 Ryder Cup

In 2023, golf fans will have the chance to experience exactly that when the Ryder Cup heads to Italy.

The next edition will be hosted at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Situated just 10 miles outside the beautiful city of Rome, Marco Simone is the ideal location not just for a golf tournament, but for a golf holiday.

There are a host of reasons to make the short flight to Italy for this Ryder Cup, the first of which must be the tournament itself. A truly iconic week in the bi-annual sporting calendar, it is one that captures the gaze of sports fans across the globe.

An opportunity to watch the world’s greatest golfers in arguably the most exciting format the sport has to offer, the Ryder Cup is a genuine chance to witness history, as it will be just the third time that the tournament has been held in continental Europe.

For UK-based golfers, visiting Marco Simone in September 2023 is a brilliant opportunity to support Team Europe in their quest to reclaim the famous trophy. The close proximity to one of the world’s most beautiful cities in Rome makes for the trip of a lifetime filled with culture and sporting excellence.

Marco Simone itself is a former host of the Italian Open and was originally designed by esteemed course architect Jim Fazio in the 1980s. It has recently been redesigned and rerouted for the 2023 Ryder Cup, by Tom Fazio II, Jim’s son. It is a challenging course, that will still offer plenty of excitement during tournament week, and there are unparalleled views across eye-catching lakes and the Marco Simone Castle.

Meanwhile, just 30 minutes down the road you have the historic city of Rome. The city offers travellers a wealth of attractions, excursions, and sights to see - from the world-famous Colosseum to the ancient Pantheon.

In addition, Rome, like many other Italian cities, offers its guests a variety of splendid local cuisine, from fresh pasta to hand-made pizza, and a raft of local delicacies. It is therefore the ideal location for the kind of trip many golfers look for; a hybrid of a city break and golf holiday.

The golf offering in the surrounding area is strong, with the aforementioned Marco Simone leading the list of destinations on offer. Also available for golf tourists is the Sheraton Golf Parco De’ Medici Hotel & Resort. With 27 excellent holes on offer, the Championship Course has even hosted the European Ladies Italian Open three times previously.

There is also a fantastic four-star hotel on-site with a host of well-equipped bedrooms on offer, and three different restaurants available. Sheraton is also ideally located just 12km from central Rome, and as such, is a great base from which to explore both the region’s golf and culture.

Additionally, golfers can visit the Robert Trent Jones-designed Golf Club Castelgandolfo. Equally as impressive as other offerings, with plenty of bunkers, mini lakes, artificial obstacles, and other traps such as age-old olive and oak trees, Castelgandolfo provides a top-class golfing experience.

Finally, for those wishing to tour Rome's golf courses without staying in the hustle and bustle of the city, the four-star Villa Mercede is a wonderful option. The hotel’s interior has an elegant, warm feel with a modern look, and furthermore, there are a variety of on-site facilities such as a high-quality spa and even a casino.

Golfers truly have the opportunity for the trip of a lifetime when the Ryder Cup visits Marco Simone in 2023 and should ensure they don’t miss out.