Bologna

Founded in 1958, Golf Club Bologna was the first golf club to be established in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The course was designed by Ken Cotton and John Harris when they were in partnership and the layout was subsequently revised by Peter Alliss in the late 1990s.

It’s a classic parkland track, set out across a mildly undulating landscape, with enough elevation changes to keep things interesting without becoming too taxing. There’s also a great mix of open and tree-lined fairways and only one water hazard in play at the par four 8th, where the tee shot has to carry a small lake.

Another hole of note is the difficult par four 5th, doglegging ninety degrees to the right off the tee and uphill to a two-tier, semi-blind green that’s protected by a couple of bunkers. On the back nine, Bologna’s “Amen Corner” starts with another really tough hole at the par four 15th, playing straight uphill to another well-defended green that slopes from left to right.