Poggio dei Medici

Set in the heart of Tuscany, a short drive from the historical old city of Florence, the course at Poggio dei Medici Golf Club is named after the Medici family that attained political, religious and royal prominence between the 14th and 17th century, becoming one of the most powerful dynasties in all of Europe.

The club’s location close to Scarperia is actually quite a sporting hotspot because the golf course sits to the west of the hillside village and the famous Mugello Circuit race track lies on the other side.

Poggio dei Medici is nothing other than an unadulterated delight. With fairways set amongst rolling hills, it’s an open parkland layout that weaves across a picture postcard landscape with water only ever threatening at a few holes; namely the par five 2nd, the doglegged 5th and short par four 15th.

Poggio dei Medici opened for play in 1992 and seven years later it hosted the first of five consecutive Ladies Italian Open events. During its tenure here, five women from five different European countries won the competition.

The following edited extract is from 150 Golf Courses You Need To Visit Before You Die by Stefanie Waldek:

“It’s not often that a clubhouse steals a course’s thunder, but the one at Poggio dei Medicci might break all the rules – it’s set in a 16th century hunting lodge, the Villa di Cignano, once owned by the eponymous Renaissance family. The golf course here followed much later, and despite the fascinating history of the clubhouse, it truly does hold its own.

The Tuscan landscape provides two ridges and three valleys for the course, which is within view of the medieval village of Scarperia.”