Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Umbria comprise the Central area of Italy and these four regions are further subdivided into 22 provinces, from which a total of 91 golf facilities are affiliated to Federazione Italiana Golf, the national governing body.

The best courses in the region are situated around Rome. To the southwest of the Eternal City, there’s Fioranello, a 1970s David Mezzacane design, and Castelgandolfo, which Robert Trent Jones Snr. laid out in in the mid-1980s.

Fifteen miles north east of the city centre, you’ll find the engaging Marco Simone course, where Eduardo Romero won the Italian Open in 1994, and it's set to become a household name as the 2023 Ryder Cup will be held at the Rome club.

Another three Roman courses are nationally ranked. The first of these, Roma Acquasanta, was established over a hundred years ago by British expats and it still presents a challenge in the modern era. The second layout is the West course at Olgiata, which was laid out by CK Cotton in the early 1960s and is now part of an excellent 27-hole setup.

The five-star Argentario Golf Resort & Spa is set spectacularly on the Monte Argentario promontory which was once an island but is now connected to mainland Tuscany by three causeways that in turn form two lagoons.

Last, but certainly not least, Golf Nazionale, is a Jim Fazio design that opened for play in 1990 and the site currently houses the headquarters of the Italian Golf Federation.