Golf, golf and more golf. How not to fall in love with this sport, aristocratic and elegant, ancient and ecological, a combination of healthy slowness and ingenious strategy?
I still juggle a little awkwardly between woods, irons and putters. I move between bunker and fairway, I train to improve my swing, I start from the tee and then slide on a green and soft green, gently accompanying the ball into the hole. I relax and enjoy it, spending time together with friends more experienced than me who have offered to teach me this aristocratic sport.
Of course, you will have understood, I'm talking about golf… a very trendy discipline. It is all a flourishing of fields and clubs around our lakes: those who want to play this noble game are spoiled for choice, amidst evocative views and modern, well-equipped clubs.
In an uncontaminated natural environment, among centuries-old oak and larch woods, on the hills above Stresa, the Golf Des Iles Borromées boasts an amazing panoramic view that sweeps from Lake Maggiore to the Simplon Alps and Switzerland. An 18-hole course winds its way through undulations and natural obstacles, offering moments of authentic serenity. Among the most appreciated services that the structure can offer to its visitors, we remember a well-equipped driving range, a well-kept putting green, a trolley and bag rental service, a well-stocked pro-shop.
The Golf di Bogogno is also located in a strategic position, between the enchanting views of Lake Maggiore and the nearby Milan-Malpensa airport. The design of the course was signed by the architect Robert Von Hagge: he had the idea of interpreting the various obstacles as real visual messages to suggest the most suitable game tactics. The design of the "Conte" route, framed by the peaks of Monte Rosa, recalls a link course, between large open spaces and flat areas, while the "Bonora" route winds through a wide hilly area surrounded by wild nature, with typical views of the Ticino Park.
Among the oldest Italian golf courses, the Castelconturbia Golf Club, founded in 1898 near a seventeenth-century castle, also belongs to an enchanting natural setting. The origin of this club is due to the passion for golf of Count Gaspar Flights - in love with this discipline following his frequent trips to Scotland - who managed to convince Count Avogadro di Collobiano to build a nine-hole course on his estate. The course, also frequented by the members of the House of Savoy, has been redesigned and rearranged several times, resulting in the creation of the three current courses.
I conclude my review by recalling the Alpine Golf of Stresa, one of the most renowned and important courses in Italy, characterized by the presence of excellent professional players and a course that extends over a natural terrace on the slopes of Mottarone. Built in 1924, thanks to the design of the architect Peter Gannon and the skillful direction of the master Pasquali, the Club gave life to the first Italian Open and has hosted national and international competitions over the course of its prestigious history. The club house is the beating heart of the structure, which is also remembered for a strong welcoming spirit and for a varied and suggestive itinerary.
Noble and sophisticated, golf has always conveyed the idea of a refined and elitist sport, even if it is not just a competitive discipline. It summarizes in itself physical exercise and ability to concentrate, the search for the perfect swing and an opportunity for harmony with nature. It seems healthy and wise to me, in these difficult times, to abandon ourselves, at least for a few hours, to a green experience, a true school of serenity.
