Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the right lung on my 58th birthday (14th July) So not really ...
Diagnosed with an aggressive cancer of the right lung on my 58th birthday (14th July) So not really in the humour for writing much at the moment, although I *WILL* be back before too long...Ken
Member since:06.12.2000
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~ ~ A glorious June morning in Palombara, a north-western suburb of Rome, and at 6.30AM the mad cabbie is already showered, shaved and fed and ready for some action! What on earth was it that could possibly have had him out of his scratcher at such an unearthly hour of the morning, especially when he was on holiday? Some of my regular readers have already probably guessed. A golf course; but not just any old run-of-the-mill links, but a course that hosted the Italian Open back in 1994. (Won by Italy's own Constantina Rocca) I'd managed to obtain a 7.30AM tee-time at "Golf Marco Simone", one of Italy's premier courses.
~ ~ Of course, it was purely a co-incidence that our holiday hotel was located only a hop, skip and jump from the golf course, although for some strange reason I had the greatest of difficulty in getting my wife to believe me! (Wonder why?) The wee lass was in tow, not to play herself, (the course was just a tad too difficult for her) but to drive the ride-on buggy that her old dad had booked to conserve his energy in the roasting temperatures you can get in Rome at this time of year. This was another reason for the early start. At 7.30AM the temperature was a very pleasant 25 degrees centigrade, although it rose to a stifling 40 degrees by the time we finished the round! (That's HOT when you're playing golf, believe me.)
~ ~ The Marco Simone Golf Club and Resort is one of the most luxurious golf and sport complexes in Italy. (If not in Europe) It's built on the grounds of the ancient Marco Simone Estate, and indeed the old 15th century castle still forms an impressive backdrop when you are playing the 2nd hole. (See attached picture) Dating back to Roman times, (the estate, NOT the golf course) some of the old Roman ruins are still in evidence on parts of the course. There's nothing ancient about the totally magnificent clubhouse that greets you at the end of the 1 kilometre driveway when you first enter the complex though. It's enormous in scale, (7,000 plus square metres) and houses every amenity imaginable.
~ ~ When I parked our rented
Ford Ka, a white-coated attendant appeared even before I could open the boot to get out my golf gear, and my clubs were whisked away to be installed on the ride-on buggy, which awaited my arrival at the changing rooms. The changing rooms were opulent, (like the rest of the complex) with piping hot (or cold!) showers, bath towels supplied, hair dryers, complimentary soap and shampoo, free disposable razors, and every other possible amenity you could ever require. If you want to warm up before your round, then there's a 15-bay driving range, and two landscaped practice putting greens. I was already warm enough (heh, heh) so decided to forgo the practice session on this occasion. Even if you're not a golfer, then you'll still not be at a loss, for the clubhouse boasts many other sporting facilities. There are five tenniscourts, a fully equipped gymnasium, large swimming pool, and a whirlpool bath, jacuzzi, and sauna.
~ ~ But none of this decadence would be of any use if the course itself didn't live up to expectations. Be assured, the golf course itself is every bit as refined and opulent as the clubhouse facilities, and is one of the very best parkland courses I've ever had the pleasure to set foot on. (And I've set foot on quite a few in my time!) It's very American in nature, with rolling fairways, cut through hundreds of trees, with well-bunkered fairways and greens, many of which are set on natural (or man made) plateaus. The greens themselves are enormous, many measuring over 600 square meters in size. This makes them easier to hit with your approach shot, but can leave you with a putt so long that you'd almost need a pair of binoculars to see the hole! The course is very long, (over 6,900 yards from the Championship tees) but there are three different tees to make it a wee bit easier for the average golfer. I wasn't looking for "easy" though, and got permission from the starter to play the course at its full length. The par of the course is a difficult 72, and the SSS (Standard Scratch Score) is 73. As is my way, I won't walk you through every single hole, but simply select a few that I found particularly memorable.
~ ~ The first hole is a par-five of 487 metres, (527 yards) and it will take all but the very longest hitters three shots to reach the putting surface. When you stand on the tee you are faced with a very wide expanse of fairway, which makes it difficult to get in any sort of real trouble with your opening drive, although there are a few well-placed bunkers down the right-hand side of the fairway. It's important to keep your drive down the left, in order not only to avoid the aforementioned bunkers, but also to set up the ideal second shot. Too far right, and trees which line the fairway come into play, making it very difficult to get your ball in the right position for your approach shot to the green. The green itself is fronted by a small lake, which is what makes it so difficult to hit in two shots. I played a five wood for my second into the perfect position, but despite having a yardage chart of the course, still managed to dump my pitch shot to the green into a watery grave! I made amends with my next shot though, hitting a lovely approach to about ten feet, and then sinking the putt for an opening bogey six. (One over par)
~ ~ The second hole is a lovely shaped par-3 measuring only 146 meters. (158 yards) It curves from right to left, is well bunkered around the green, and has yet another lake ready to swallow up a tee shot that is hit too far to the left. I hit a beautiful six-iron to only eight feet, and duly sank the putt for a birdie two (one under par) to get back the shot I had dropped to par at the first. The enjoyment of this hole was spoiled a little by the corpse of a dead badger just in front of the green, which the crows were using for an early breakfast! (Don't ask me how it had died, but it WASN'T pleasant!)
~ ~ The other hole that sticks in my memory from the front nine is the par-3 fifth. It measures 152 metres, (165 yards) and is played from an elevated tee with a long drop down to the large, undulating, and well-bunkered green. When you're playing from an elevated position it is always harder to judge the distance correctly, as the ball stays in the air longer. I was fooled into taking a club less than I required to reach the putting surface, and left my tee-shot some twenty yards short. But my putter was "hot", and I managed to save my par-3 with yet another fifteen-foot putt. (It's a lovely feeling when you're putting well. Heh, heh) That's not the main reason the hole sticks in my memory though. My wee lass decided to do a "Michael Schumaker" on me in the golf buggy while we were going down the cart path towards the green, and almost managed to tip out her old dad on his ar*e into the bushes! (She thought it was hilarious. Bah!)
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Pictures of Golf Club Marco Simone
Clubhouse
~ On the back nine, the holes I particularly liked were ten, sixteen, and seventeen. The tenth is a short par-4 of only 322 metres in length, (349 yards) but don't be fooled into thinking it's an easy birdie opportunity because it's so short. It's a sharp dogleg from right to left, turning back on itself at an acute 90 degree angle, and with large trees down the left hand side of the fairway to deter any long hitters from trying to "cut" the corner. A well-hit draw with a fairway wood or a long iron will leave you in perfect shape for a short pitch to the green, and a possible three, but great care is needed, as a badly hit tee shot makes this hole extremely difficult.~ ~ The sixteenth hole is another long par-5 measuring 483 metres. (523 yards) Again, the hole doglegs from left to right, and there is a small stream strategically placed on the fairway just about where a well-struck drive will land. Manage to miss this, and you are faced with the very same problem with your second shot, as the very same stream meanders its way around the hole and again comes into play just short of the green. You're doing well if you manage to stay out of trouble here, and keep your feet (and your golf ball) dry.
~ ~ The seventeenth hole is the last par-3 on the course, measuring 162 metres. (176 yards) The trick here is to get your tee shot into the right position on the enormous two-tiered green. If you get on the upper level, (as I managed) then you are faced with an almost impossible putt. (To get down in two more shots anyways!) I scored a bogey four (one over par) here despite hitting what I thought was a good tee shot!
~ ~ Other features of the course itself are the immaculately manicured fairways, and the billiard table type surfaces on the greens. So well tended is this course that you'd think a team of green keepers were constantly going around with a pair of small scissors, to instantly cut any errant shoots of grass. If it had one fault, it was that the rough was a bit on the patchy side. Obviously, in a very hot, sunny climate like Italy, the fairways and greens have to be constantly watered in order to stop them from burning up with the heat of the sun. But the rough doesn't receive the same treatment, and didn't always punish a wayward shot as harshly as it should, as it was very sparse in places where it should have been extremely lush. But this is only a minor quibble.
~ ~ OK. Enough of the golf course. (Although I could NEVER get enough of it, to be honest!) Let's now return to that superb clubhouse complex, and tell you a little more about what it has to offer. As well as the facilities I mentioned earlier, the clubhouse has two top-class restaurants, a fully licensed bar, and a pleasant coffee shop. I can't comment on the bar other than to say it looked very pleasant, (I'm teetotal) but we had a very tasty pot of coffee, a delicious sandwich, and a long, very cold, soft drink in the coffee shop after our round. We had intended to return to try out one of the restaurants one evening during our visit, but time caught up with us, (we were only there for a week) and we didn't manage to do so. If the restaurants are only half as good as the other facilities on offer though then they will be excellent! Corporate clients are also well looked after, as the clubhouse has conference and convention facilities, with one large room catering for up to 120 people, and three other rooms for smaller numbers.
~ ~ Adjacent to the clubhouse itself is the Marco Simone Hotel, with rooms for anything from one to four visitors. All of the rooms have panoramic views of the golf course and the Marco Simone Castle, are tastefully furnished, en-suite, and are fully equipped with satellite TV, air conditioning, (VERY important) direct-dial telephone, mini-bar, and a small kitchen. I didn't realise that these rooms were available until we actually arrived out in Rome, or that they were so reasonably priced, or we would have most likely stayed here ourselves. Prices are very reasonable, starting at €87.80 for a single person (in a double room) and rising to only €134.28 for a suite for four people. Next time we visit Rome this will be my first choice of accommodation.
~ ~ Even the price of the golf itself is not overly expensive for a course of this standard and quality. The published green fees vary between €80 and €120 per round to play the Championship course. There is a smaller, par-64 course available as well, which you can play for only €40 per round. The course is closed to visitors every Tuesday, by the way. The price of a golf buggy is €70 per round. Of course, I used my journalist qualifications in order to obtain a small "discount" (heh, heh) and managed to get both the round of golf plus the buggy for only €100 all in.
~ ~ To get to the Marco Simone Golf Club you take the "Grande Raccordo Anulare G.R.A." (ring road) around Rome until you reach Junction 11. Follow the signs for Palombara, and after around 3 kilometres turn onto Palombarese Street. Another 2 kilometres and you turn again onto Pedica Delle Ginestre Street. The golf course is on the left. (It sounds more difficult to find than it actually is, and if you get lost then you can always ask directions)
~ ~ I cannot praise this jewel of an Italian golf course enough, and it comes with my highest possible recommendation. If you are a golfer, and ever get out to Rome, be sure not to miss it.
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Address: Via di Marco Simone, 00012 Guidonia (RM)
Telephone: 0774/346469
Fax: 0774/366476.
Email: info@golfmarcosimone.com
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Copyright KenJ December 2003
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Advantages: Pleasant course. Good test of golf. Great facilities. Not too expensive. Disadvantages: EXTREMELY hot in the summer months. Course is over-watered.
exceptional by (18%):
very helpful by (80%):
somewhat helpful by (1%):
