Every so often a golf course comes along that isn't really about the golf. Or rather, the golf is extraordinary — but it's the place itself that stays with you. You'll talk about the back nine, sure. But you'll also talk about the 12th-century castle watching over your approach shot, the cypress trees framing a par three, the way the afternoon sun turns the valley amber as you walk off the 18th green. Antognolla is that kind of course. And right now, as the Umbrian spring arrives and the hills turn impossibly green, is one of the best times of year to play it.
The par-4 fairway winding toward the 12th-century Antognolla Castle — one of the most photographed holes in Italian golf
Italy's #1 Golf Course
Antognolla isn't just Casa Luna's closest course. It's Italy's best. Named Italy's Number One Golf Course at the World Golf Awards in 2020, 2022, and again in 2024 — a rare three-time winner — it has quietly become one of the most celebrated courses in all of Europe. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Jr., the 18-hole layout stretches across a 500-hectare estate anchored by a restored medieval castle. It has hosted the Italian PGA Championship and the international Alps Tour. Yet for all its accolades, it remains remarkably under-the-radar — the kind of place where on a Tuesday morning in April, you might genuinely have a fairway to yourself.
For guests of Casa Luna, it is exactly 25 minutes door-to-door. Which makes Antognolla, by a comfortable margin, the finest golf course you can reach in the time it takes most people to sit through traffic on the way to their home club.
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. · Holes: 18 · Par: 72
Distance from Casa Luna: 25 minutes · Handicap requirement: Men 28, Women 36
Rental clubs: Cobra sets, renewed every season · Carts: Highly recommended — the course is genuinely hilly
Why Spring Is the Golden Season
Summer gets the headlines, but ask anyone who's played Antognolla in multiple seasons and they'll tell you the same thing: spring is the best time to be on this course. There's a reason for that. From late April through June, daytime temperatures in central Umbria sit comfortably in the 18–24°C range (mid-60s to mid-70s Fahrenheit). The valleys fill with wildflowers. The fairways — thanks to a multi-million-euro irrigation and drainage overhaul completed a few years ago — come out of winter in exceptional shape. And the tourists haven't arrived yet. Tee times are easier to book, the clubhouse terrace has space, and you'll often share the course with only a handful of other players.
Contrast that with July and August, when Umbrian afternoons regularly push past 32°C. The course remains playable all summer, but the hills that make Antognolla so spectacular also make it genuinely strenuous on foot in the heat — one visitor noted a total elevation change of nearly 400 metres across 18 holes. In April and May? That same terrain becomes a joy to walk or ride, cool enough to enjoy the views rather than just endure them.
For New Golfers: Yes, You Can Play Here
One of the most common questions we get from Casa Luna guests is whether Antognolla is "too serious" for casual or newer golfers. The honest answer is: absolutely not — provided you go in with the right expectations.
Let's be clear about what the course is. It's a Robert Trent Jones Jr. championship design, which means it's long, it's hilly, the greens are fast, and the bunkers are clever. From the back tees, it's genuinely demanding for scratch players. But — and this is the critical point — the course has been thoughtfully designed with multiple tee boxes so golfers of every ability can find a layout that works. Forward tees bring the course down to a much more manageable length. The clever routing means there's almost always a conservative line you can play. And the visual drama of the place — castle, cypresses, valleys — genuinely does not care what you shoot.
The handicap requirement is men 28 and women 36, which is fairly relaxed by European standards and accommodates most golfers who play with any regularity. If you're brand new to the game or haven't picked up a club in years, Antognolla offers PGA instruction on site — a half-day lesson on the newly expanded driving range is genuinely one of the better ways to spend a morning here. You'll walk away with better fundamentals and a far more enjoyable round the next day.
Book a cart, play the forward tees, bring extra balls, and remember this: the goal at Antognolla isn't to shoot your best score — it's to enjoy the scenery while hitting a ball in extraordinary surroundings. Accept that the greens will beat you up a little. Laugh about it. Order a glass of Sagrantino at the turn.
The Holes You'll Remember
Without walking you through all eighteen, a few stand out — and if you play here, these are the ones you'll photograph.
Hole 9, Par 3: A spectacular downhill par three that drops more than twenty metres from tee to green. The view from the tee, with forested hills beyond and the valley stretching away, is one of the finest short-hole views anywhere in Italian golf. Don't be fooled by the drop — the wind swirls in this part of the course, and club selection is everything.
Hole 12, Par 4: A left-to-right dogleg that many regulars name as their favourite. A well-placed tee shot opens up a chance at birdie or even eagle; a lazy one leaves you behind trees, praying for a miracle. Classic Jones Jr. risk-and-reward.
Hole 18, Par 4: The signature finishing hole. A water hazard runs the length of the right-hand fairway. A strategically placed bunker guards the left. And the entire time you're standing over your tee shot, the Antognolla Castle sits on the hillside ahead of you, watching. It is, to put it mildly, a distracting backdrop. Play smart, favour the left, and don't get greedy. Even a bogey here feels like a win.
The Clubhouse, the Castle, and La Boiola
One of the quieter pleasures of Antognolla is what happens after the round. The clubhouse restaurant, La Boiola, is run by a chef named Franco and serves some of the best traditional Umbrian cuisine you'll find in the region — locally sourced, generously portioned, and remarkably well priced given the setting. Black truffle pasta in season. Perfectly grilled Chianina beef. A wine list anchored by the great reds of Montefalco. This is not an afterthought clubhouse menu. This is the real thing.
The castle itself is undergoing a major transformation. A Six Senses resort is currently being built on the estate, with luxury suites planned inside the castle walls and dozens of additional rooms beside it. When it opens — expected within the next year or two — Antognolla will complete its transition from hidden gem to world-class destination resort. Which brings us to the honest truth about playing here now: green fees remain, at the moment, exceptional value for a course of this calibre. That will almost certainly change once the resort opens.
Casa Luna sits just 25 minutes from the first tee — your perfect base for a multi-day Umbrian golf escape
Planning Your Round from Casa Luna
Here's how the ideal Antognolla day works from our terrace. Breakfast at Casa Luna — strong coffee, fresh pastries from the bakery in Umbertide. On the road by 8:15. Check in at the pro shop by 8:40, warm up on the driving range, and step onto the first tee around 9:30. Four-and-a-half hours on the course (hillier than it looks — take a cart), finish with lunch on La Boiola's terrace, and be back by the pool at Casa Luna with a cold drink before the afternoon heat really sets in.
For a longer golf escape, Antognolla works beautifully as an anchor point. Play a round on day one. Rest and swim on day two. A second round on day three with better course knowledge and sharper putting. Between rounds, explore Umbertide's Saturday market, taste wines in Montefalco, or drive thirty minutes to Cortona for lunch in a Tuscan hilltop square. Very few places in the world let you combine championship golf with this kind of authentic cultural immersion.
Booking and Practical Info
Advance booking is essential — particularly in spring and autumn, which are the busiest seasons. Tee times can be reserved directly through Antognolla's green fees page or by asking us at Casa Luna to help arrange it. Cancellation is reasonable: notice of at least seven days avoids any charge. Soft spikes are required. Rental clubs (Cobra sets, updated every season) are available if you're not travelling with your own — a considerable advantage if you're flying in from abroad.
The course is a 25-minute drive from Casa Luna along quiet country roads that are, in themselves, part of the pleasure. There's no need to rush — leave an hour before your tee time and arrive relaxed.
The Bottom Line
Antognolla is a rare thing: a world-class golf course in a country that doesn't get enough credit for its golf, sitting in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe, priced — for now — at a level that lets you play it without rationalising the decision. Pair it with a stay at Casa Luna, and you have a recipe for the kind of trip that you'll still be talking about ten years from now. Spring is here. The course is in peak condition. The Umbrian hills are as green as they get all year. There is, frankly, no better time to go.