Italians are way ahead when it comes to most things including food, fashion and art. But when it comes to sport, they are way ahead passion wise and its hard to rival.
They go mad for football, Formula 1, skiing, cycling and even back in the days, chariot racing. Strangely, when it comes to golf, they have a blind spot.
This manifests itself in the country's courses. Take Menaggio, a little gem by Lake Como in the northern region of Lombardy. It's elegant and stunning and has regular visits by George Clooney who has a villa nearby http://www.menaggio.it/
And how you rate in playing terms is expressed physically in the changing rooms, where three urinals are labelled for handicaps 0-9, 10-24, and 25-zappatori, the last being Italian for agricultural labourer.
The Menaggio clubhouse has more to offer than a great restaurant and view of Lake Como. It also houses a golf library with more than 1,200 volumes.
Unbelievably, this gorgeous course is just Euro 65 on weekdays and Euro 85 at weekends. Here you can also witness Italy's new golfing hero, Matteo Manassero, the youngest player, at 16, to grace the US Masters.
Sr Manassero has his name on the honours board at Golf Club Milano, a quietly plush club outside the city. (Viale Mulini San Girogio 7 Parco di Monza, http://www.golfclubmilano.it/). It welcomes visitors, but doesn't go out of its way to entice them in.
Which is a shame, because it is handsome course, winding through trees which means you play in virtual isolation.
The only indication of the outside world is from the famous Monza racetrack, and when I say indication, I mean screaming banshee madness at 100 decibels as superbikes streak past.
Other than that, it's peaceful – the silence broken only by groans of golfers as another putt slides by on the fast, tricky greens.
Designed in the 1920s by English architects Peter Gannon and Cecil Blandford, the course now has 27 holes. A weekday ticket costs between Euro 72 and 84 and lunch in the clubhouse restaurant probably the same.
Heading north towards Como, you hit another venerable course, Villa D'este, built in 1926. Circolo Golf Villa D'Este, Via per Cantu 13, 22030 Montorfano. http://www.golfvilladeste.com/
A par 69 (5,727m) overlooking Lake Montorfano, Villa D'Este has hosted several Italian Opens.
The front nine may seem short, but it opens up and the 18th is a fitting end. The food is pretty good too. Green fees on weekdays are Euro 100 with weekends at Euro 120.
Also recommended is Golf Club Bergamo, which costs Euro 55 for weekdays and Euro 77 for weekends. Golf Club Bergamo L'Albenza, Via Longoni 12, 24030 Almenno S.Bartolomeo, http://www.golfbergamo.it/
For more information on golf holidays in Italy and for operators who can organise your golfing holiday: http://www.loveitaly.co.uk/golf.asp
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