Most golfers who think about Italian golf think about Sardinia, the Tuscan hills, or the northern lakes. Sicily does not appear on many shortlists. That is a mistake, and one that works in your favour if you go.
Sicily has three serious golf properties: Verdura Resort on the south-west coast, Donnafugata Golf Resort near Ragusa in the south-east, and Il Picciolo Etna on the slopes of Europe's most active volcano in the north-east. Between them they offer around 90 holes of golf across wildly different terrain — sea cliffs, lava fields, ancient parkland — with the added backdrop of the island's food, wine, Baroque architecture, and a cultural density that makes it one of Europe's most interesting travel destinations regardless of golf.
I have been sending golfers to Sicily since DGE started in 2007. What I have learned is that Sicily rewards careful trip design. The courses are spread across the island — Verdura to Etna is a three-hour drive — so a single-base trip that visits all three does not work. The smart approach is to choose your priority course, build the trip around it, and accept that one stay per visit is enough. Here is what each course is worth, and how to combine golf with the rest of what Sicily offers.
Geography note: Sicily's three main golf zones are far apart. Verdura (south-west) to Donnafugata (south-east) is 2.5 hours by car. Donnafugata to Il Picciolo Etna (north-east) is 2 hours. Palermo airport serves Verdura; Catania airport serves both Donnafugata and Etna. A trip combining all three requires either two nights on the road or a flight between Palermo and Catania (40 minutes, frequent).
Verdura Resort — East & West Courses
The finest golf property in Italy, and it is not close. Rocco Forte built Verdura on a 230-hectare estate along the south coast of Sicily, and Kyle Phillips — the architect behind Kingsbarns — designed two full 18-hole courses that hug sea cliffs with views across the Mediterranean to Africa on clear days. The East Course is the stronger layout: holes 7 through 11 play along a headland exposed to the prevailing westerly, with greens perched above the water. The West Course is softer, more inland through olive groves, but the finishing stretch back toward the resort hotel is spectacular. Both courses play firm and fast, links-influenced conditioning in a Mediterranean climate. Green fees cover either course; staying at the Rocco Forte resort is expensive but the value is in the total package — the property is exceptional.
Best for: Golfers who want the best of Italy in one property. Combine East and West for a two-day trip.
Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa — Mare Course
Donnafugata is a 36-hole resort near Ragusa in south-eastern Sicily, and the Mare course is the better of the two layouts. Gary Player's team built it across flat coastal terrain but managed to create genuine interest through strategic bunkering, deep rough, and greens that are consistently the fastest on the island. The name refers to the sea views you get on the back nine, not actual seaside golf — this is parkland, not links — but the quality is real and the green fee is one of the best value propositions in Italian golf. The Lago course (Ronald Fream design) is the companion round, more tree-lined and forgiving, ideal for a second day. The resort hotel is comfortable and well-priced, with shuttle transfers between courses.
Best for: Groups wanting 36 holes in one location at a sensible price. The best-value golf resort in Sicily.
Il Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa
The setting is unlike anything else in European golf. Il Picciolo is built on the north-eastern slopes of Mount Etna — an active volcano — at around 700 metres elevation. The course winds through ancient lava fields, oak and chestnut forests, with the volcano's summit visible from most holes. In winter, when Etna's peak carries snow, the backdrop is absurd. The course itself is a solid but not exceptional parkland design; the appeal is entirely the location. Fairways are narrow in places, greens are small and sloped, and the volcanic soil drains brilliantly after rain. The resort hotel is good but the real draw is the chance to play golf on the flanks of an active volcano. No other course in the world offers that.
Best for: Golfers who want a genuinely unique experience. Combine with a Taormina stay — it is 30 minutes from the course.
Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa — Lago Course
The companion course to the Mare at Donnafugata, Lago plays through mature trees and around a central lake that comes into play on five holes. It is more forgiving than Mare, which makes it the better choice for higher handicappers or as a relaxed second-day round after playing Mare the day before. The layout is less challenging than Mare but consistently well-maintained, and the green fee is shared across both courses on a two-round package. If you are staying at Donnafugata, you play both — there is no reason to choose.
Best for: Higher handicappers and second-day rounds at the Donnafugata resort.
Verdura Resort — South Nine
A nine-hole course on the Verdura estate designed to the same standard as the two 18-hole layouts. The South Nine plays along the resort's western coastal edge, with four holes running directly above the sea wall. It is shorter and more exposed than East or West, with the wind off the Mediterranean making even the shorter holes play genuinely difficult. A good option for an afternoon round after playing one of the full courses in the morning, or for guests who want a quicker game. On its own it is not worth travelling to Sicily for, but as part of a Verdura three-day package, it adds a different dimension to the trip.
Best for: Afternoon rounds for guests staying at Verdura Resort.
When to go golfing in Sicily
Sicily has one of the best golf climates in Europe, but the window is wider than most people realise. The conventional wisdom is spring and autumn only, and while those are the best months, the reality is more nuanced.
April, May, and October are the sweet spot: temperatures between 18–26°C, minimal rain, courses at their best after winter recovery or pre-shutdown maintenance. Green fees are at mid-range, tee sheets are uncrowded, and the island itself is at its most pleasant for non-golf activities.
June and September are perfectly good. Temperatures climb toward 30°C in June and stay there through August, but morning rounds finish before the heat becomes uncomfortable. Verdura, being exposed to sea breezes on the south coast, plays cooler than you would expect even in high summer.
July and August are playable but expensive. This is high season for the Rocco Forte properties, and Verdura green fees and room rates peak significantly. The courses are less busy at 7am than they look on paper.
November through March is off-season. Verdura typically reduces its schedule; Donnafugata often closes for maintenance in January and February. Il Picciolo Etna is the most likely to operate year-round due to its elevated position and drier microclimate.
Getting to Sicily for golf
Two airports matter: Palermo (PMO) for Verdura and the island's north and west, and Catania (CTA) for Donnafugata, Il Picciolo Etna, and the east coast. Direct flights from London, Manchester, Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and most major European cities operate to both, with the largest number of services running from April to October.
From Palermo airport to Verdura Resort is approximately 90 minutes by car heading south-west along the A29 motorway toward Sciacca. Verdura offers transfers; renting a car is worthwhile if you plan to explore beyond the resort. From Catania airport to Donnafugata is 90 minutes south; to Il Picciolo Etna is 45 minutes north-west up the volcano's slopes.
The internal Palermo–Catania flight (ITA Airways, roughly 40 minutes) is the practical way to combine Verdura with the eastern courses in a single trip without a long cross-island drive. Budget around €60–€120 one-way depending on timing.
How to structure a Sicily golf trip
The most common mistake is trying to play all three zones in one week. Here are three trip structures that work in practice:
Verdura focus, 5–6 nights: Fly Palermo, stay at Verdura Resort. Play East one day, West the next, the South Nine as an afternoon add-on. Day four: drive to Agrigento for the Valley of the Temples (40 minutes from Verdura, genuinely unmissable). Return via Palermo old town. This is the luxury golf break at its most coherent — everything within one property, nothing rushed.
Etna and East, 5 nights: Fly Catania, stay in Taormina (30 minutes from Il Picciolo). Play Etna on days one and three; drive to Donnafugata on day two or four (90 minutes, play Mare, return). Non-golf days go to Taormina itself, Etna crater tour, Syracuse. This is the cultural-golf hybrid for travellers who want more than fairways.
Full island, 8–10 nights: Fly into Catania, play Etna and Donnafugata over three days, then fly or drive to Palermo, three days at Verdura. This works for serious golfers who want the full picture. The two-airport structure avoids doubling back.
What to budget for a Sicily golf trip
Sicily is not as cheap as it was fifteen years ago, but it remains significantly more affordable than the Algarve or Costa del Sol at comparable quality.
Green fees: Verdura runs €130–€200 per round depending on season. Donnafugata and Il Picciolo both run €55–€110. A five-round trip — two at Verdura, two at Donnafugata, one at Etna — costs roughly €500–€750 in green fees at mid-season rates.
Accommodation: Verdura Resort (Rocco Forte five-star) runs €350–€600 per night for a standard room in shoulder season, rising to €700+ in peak. Donnafugata Golf Resort is €150–€300 per night. Around Taormina and Catania, good four-star hotels run €120–€200. A seven-night trip with a mix of Verdura and Taormina accommodation costs roughly €2,500–€4,000 per person all-in including flights from the UK.
Food and transfers: Sicily has extraordinary food at modest prices outside the resorts. Expect to pay €40–€60 per person for a full dinner with wine at a serious restaurant in Taormina or Palermo, and considerably less in smaller towns. Car hire from either airport runs €40–€70 per day.
Sicily beyond golf
The honest reason more golfers should consider Sicily is not the golf — it is what surrounds it. No other golf destination in Europe can offer this particular combination: Greek temples at Agrigento that predate the Roman Empire; the Baroque cities of Noto and Ragusa (both UNESCO-listed and within 40 minutes of Donnafugata); Taormina, one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean; Mount Etna, which you can hike to 2,900 metres by cable car and on-foot guide.
And then there is the food. Sicily's cuisine is the product of three thousand years of Arab, Greek, Norman, and Spanish influence: arancini, pasta alla Norma, fresh swordfish from the Strait of Messina, Nero d'Avola wine from the south-eastern vineyards ten minutes from Donnafugata. Travelling companions who do not golf will have no shortage of things to do.
This is the trip I recommend for golfers whose partners or friends are not golfers — Sicily gives both parties a genuine reason to be there, and the non-golfer is unlikely to feel like an afterthought.