The Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa is a golfing holidaymaker's dream with two championship-standard courses, a golf academy and very refined five-star accommodation.
The Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa is a golfing holidaymaker's dream with two championship-standard courses, a golf academy and very refined five-star accommodation.
Although barely developed as a golfing destination, the courses at Donnafugata prove that Sicily has all the potential to become one of the most attractive spots in Europe for lovers of the Auld Game.
Natural beauty, excellent weather, memorable vistas and great food mean Sicily actually has few equals in the Mediterranean region, and Donnafugata exploits all these qualities to the full, easily standing comparison with the growing number of excellent courses on the island, including the stand-out layouts at Il Picchio and Le Madonie.
The Links course at the 36-hole resort was designed by Italian architect Franco Piras, while the other is a Gary Player project. Both courses are close to the Mediterranean Sea and the historic Donnafugata Castle. The terrain of both the South and North courses is gently undulating, but the two courses are very different from each other in character. Player's South course is parkland in style with carob and olive trees that are common in this part of Sicily, as well as old handmade dry stone walls. The Links course, meanwhile, has very few trees and enjoys several panoramic views towards the sea.
If you need to improve your scores, there's a superb golf academy with up-to-date teaching facilities as well as plenty of space to practice your driving, putting and pitching.
The Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa is situated on the sprawling Donnafugata Manor, close to Ragusa, Sicily, and under an hour from Sicily's main international airport. This discreet resort's elegant, low level buildings blend seamlessly into the Mediterranean landscape and are a model of historic preservation, with original details remaining intact through recent renovations and upgrades.
Set amid pristine beaches and historic conservation areas, the resort offers superb opportunities for sightseeing trips. Many of the neighbouring towns such as Ragusa, Modica, Ibla, Noto and Scicli are part of the UNESCO world heritage programme and remain beautifully preserved in the Sicilian Baroque style.
Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa, as you might expect of a five-star facility, has just about every amenity you could wish for, with three restaurants, two bars, state-of-the-art fitness centre, swimming pool, hydro massage, Turkish bath and a full menu of spa treatments.
The spacious rooms are comprehensively equipped, and even standard rooms kitted out with wireless internet access, satellite TV, a personal safe, minibar and a personal refreshment centre.
Dining-wise, Il Carrubo restaurant is a real highlight with floor-to-ceiling windows provide stunning views of the surrounding golf course and gardens and a menu that blends tradition and innovation, using classic Sicilian dishes with locally sourced ingredients as the basis for its culinary creations.
With a signature course designed by Gary Player and an 18-hole championship course by Franco Piras right on the doorstep, it's hard to imagine finding a better location for a golfing break in the Mediterranean region.