No hotel on Lake Como has a championship course on its doorstep. What the lake does have is a cluster of old, characterful clubs within half an hour of the shore, and a handful of grand hotels that make excellent bases for them. The trick is choosing the right shore: a room in Bellagio can mean a car ferry before every tee time, while an address near Como puts four courses within 30 minutes. This guide is about the hotels: where to sleep, how long you will drive, and which properties offer anything useful to golfers.
This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Quick answer: the best Lake Como hotels for golfers
- Best overall golf base: Villa d’Este, Cernobbio, the only hotel with its own historic club and bookable golf experiences.
- Best for Menaggio & Cadenabbia: Grand Hotel Victoria, Menaggio, with the course roughly 10 minutes uphill.
- Best grand hotel on the west shore: Grand Hotel Tremezzo, an easy drive to Menaggio and a realistic run to Lugano.
- Best for non-golfing partners: Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni or Mandarin Oriental, with golf as a day trip rather than the focus.
If you are still deciding which courses to play, start with our guide to golf courses on Lake Como. For golf hotels elsewhere in the country, our hub on the best golf resorts and golf hotels in Italy covers Sicily, Tuscany and Lake Garda.
Check prices and availability
Golf season and lake season overlap, so May, June and September rooms go early. Cernobbio is the most practical base for the southern courses.
Geography first: two golf zones, one lake
Think of two zones. The south, around Como, holds most courses: Villa d’Este in Montorfano, Monticello, La Pinetina and Carimate, all roughly 15 to 35 minutes from Cernobbio, Moltrasio, Blevio or Torno. The north-west has Menaggio & Cadenabbia in the hills above Menaggio, with Golf Club Lugano across the Swiss border in under an hour. From Varenna on the east shore, Golf Club Lecco is the natural choice.
Bellagio, in the middle, is the least convenient for golf: every course involves a car ferry or a long, winding drive. Lake roads are narrow and slow in summer, so treat the drive times below as estimates in normal traffic.
Lake Como golf hotels at a glance
| Hotel | Town | Nearest courses (approx. drive) | Golf perks | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villa d’Este | Cernobbio | Villa d’Este GC 25 min, Monticello 25 min, La Pinetina 30 min, Carimate 30 min | Owns the club; golf packages and golf experiences for guests | Serious golfers wanting a classic resort |
| Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como | Blevio | Villa d’Este GC 25 min, Monticello 30 min | Ask the hotel | Spa lovers who play a few rounds |
| Il Sereno | Torno | Villa d’Este GC 25 min, Monticello 35 min | Ask the hotel | Design-led couples |
| Grand Hotel Tremezzo | Tremezzina | Menaggio & Cadenabbia 15 to 20 min, Lugano 50 min | Concierge arranges Menaggio golf; details on request | West-shore golf plus a big pool scene |
| Grand Hotel Victoria | Menaggio | Menaggio & Cadenabbia 10 min, Lugano 45 min | Ask whether it is a partner hotel for reduced green fees | Shortest drive to Menaggio |
| Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni | Bellagio | Menaggio & Cadenabbia via car ferry 35 to 45 min, Lecco 45 min | Ask the hotel | Mixed groups, golf as a side trip |
| Hotel Royal Victoria | Varenna | Lecco (Annone di Brianza) 40 min, Menaggio via car ferry 35 min | Ask the hotel | East-shore base, rail access |
Drive times are approximate and assume normal traffic. Summer weekends on the lake roads can add 15 minutes or more.
The best Lake Como hotels for golfers
Villa d’Este, Cernobbio
No other hotel on the lake comes close for golf. Villa d’Este has regained majority ownership of the Circolo Golf Villa d’Este, founded in 1926 and laid out by Peter Gannon in wooded hills by the small Lake Montorfano, about 12 km from the hotel. It is a tight, tree-lined par 69 of around 5,760 metres that has hosted the Italian Open more often than any other club. It celebrates its centenary in 2026, has been under renovation, and has a new restaurant, La Terrazza al Golf, above the 18th. The club opens March to December, closed Tuesdays.
Guests can book golf experiences through Guest Relations: a morning nine with lunch, a sunset nine with an aperitif, a round with a PGA Italia professional, and lessons for children aged 5 to 14. Stay-and-play packages are offered too. A guaranteed tee time service and caddies are listed, but no free shuttle: transfers are charged, so ask the hotel for rates. Off the course: the floating pool, tennis courts, private boat trips and a beauty centre. In 2026 the hotel stays open until 7 January 2027. See our full Villa d’Este review.
Best for: golfers who want the most golf-focused stay on the lake and a historic club run by the same house.
A note on Grand Hotel Imperiale, Moltrasio: the hotel closed after the 2024 season and is being rebuilt as Raffles Lake Como, with opening expected in 2027. Until then, Villa d’Este and the Mandarin Oriental are the closest luxury bases for the southern courses.
Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como, Blevio
On the eastern bank a short drive from Como city, the Mandarin Oriental is about as close to Villa d’Este Golf Club as Cernobbio, since both routes run through Como. Its strength is the spa, billed as the largest on the lake, with sauna, steam bath, ice pool and saline bath, plus an infinity floating pool by Herzog & de Meuron. After a hilly round, that matters.
Read our full review: Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como review
No golf packages or privileges are advertised: ask the hotel about tee times and transfers. It is seasonal and closes over winter.
Best for: couples where one plays golf and the other wants serious spa time.
Check rates at Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Il Sereno, Torno
Patricia Urquiola’s all-suite hotel sits on the water in Torno, around 25 minutes from Villa d’Este Golf Club. Every suite faces the lake, and there is a freshwater infinity pool, a Michelin-starred restaurant and a Valmont spa. Riva-built boats, including self-drive Jetto boats, fill the non-golf days.
Read our full review: Il Sereno Lago di Como review
Golf is not among the published activities, so ask the hotel about tee times and club storage. Il Sereno is seasonal and closes in winter.
Best for: design lovers who want two or three rounds in a week rather than daily golf.
West shore and mid-lake: golf with the grand hotels
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Tremezzina
Opened in 1910, Tremezzo is the obvious west-shore choice for a classic grand hotel with a course in easy reach. It names Menaggio & Cadenabbia as its nearest club, around 15 to 20 minutes away, and the concierge handles details on request. Golf Club Lugano is a realistic day out at roughly 50 minutes.
Read our full review: Grand Hotel Tremezzo review
There are three pools, including one floating on the lake and an indoor infinity pool in the T Spa. The 2026 season opened on 19 March and the hotel closes over winter. Golfer privileges are not published: ask the hotel.
Best for: travellers who want a full grand hotel experience and two or three rounds at Menaggio.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa, Menaggio
For Menaggio & Cadenabbia, a par 70 founded in 1907, this is the shortest commute of any luxury hotel: about 3 km, roughly 10 minutes by car. The hotel sits on Menaggio’s promenade, with a 1,200 square metre spa, a heated indoor pool and a seasonal outdoor pool. Bellagio and Varenna are about 10 to 15 minutes by boat.
Read our full review: Grand Hotel Victoria Menaggio review
The club gives reduced green fees to guests of partner hotels but does not publish the list: ask the hotel whether it qualifies and about club storage. The club opens March to November.
Best for: golfers who want to play Menaggio several times and walk to dinner in town.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Victoria
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Bellagio
Villa Serbelloni has joined Relais & Châteaux and refreshed its pool, beach club, terraces and Mistral restaurant. For golfers, Bellagio is a compromise: Menaggio means the car ferry and a short climb, around 35 to 45 minutes depending on the boats. Lecco’s course is about 45 minutes by road, the southern clubs nearer an hour.
The hotel publishes no golf package, so ask the hotel about tee times and transfers. It is seasonal and closes in winter. Our Villa Serbelloni review covers the rest.
Best for: mixed groups where golf is one activity among many.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni
Hotel Royal Victoria, Varenna
On the piazza in Varenna, a short walk from the station, the Royal Victoria is the east-shore option. Golf Club Lecco at Annone di Brianza, 18 holes opened in 1996, is around 40 minutes south, and Menaggio is a car ferry away. There is a seasonal outdoor pool (sources disagree on the months, so ask the hotel), a private Spa Suite for two rather than a full spa, and three places to eat: Visteria, Victoria Grill and the daytime Giardino.
Read our full review: Hotel Royal Victoria Varenna review
No golf partnerships are published. Ask the hotel about tee time help and club storage.
Best for: golfers arriving by train who want a quieter, village base.
Check rates at Hotel Royal Victoria
Check prices and availability
Planning to focus on Menaggio & Cadenabbia? The west shore has the best mix of course access, lakefront hotels and boat connections.
How to split a golf week on Lake Como
For a full golf week, stay in two places. Moving once costs half a day but saves hours on the lake roads.
- Nights 1 to 4, Cernobbio or Moltrasio: Villa d’Este on day one, then Monticello, La Pinetina and Carimate on separate mornings. Afternoons are for the lake.
- Day 5, transfer: drive up the west shore, stopping at Villa Carlotta or Villa del Balbianello.
- Nights 5 to 7, Menaggio or Tremezzina: play Menaggio & Cadenabbia twice, once early and once in late light, plus Golf Club Lugano as a cross-border day.
Prefer one base? Choose Cernobbio: four courses within about 30 minutes, Menaggio within roughly an hour. On rest days, pick up a racket: our guide to the best tennis courts on Lake Como shows which hotels have courts. For a day on the water, compare private and shared Lake Como boat tours, and our Lake Como ultimate guide covers villas and the best ferry routes.
Charlotte’s tip: hire the car, skip the transfers
For golf, a small hire car beats a hotel boat. Transfers are charged per trip and add up fast over five rounds. Ask the hotel to hold your clubs overnight rather than leaving them in a hot boot, and book morning tee times. You will be back on the terrace by lunch, just as the roads clog up.
Best season for golf on Lake Como
The clubs open roughly March to November (Villa d’Este GC until December), but the hotels set the real window, since most close over winter. The sweet spots:
- Late April to mid-June: fresh, green courses, mild temperatures and gardens in bloom. The best all-round choice.
- September to mid-October: warm days, softer light, quieter roads after the summer peak. Excellent for golf.
- July and August: playable, but hot and busy. Book first tee times and expect heavier traffic.
- March and November: quiet, but many hotels are closed and days can be wet.
For more on areas, see where to stay on Lake Como.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a hotel on Lake Como with its own golf course?
Not on site. Villa d’Este is the only hotel that owns a golf club, the Circolo Golf Villa d’Este in Montorfano, about 12 km from the hotel. Guests can book packages and golf experiences through the hotel.
Which town is the best base for golf on Lake Como?
Cernobbio, because Villa d’Este, Monticello, La Pinetina and Carimate are all within roughly 30 minutes. Menaggio is the best choice if you mainly want to play Menaggio & Cadenabbia.
Do Lake Como hotels offer free golf shuttles?
We found no hotel advertising a free golf shuttle. Transfers are generally charged. Ask the hotel for current prices, or hire a car.
Can I play in Switzerland from Lake Como?
Yes. Golf Club Lugano is roughly 45 to 50 minutes from Menaggio or Tremezzo. Bring ID, check your car hire covers Switzerland, and note that a vignette is needed for Swiss motorways.
