Golf in South Tyrol and the Dolomites: Alpine Courses and Golf Hotels (2026)

Golf in South Tyrol and the Dolomites is a different game from the lakes and the coast. The valley courses around Merano and Bolzano open in February or March and run into late autumn, while the high plateaus above 1,200 metres have a short, cool summer season framed by spruce forest and pale limestone peaks. Large spa hotels are rarely more than half an hour from the first tee, which helps with a partner who does not play.

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Still choosing a region? Our hub on the best golf resorts in Italy compares the Alps with Sicily, Tuscany and the lakes.

The courses: South Tyrol and the Dolomites, one by one

Facts below come from golf directories and the official regional tourism boards. We could not confirm 2026 green fees on the clubs’ own pages, so check with the club for rates.

Golf Club Passeier.Meran (St. Leonhard in Passeier)

South Tyrol’s main 18-hole valley course sits at around 600 metres in the Passeier Valley, north of Merano. It opened in 1996 to a design by Wilfried Moroder and plays as 18 holes, par 71, at 5,791 metres from the white tees and 4,812 metres from the red. The terraced layout brings in water, doglegs and some blind shots, so position beats length. Directories single out the 9th as the signature hole.

• Season: March to November; closed in winter.
• Visitors: welcome every day with advance booking; a valid handicap certificate from your home club is required, limit 54.
• Buggies: electric carts, e-trolleys and hire clubs are available.
• Closing day: none published. Weekend and members’ day restrictions: check with the club.
• Getting there: roughly 30 minutes’ drive north of Merano.

Golf Club Lana, Gutshof Brandis (Lana)

Just south of Merano, Lana offers nine flat holes between orchards beneath the walls of the Brandis castle ruin, designed by the British architect Michael Pinner in 1998. The nine measure 2,793 metres (2,436 metres from the forward tees), with three par 3s, four par 4s and two par 5s for a par 35 per loop, and water comes into play.

• Season: open daily from February to December.
• Visitors and handicap: golf directories list a valid home club handicap certificate, limit 54; confirm with the club.
• Buggies: golf carts, trolleys and hire clubs are available.
• Getting there: about 15 minutes from Merano.

Golf Club Eppan, “The Blue Monster” (Eppan)

The newest course here opened in 2015 or 2016 (our research turned up contradictory information on the year) on the Wine Road west of Bolzano, a nine-hole layout by Thomas C. Himmel set among apple orchards on flat ground with water hazards. The Weinstrasse tourism board says its many tee options make it playable for beginners as well as experienced players. Par and lengths: check with the club. A separate practice area with four holes lies near Freudenstein Castle.

• Season: February to mid-November, open daily.
• Visitors and handicap: not published; check with the club.
• Buggies: e-carts and trolleys for hire.
• Getting there: roughly 20 minutes from Bolzano and 35 minutes from Merano.

Golf Club Petersberg (Nova Ponente)

Up on a sunny terrace at about 1,250 metres above the Eggental, Petersberg is the classic South Tyrol mountain course: 18 holes, par 71, by Marco Croze, at 5,371 metres from the yellow tees and 4,754 metres from the red. Tree-lined doglegs and small, sloping greens reward accuracy over power. Our research turned up contradictory information on the opening year: one directory gives 1988 and, on the same page, spring 1989. It was not clear to us which applies.

• Season: mid-April to early November.
• Visitors: welcome every day, including tournament days, with registration. Handicap rules: check with the club.
• Buggies: electric carts, e-trolleys and caddies on request.
• Closing day: none published.
• Getting there: about 30 minutes from Bolzano.

Dolomiti Golf Club (Sarnonico, Val di Non)

Over the Gampen pass in Trentino, the Dolomiti Golf Club fills a wide plateau in the upper Val di Non. It is the longest course in this guide: 18 holes, par 73, from 6,371 metres at the back to 5,000 metres from the forward tees. Luca Borzaga and Michel Niedbala redesigned it in 2004. Sources differ on the original opening, with one directory giving 1991 and the Trentino tourism board the late 1980s. The front nine runs through forest, the back nine opens up, and holes 12 to 16 each frame a village or the Brenta peaks.

• Season: 25 March to 29 November 2026, open daily.
• Visitors: advance booking essential; a valid handicap certificate is required, limit 54.
• Buggies: golf cars, some with GPS, and e-trolleys.
• Getting there: roughly 45 minutes from Merano or Lana via the Gampen pass.

Golf Club Folgaria (Alpe Cimbra)

South of Trento, on the Folgaria plateau at around 1,200 metres, this 18-hole, par 72 course (four par 5s, ten par 4s, four par 3s) measures 5,457 metres from the white tees and 4,774 metres from the red. Directories credit Marco Croze with the design and 1988 as the opening year. Fairways roll through spruce forest, and the clubhouse sits in Maso Spilzi, an 18th-century farmhouse.

• Season: May to the end of October.
• Handicap: a valid certificate is required on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; weekday rules, check with the club.
• Buggies: electric carts and e-trolleys.
• Getting there: about 40 minutes from Trento and an hour from the north shore of Lake Garda.

Golf Club Campo Carlo Magno (Madonna di Campiglio)

At about 1,650 metres, this is a course the Trentino tourism board calls one of the highest in Europe, in play since 1921 and affiliated to the Italian federation since 1923. Sources link the layout to Henry Cotton. It has nine holes with separate tees for a second loop, par 70 for 18, at 5,469 metres from the yellow tees and 5,045 metres from the red.

• Season: short. Our research turned up contradictory information: one directory lists July to September, while its own green fee table runs from mid-June to mid-September. Check with the club before planning around it.
• Visitors: welcome daily; a valid home club handicap certificate is required.
• Buggies: carts and trolleys; caddies on request.
• Getting there: about one hour 15 minutes from Trento.

Also worth knowing: Golf Club Carezza, on the Karerpass at about 1,680 metres, is a hilly nine-hole course facing the Latemar and Rosengarten, with golfing roots that local sources trace to 1905. Its season dates conflict across sources (May to September, or late May to mid-October), so check with the club.

Comparison table: alpine golf at a glance

How to plan a golf trip to South Tyrol and the Dolomites

Best months and weather. The valley courses (Lana, Eppan, Passeier) enjoy the mild climate Merano is known for, so April, May, September and October are ideal, with cool mornings and warm afternoons. In high summer, move up to Petersberg, Folgaria, Carezza or Madonna di Campiglio, and book early tee times to dodge afternoon thunderstorms.

Getting there with clubs. Bolzano has a small airport, but most golfers fly into Verona, Innsbruck or Munich and drive the Brenner motorway. Verona to Merano is roughly two and a half hours. Our Italy travel planner covers car hire and transfers.

Booking tee times. Advance booking is essential at Passeier, Dolomiti and Folgaria, and sensible everywhere in July, August and the September harvest weeks. Partner hotels often get reduced green fees, so ask yours to book. Carry a handicap certificate everywhere.

Dress code. Standard golf attire: collared shirts, tailored shorts or trousers, and soft spikes, which several clubs require. Pack a warm layer for the high courses.

Wine and lake days. Eppan and Lana sit among vineyards, so a morning round and an afternoon cellar visit is easy. From Folgaria, the north shore of Lake Garda is about an hour away: our guide to golf on Lake Garda and our Lake Garda guide to boats, wine and spas cover the southern leg, and our hub of vineyard hotels in Italy helps if wine is the priority.

Where to stay: golf and spa hotels near the courses

All five hotels are in the Merano and Bolzano area; drive times are approximate.

Andreus Resorts (St. Leonhard in Passeier)

The five-star Andreus sits directly on the Passeier.Meran course, which makes it the closest thing in the region to a golf resort. Expect a large spa, a natural bathing lake, clay tennis courts and a kids’ club; the separate Golf Lodge is adults-only. Sources differ on the spa’s size, and partner green fees are not published: ask the hotel.

Best for: golfers who want to walk to the first tee.

Check rates at Andreus Resorts

Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier (St. Martin in Passeier)

About five minutes’ drive from the Passeier.Meran course, the Quellenhof has its own four-hole course, a 20-bay driving range (ten covered) and chipping and putting greens, plus reduced green fees at the 18-hole club. There is a 10,500 m² spa with adults-only zones, clay tennis courts and a Michelin-starred restaurant. The resort closes for part of the winter. Our Quellenhof Passeier review covers the rooms in detail.

Best for: families and golfers who want practice facilities at the door.

Check rates at Quellenhof Luxury Resort Passeier

Alpiana Dolce Vita Mountain Resort & Spa (Lana)

Alpiana sits in Völlan on the slope above Lana, roughly 15 minutes’ drive from the Lana course and about 35 minutes from Passeier. The four-star superior resort has a spa of around 2,500 m² across three levels with five pools, including an adults-only rooftop pool, and a tennis court on its grounds. Golf partnerships: ask the hotel.

Best for: spa-first couples mixing short rounds at Lana with downtime.

Check rates at Alpiana

Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Resort (Naturns)

West of Merano at the mouth of the Val Venosta, Preidlhof is adults-only (16 and over) with a spa of more than 5,000 m², a six-floor sauna tower, rooftop pools and its own small vineyard. Lana is roughly 25 minutes away and Passeier about 40. See our Preidlhof review.

Best for: couples who want wine and serious wellness between rounds.

Check rates at Preidlhof

Lake Spa Hotel SEELEITEN (Caldaro)

Above Lake Caldaro on the Wine Road, this five-star hotel with one Michelin Key is roughly 20 minutes from the Eppan course and about 45 minutes from Petersberg. It has a 3,600 m² spa with an adults-only area, private lake beaches, and clay courts plus a tennis hall. The hotel lists opening from 4 February 2026 to 10 January 2027.

Best for: golfers who want vineyards and a lake as much as fairways.

Check rates at Lake Spa Hotel SEELEITEN

Several also appear in our guides to tennis hotels in South Tyrol and tennis hotels in the Dolomites and Trentino.

For wine lovers: see our South Tyrol Wine Road guide for estates that take visitors, booking rules and where to stay.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the golf season in South Tyrol?

The valley courses open earliest: Lana from February to December, Eppan from February to mid-November and Passeier from March to November. High courses run shorter, down to a summer-only window at Madonna di Campiglio.

Do you need a handicap certificate?

Plan on it. Passeier and Dolomiti require a valid certificate with a limit of 54, Campo Carlo Magno requires one, and Folgaria requires one at weekends and on holidays. For the others, check with the club.

Which course suits a beginner or a non-golfing partner trying golf?

Lana is the gentlest choice: nine flat holes, a range and a golf school. The Quellenhof’s four-hole course is another low-pressure start for hotel guests.

Can I combine golf in the Dolomites with Lake Garda?

Yes. Folgaria is about an hour from the north shore of Lake Garda, so a week can split between the plateau and the lake. Our golf hotels on Lake Garda guide covers the lakeside half.