Exploring the Ryder Cup venue: Marco Simone Golf & Country Club with an annual membership of $3,700

The Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is ready to welcome the 2023 Ryder Cup and the more than 250,000 fans who will attend. It is a venue of exceptional beauty that will be the ideal setting for what is expected to be one of the closest editions ever.

The Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is located in the municipality of Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy. Its first surprising detail is that a medieval castle (from the 11th century to be exact) is part of its facilities.

The Marco Simone Golf & Country Club consists of two courses. The championship course is 18 holes, approximately 7,300 yards and par 72. It has hosted four editions of the Italian Open (1994, 2021, 2022, 2023). This is the course were the 2023 Ryder Cup will be played.

The course also has a 9-hole resort course. It has an extension of 2,250 yards and is par 32. It is for the use of club members.

A full membership at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is priced at €3,500 ($3,700) per year. The facility has other offerings for families, junior and college players, international members and more.

In addition to the golf course and castle, the club has other facilities such as a driving range, golf school academy, teaching pro and putting green. Outside of golf, there are facilities for swimming, tennis and billiards, as well as a bar, restaurant and other attractions.

The club also allows you to visit without being a member with plans starting at $427 and these include different options for using the facilities.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: Brief history

The castle gives the course its name. The building dates back to the year 1000 and at that time it was a "manor house", i.e. the seat of the administrative power of the feudal region (manor) in which it was located. Over the years, annexes were added for various purposes.

According to the club's official website, in the second half of the 15th century, the castle was bought by a Roman nobleman named Simone dei Tebaldi. The new owner had a son, Marco di Simone, who eventually took over the property.

After the death of Marco di Simone (or simply Marco Simone), the castle took his name. It passed through several owners until it was completely abandoned after World War II.

But in 1978, the famous Italian fashion designer Laura Biagiotti purchased the property and gave it a second chance. Under her direction, the castle was restored and she and her husband, Gianni Cigna, lived there permanently.

Biagiotti is also responsible for the existence of the golf courses that surround the castle. They were designed and built in 1989, and in 1994, the Championship Course hosted its first tournament (Italian Open).

Cigna passed away in 1996, but Biagiotti continued to reside at the Marco Simone Castle and ran the golf club almost until her death in 2017.