Few feelings compare with that of teeing off in the Sicilian sunshine, the only sounds the waves of the Mediterranean lapping the shore, on a course that’s welcomed the world’s most talented players. Designed by Kyle Phillips, the architect renowned for layouts including Scotland’s Kinsgbarns Golf Links, our two links-style courses at Verdura Resort have hosted two Sicilian Opens and won a range of awards including Golf Digest Magazine’s coveted ‘2020 Editors’ Choice Award for the Best Resorts in Continental Europe’ for five consecutive years. And the recent addition of our high-tech Golf Performance Institute, featuring tools including Trackman, 4D Motion and SAM Puttlab has only enhanced our offering for players of all skill levels.
Yet late 2018 saw a flash flood damage several of the championship layout’s holes - those closest to the shore - as the shape of the coastline changed. This not only presented us with challenges, but with an exciting opportunity. We called upon Kyle Phillips to not only renovate but enhance the 36-hole layout he originally designed, to offer players a familiar yet tantalisingly new experience. ‘The intertwined nature of the layout of the resort’s holes required that the layout of the course remained intact, but there were significant adjustments to the specific design of each hole,” Phillips explains. “Players returning to Verdura will most likely notice the changes that have occurred along the coastline and how we’ve incorporated them, all of which will add to the drama, and pleasure, of the course.” Design, construction, and reseeding of the fairways, greens, tees and rough is completed, with the new-look layout set to open in summer 2021. As Phillips explains “Players will appreciate playing what is, effectively, a new course, with new surfaces on the greens, freshened bunkers and new turf in the fairways and roughs.”
Sir Rocco Forte, Founder and Chairman of Rocco Forte Hotels and a frequent player on both courses, has said of the developments: “I am tremendously excited by the new course and layout, which will enhance both the playing experience and magnificent views over the spectacular Sicilian coastline.” To be amongst the first to experience the latest designs by Kyle Phillips, now is the time to book your stay at Verdura Resort. Browse our range of golfing breaks – which can include unlimited golf, complimentary club and buggy hire, spa treatments and more – to join us in welcoming in a new era for golf in Sicily.
Alternatively, contact our reservations team with your preferences and allow us to recommend a package to suit you. Email reservations.verdura@roccofortehotels.com
Paris is always a good idea. Except, perhaps, when it’s hosting the Olympic Summer Games, and the usual tourist throng looks set to multiply almost prohibitively. Of course, the Games are exciting, but if wading through crowds feels like a marathon effort, try a cultural relay around one of these stunning European cities instead.
As the gentle glow of each ornate chandelier begins to dim, a hush descends upon the audience before an all-consuming world of tragedy and triumph unfolds. Both exhilarating and deeply moving, a night at the opera has the distinct power to evoke emotion, while offering a unique insight into a perhaps unfamiliar city.
Journey through Europe’s symphony of unmissable opera houses, each steeped in history and grandeur.
They say the lobby is the beating heart of any hotel; where first impressions linger, inspiring journeys begin and end, and friends and lovers reunite. Upon entering Hotel de Rome, an immediate sense of calm is restored, as light pours in from the glass atrium and plants and palms breathe new life into the space. Olga Polizzi, Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels, shares her inspiration behind the hotel lobby’s new look.
