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
The festive season brings its own kind of sparkle - a flurry of celebrations, feasts, and time with those who matter most. To make gifting simple, we’ve curated a selection of bespoke experiences to delight everyone on your list. From candlelit dinners and Italian wine tastings to tranquil spa escapes and moments devoted to yourself, each experience thoughtfully crafted to offer moments of joy.
In a time when beauty shaped every facet of life — from the curve of a staircase to the vivid bloom of a painted iris — Italy’s Stile Liberty captured the optimism of a new century. Across Europe in the late 19th century, the Belle Époque blurred the line between art and the everyday, celebrating craftsmanship, elegance, and expressive freedom. Now, a new cultural itinerary, From Mucha to Florio, traces that movement between Hotel de la Ville in Rome and Villa Igiea in Palermo, two different cities, two glorious expressions of the same artistic impulse.
Preparations were in full swing at the North Pole - ribbons tied, sleigh bells polished, and lists checked twice - yet Father Christmas kindly agreed to pause his busy schedule for an interview. We met him at SCOTCH at The Balmoral, just as the famous clocktower struck 12:03 - it stands watch over Waverley Station, running three minutes fast, so no one ever misses a train. Settled into a deep armchair with a favourite dram in hand, he shared his most treasured places to pause, indulge and unwind across Europe every festive season.
