Few golf destinations come with a backdrop quite like Sicily's: a brooding volcano on one shore, the Mediterranean glittering on the other, and a culture layered by Greeks, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards over three thousand years. The golf is modern and considered, the surroundings ancient and theatrical. You can tee off in the shadow of Mount Etna in the morning and dine on swordfish caught that day by the evening.
This is an island for travellers who want their golf wrapped in something bigger — landscape, history, and a table worth lingering at. We pair two distinctive courses with stays that suit the pace you want to keep.
We have arranged Sicily golf since 1981. Every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.
Why play golf in Sicily
Two contrasting characters on one island: the dramatic volcanic setting of Il Picciolo Etna Golf Club and the polished coastal links-and-parkland of Verdura Golf.
A genuine year-round-friendly climate on the shoulder seasons, when fairways are green and the light is at its best.
Golf that sits inside a far larger experience — Etna, Baroque towns, Greek temples and Sicilian cooking are all part of the trip.
Resort-quality stays with spa, dining and downtime built in, so non-golfers travel happily alongside.
Hand-picked itineraries: we know these venues and the relationships behind them, and we build the trip around the courses you most want to play.
The courses you’ll play
Sicily's golf is small in number but big in character, and we focus on the two that matter.
Il Picciolo Etna Golf Club sits on the volcano's northern slopes, an undulating course threaded through vineyards and Mediterranean scrub with Etna looming above and the sea in the distance. The volcanic soil and changing elevation give it a personality you won't find elsewhere — testing, scenic, and unmistakably Sicilian.
Verdura Golf on the south-west coast is the island's resort showpiece, with championship holes running alongside the Mediterranean. It rewards thoughtful play and offers some of the most photographed seaside golf in Italy. Together, the two make a compelling pairing across one island.
Where you’ll stay
For Etna-side golf, the Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton places you on the doorstep of Il Picciolo, with spa facilities and easy reach of Taormina and the volcano — an ideal base for combining golf with the island's eastern highlights.
On the south-west coast, Verdura Golf & Spa Resort is a destination in itself: an expansive seafront estate with its own golf, generous spa and several dining options, designed for unhurried days between rounds. We match the stay to your route — one base or a two-centre split across the island — and build everything around your dates and group.
Best time to play golf in Sicily
Sicily plays best in spring and autumn, when temperatures are comfortable for golf and the island is at its most colourful — almond blossom early in the year, warm settled days in September and October. Summer is hot and lively, fine for early-morning or late rounds and combining golf with the coast, though midday heat is real.
Winter is mild but cooler and much quieter; this is not a winter-sun destination in the way the Canaries or Morocco are, but it can suit travellers who want low-season calm. For the ideal balance of weather, condition and atmosphere, we'd point you at April–May or September–October.
A sense of Sicily
History & heritage
Sicily wears its history openly. The Greeks left temples at Agrigento and the great theatre of Taormina; the Romans, Arabs and Normans each added their own layer, visible in the mosaics of Monreale and the markets of Palermo. Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, dominates the east and shapes everything from the soil to the local imagination.
The island feels distinct from mainland Italy — prouder, older, more elemental. A round at Il Picciolo with Etna at your shoulder, or a day among the Baroque towns of the south-east, makes the golf part of a far richer story.
Food & wine
Sicilian cooking is among Italy's most characterful — sun-drenched, generous and shaped by every culture that has passed through. Expect just-landed swordfish and tuna, pasta alla Norma with aubergine and ricotta salata, arancini, and the famed sweets: cannoli, cassata and granita with a warm brioche.
The volcanic slopes around Etna produce some of Italy's most exciting wines, the reds built on the native Nerello Mascalese, alongside crisp coastal whites. We can weave in a vineyard visit or a memorable dinner so the table is as much a part of the trip as the golf.
Beyond the fairways
There's a great deal to fill the non-golf days. Taormina offers its cliff-top Greek theatre and elegant streets above the sea; Mount Etna can be explored on foot, by cable car or by 4x4 to the higher craters. To the south-west, near Verdura, lie Agrigento's Valley of the Temples and quiet beaches.
Add the Baroque towns of the south-east, lively Palermo, and the simple pleasure of a long Sicilian lunch, and you have a destination that keeps everyone happy. We tailor the balance of golf and exploring to your group.
Getting around & exploring
A hire car is the most rewarding way to experience Sicily — the island is large, the courses sit on opposite coasts, and the drives themselves are part of the appeal, winding past vineyards, hill towns and coastline. Etna-side, Il Picciolo and Taormina are within comfortable reach; Verdura sits on the quieter south-west coast, around two hours from Palermo.
If you'd rather not drive, we can arrange private transfers between airports, courses and resorts. For a two-centre trip across the island, we'll plan the logistics so the journeys feel like part of the holiday rather than a chore.
Getting there
Sicily is well served from the UK and Europe. Catania (CTA) is the gateway for the east and Etna, handy for Il Picciolo and the Picciolo Etna Golf Resort. Palermo (PMO) is the better choice for the south-west coast and Verdura.
Flights are a separate, ATOL-protected add-on we can arrange alongside your golf — they are never bundled in unannounced, so you always see exactly what you're paying for. Tell us your preferred departure airport and dates, and we'll build the flights, transfers and golf into one seamless, ground-arranged itinerary.
Good to know
Sicily is a tailor-made, ground-only destination with us: golf, stays and transfers arranged in full; flights are a separate ATOL-protected add-on, never included by default.
Plan for spring or autumn for the best mix of weather and course condition; summer is hot, winter cooler and quieter.
The two courses — Il Picciolo (east, on Etna) and Verdura (south-west coast) — sit far apart, so a hire car or private transfers make the trip flow.
Resort stays at Picciolo Etna Golf Resort & Spa, Curio Collection by Hilton and Verdura Golf & Spa Resort suit golfers and non-golfers alike, with spa and dining on site.
We are not an ABTA member; our trade credentials are ATOL (flights only), PTS and IATA.
We've arranged Sicilian golf since 1981 — every itinerary is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.
Golf holidays in Sicily — answers to the questions our golfers ask most.
How do I get to Italy?
There are several regional airports, easily accessible from the UK, or you can enjoy a leisurely drive through France before settling in Northern Italy around Venice, Milan or The Lakes, to play great golf and enjoy Italian hospitality.
Is it easy to get around in Italy?
Hire a car or ask us to arrange private transfers. If you are staying at one of the excellent play and stay resorts, taxis may suit you best.
How do we know which area of Italy will suit us?
Give us a call and we'll discuss what holiday works for you.
Are the golf courses in Italy busy?
Italy is still off the beaten track as a golf holiday destination so there is good availability, and prices, at excellent golf courses.
Are flights included?
Our golf holidays are arranged ground-only — hotel, golf and transfers. You can add flights through us, and those flights are ATOL protected as part of your booking.
How do golf holidays with Golf Planet Holidays work?
Every trip is tailor-made. Tell us your group, dates and the destinations you fancy, and we build a personal itinerary — hotel, golf and transfers — around them. There are no fixed packages to squeeze into; we shape the whole break to suit how your group likes to play.
