The family crest of the Medici was half a dozen balls, so perhaps the rulers of Renaissance Florence would approve of the conversion of this country estate to the north of the city into an excellent self contained resort. It makes the ideal base for a touring golf holiday or a short break devoted to a mixture of sport, culture and relaxation. Electric buggies purr down cypress avenues against a typically Tuscan backdrop of hill villages and undulating rusticity, its peace broken only by the whine of angry golfers and (less frequently) a nearby Ferrari test track. The course is all one could hope for: challenging, inviting, well maintained, spacious, varied, visually delightful and a test for all aspects of the game. Poggio means hill and there are some significant changes of level between holes. All but the fittest will be grateful for a buggy, to take the slog out of the slopes.

Par 73 6338m
From €60 (or free if staying at Poggio dei Medici Resort and Country Club)