Golf in Italy and The World Expo

NOTE: "I love everything about Italy--the history, great food, friendly people and, yes, its golf courses. Below is a guest post by my good friend Bjorn Jingberger, president of Golf Holiday Italy, a golf travel professional who partners with Italy's best golf clubs and resorts to offer fantastic golf packages. Bjorn is highlighting some of his top golf packages in conjunction with the World Expo in Milan, Italy. Enjoy the post and click to his free e-brochure to check out some great packages. Ciao!"--The Golf Travel Guru.

The World Expo in Milan, Italy is running between May and October 2015. It’s a fantastic opportunity to book a golf break, play a few rounds on selected top golf courses, enjoy world-class food and wine and visit Milan and the Expo, which has many things to do, enjoy and experience. Download this free e-brochure for great ideas and inspiration for your next golf break in Italy and read on for more details.

From May to October,Milan, organizer and host of the 2015 Universal Exhibition, becomes a global showcase where 140 countries and some leading international organizations will showcase the best of their technologies. The spectacular showoffers a concrete answer to a vital need: guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for everyone, while respecting the planet and its equilibrium.

On its 1m square meter exhibition area, Expo 2015 will tell everyone out about the world’s best dishes with tasting opportunities, while displaying the best of the agri-food and gastronomic traditions of each of the exhibitor countries.

Outside the exhibition area, located in Rho, a few miles west of centreMilan, the entire city will play an active role with thousands of cultural and recreational eventsorganized throughout the city, such as the largest exhibition so far of Leonardo da Vinci with works of the Renaissance icon borrowed from Italian and international museums.

For more excitement, visit the magnificent gothic Duomo Cathedral, or purchase opera tickets for an event at the famous La Scala theater, or attend one of the more than 140 spectacles during the six-month expo. If you’re a shopping enthusiast, Milan, as a global fashion capital, is near paradise. From the best in value-for-money dining and phenomenal fashions, you’ll find it in the magnificent city of Milan. Football fans will get their treat as well, as both AC Milan and Inter play at home in the city.

To enjoy the Milan good life, don’t forget to stop by Caffé Camparino, just next to the Duomo, for an aperitif. The bar opened in 1915 by Gaspare Campari, the inventor of…well you know what!

 Golf

Why not combine a visit to the Expo with a few days of golf? Northern Italy is home to around 80% of the country’s golf clubs. Discover excellent golf packages, specifically designed to satisfy most interests and tastes, which are available in a free e-brochure you can access here GREAT GOLF PACKAGES IN ITALY

For those who prefer to remain in and enjoy the Milan area there are a couple of golf breaks very close to the centre of the city. Or, in less than an hours drive north you can reach both Lake Como and Lake Maggiore with its breathtaking views and picturesque villages.

Heading east, consider a golf weekend in Franciacorta, the wine region, famous for its white sparkling wine, as well as at the beautiful Lake Garda where a few rounds of golf can be combined with a visit to an Amarone producing vineyard. Alternatively, continuing further east, north of Venice, there’s an interesting golf break combining golf and visits to local coffee and grappa producers.

Golf Holiday Italy acts as a marketplace enabling golf clubs, resorts and golf hotels to reach out to the international golf community.  Through our website, our social media channels and selected media partners, Italian golf structures have access to a cost efficient and easy-to-use platform to market themselves to an international client base.

On Location: Villa Bottacin in Trieste, Italy

The Golf Travel Guru living large at Villa Bottacin.

When the double bogeys, snap hooks and three putts get you down and you need a break from golf, I've got a wonderful place for you to stay, recharge, rejuvenate and enjoy "La Dolce Vita" (The Italian Sweet Life).

It's Villa Bottacin in Trieste, Italy,

Recently, Mrs. Guru and I stayed at the Villa and it was one of the more pleasurable hotel experiences I've enjoyed in more than 25 years of spanning the globe in my travel writing career.

Set on a steep hill amid mature trees and lush, colorful gardens, the 17-room villa combines an opulent setting with a slew of modern day amenities such as an outdoor heated swimming pool, complimentary Wifi, satellite television and kitchen facilities in 15 of the units.

While you feel somewhat isolated and buffered by the many trees encircling the villa, you're actually  just a short walk down a steep, narrow cobblestone street to Via Giulia, one of Trieste's busiest main thoroughfares.  At the bottom of the street on Via Giulia is a major mall with a huge grocery store, where you can buy all of the Lemoncello, Frizzante and Prosciutto you'll need to enjoy your stay.

Trieste is a mini San Francisco of sorts with homes and apartments perched on hills surrounding the city center, a cable car and spectacular ocean panoramas. Cruise ships also utilize the deep water port as a stop on the way to Slovenia and Greece.

Villa Bottacin History

Built in 1854 and designed by Swiss architect G. Bernardi, the villa was home to Nicolo Bottacin, a highly respected botanist, who socialized with the Trieste cultural elite. One of his friend's was the Archduke Maximilian of Hapsburg, who lived in Miramare Castle and would often visit the villa.



The magnificent villa was meticulously restored in 2004 and converted into a boutique luxury hotel. A casual perusal of the villa and grounds reveals the renovation team did a marvelous job of enhancing the property with the correct color schemes and attention to detail with a clock on the tower, red tile roof and spacious terrace.

Special attention was also paid to enhancing the garden and property grounds, which contribute greatly to the overall opulent ambiance and exclusivity of the Villa Bottacin.

Villa Bottacin in the morning sun.

Our Room

We stayed in a studio room which was small by American standards but very comfortable with modern conveniences like a kitchenette with a small refrigerator and 2-burner stove and bathroom with a shower and hair dryer.

There are also larger rooms available and only two of the units don't have kitchen facilities.

Our room featured a high ceiling, two large windows with shutters, wood floors, a large closet, small television and a comfortable bed with white sheets. The room charge was a great bargain at $110 a night. Villa Bottacin also offers discounted rates for a week or longer stays.

View from our room with Trieste University in the distance.

Villa Bottacin is located at Vicolo dei Roveri, 16. To contact them, you can phone 39-040-350529, email to info@villabottacin.com or click on their website www.villabottacin.com

The swimming pool is a great refresher after a day on the town or links.

10 Little Things I Like About the Villa Bottacin

1. The wood floors, crisp white sheets and over-the-top cleanliness in our room.

2. The outdoor swimming pool, which we enjoyed every day after we returned from sightseeing, dining and shopping.

3. Large windows with shutters that we opened at night to gaze at the stars above Trieste.

4. No traffic noise even though you're located less than a minute walk from one of Trieste's most traveled streets.

5. A friendly, multi-lingual staff.

6. The large terrace with comfortable, elegant patio furniture where you can relax and enjoy the surroundings and where you can have breakfast during the summer months.

7. The espresso pot provided in our kitchen, which allowed us to enjoy espresso each morning as we planned our day.

8. The excellent Wifi service--absolutely the best I've had in Europe recently.

9. The wonderful view of the Trieste hills and Trieste University from our room.

10. The small table and chairs in our kitchen where we drank Frizzante, and enjoyed Bel Paese, Fontina and Parmesan cheese each night.

Things to See and Do in Trieste

Villa Opicina--A charming village in the hills above Trieste accessible by cable car, bus or taxi. It's a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Trieste. A couple of exceptional places to dine are Bar Trattoria Max (try the veal Milanese and calamari on Friday fish day) and Trattoria Costilina Veto (best pizza in Europe, in my opinion).

Muggia--A small coastal village accessible by boat (a 30-minute ride) that has a nice group of restaurants specializing in seafood. If you like calamari and fried sardines prepared to perfection, try Osteria Al Corridoio.

Castle Miramare--Stunning white castle built from 1856 to 1860 that sits on a promontory overlooking the sea. It was constructed for Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximillian and his wife, Charlotte.

Barcola Beach--A rocky beach with a long, wide sidewalk for strolling that's just a few miles from the city center and easily accessible by bus or boat.

Castle San Giusto--Set on a hill above the city center, this fortress built between 1470 and 1630 has a museum, open-air theater and offers spectacular views of the city, harbor and hills in the distance.

Viale XX Settembre--A popular, walkable and shady promenade lined with outdoor cafes, fast order restaurants and gelato stores.

Piazza Unita d'Italia--A spacious square overlooking the ocean that serves as the main gathering area for Triestinos.

Shopping on Corso Italia--Main shopping area for clothing and gifts where major department stores, Coin and Upim, are located.

Forst Birreria--A restaurant near the Trieste to Opicina cable car stop that features fresh draft beer and huge platters of wienerschnitzel and bratwurst.

If You Want to Play Golf

For those who want to tee up in Trieste, most tourists gravitate to the Golf Club Trieste, an 18-hole layout with club rental, driving range and putting green located about a 25 minute drive from the city center. Greens fees are in the 55 to 65 Euros range. For more information, call 39-040-226159, click www.golfclubtrieste.net or email info@golfclubtrieste.net

To Get There

The most convenient way to visit Trieste (at least for Americans) is by flying into Venice's Marco Polo International Airport, which is a one and one-half hour train ride or car drive from the city center. Trieste is situated in the far northeastern corner of Italy near the Slovenian border.