As amateur players at home, currently deal with rain, frost and snow, the leading females in Italy are fortunate to have the opportunity to train at Verdura Resort.
As amateur players at home, currently deal with rain, frost and snow, the leading females in Italy are fortunate to have the opportunity to train at Verdura Resort.
Italy’s leading amateur ladies’ golf stars will be targeting top honours across Europe in 2016 after warming up for the new season with a winter training break at Sicily’s Verdura Resort.
Members of the national team including Ludovica Farina, Bianca Fabrizio, Laura Lonardi, Martina Flori, Roberta Liti and Virginia Charter flew to the venue this month for a week’s intensive training and tuition under the guidance of head coach Roberto Zappa.
As well as practising daily on Verdura’s two 18-hole championship courses, the East and West, and using the extensive driving range faciilities, the players also took full advantage of the opportunity to hone their short games on its nine-hole par-three course – also designed by world-renowned architect Kyle Phillips.
In addition, the rising stars had time to enjoy the array of other five-star facilities at the resort – named ‘Best Golf Hotel in Italy’ at the 2015 World Golf Awards – including its award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex, and Zappa believes the week-long camp will be ideal preparation for the different golfing challenges the players will face in the months ahead.
He said: “It was a good week. One of the great advantages of the resort was that the team could train in perfect conditions, with good weather, two 18-hole courses in fantastic condition and varying amounts of wind providing an excellent combination for our workout.
“This will help us prepare for the tournaments that we face abroad, especially in Scotland, where the venues are normally links courses.''
Host of the 2012 Sicilian Open, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel – is situated adjacent to the Mediterranean in 230 hectares of stunning landscape and has quickly established itself among Europe’s elite contemporary modern golf resorts.
The resort offers offers three links-style golf courses, with tee times arranged at 12-minute intervals to ensure free-flowing play. Five sets of tees make the courses playable for golfers of all abilities and one of its courses is dedicated daily to two-ball play only – a refreshing change amongst modern golf resorts.
Complementing its golf courses are extensive practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and excellent golf academy, while players can also take advantage of the latest state-of-the-art TaylorMade equipment when they hire clubs at the resort after a significant recent upgrade of its rental service.
Set on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, the resort features 203 rooms and suites – all with a sea view. Away from the fairways, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure facilities including six tennis courts, a 60m two-tiered infinity pool, a 170sqmfully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex.
For more information on Verdura Resort, visit www.roccofortehotels.com
