The 2023 Ryder Cup is almost upon us as 24 of the best golfers from America and Europe head to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, Italy. The stunning golf course has played host to the Italian Open on numerous occasions, but this is the first time the Ryder Cup has ever been hosted in Italy.
In this article we take an in-depth look at the golf course, looking at the longest and shortest holes, as well as the hardest and easiest holes on the golf course.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: The Course
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club is a beautiful piece of golfing architecture. The course was designing in 1989 by Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane, with Tom Fazio, Jim’s son, more recently giving the golf course a full restoration.
The course is known locally as Golf Marco Simone, and is located just ten miles outside of Rome city centre in the Lazio countryside.
Italy’s finest golf course is a par 71 and stands at around 7,181 yards in length. There are 11 par-4s, three par-5s and four par-3s. Following the re-design by Fazio from 2018 to 2021, the focus was on creating a golf course specifically with the drama of match play in mind.
There are lots of slopes and hills on almost every hole of the golf course, as well as various water hazards and treacherous, deep rough to punish the players.
Spectators will have unrivalled vantage points of the on-course action, as well as distant views of the famous Eternal City. This includes spectacular views of St Peter’s Basilca, and of course the castle of Marco Simone. Together, they will provide a stunning backdrop to golf’s greatest team contest.
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Longest & Shortest Hole At Golf Marco Simone
Longest: Par 5 – 18th Hole
The final hole at Golf Marco Simone on the Championship course is the longest hole on the golf course. A 597-yard par-5 awaits the Ryder Cup players to finish their round.
This hole will certainly bring both ecstasy and desolation over the course of the 2023 Ryder Cup, with several matches sure to be decided on the final hole.
The hole itself has a wide fairway, helping the longer hitters be more aggressive off the tee. The more powerful players will be able to reach the green with their second shot. Could we see some eagles at 18 throughout the 44th edition of the Ryder Cup? We sure could.
This is far from an easy hole though, with a water hazard to the left of the green that will gobble up any wayward shots. The green is also incredibly sloping, so it might not seem as easy as you’d expect to make eagle or birdie on the 18th at Marco Simone.
Shortest: Par 3 – 13th Hole
The par-3 13th is the shortest hole on the golf course at just 150-yards. Players will be approaching this green with as little as a pitching wedge, but could hit up to an eight or seven iron depending on the weather conditions.
It isn’t the most difficult of holes, but going left is a big no-no. We’ll likely see an abundance of birdies here over the course of the week at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
RELATED: Who Owns Marco Simone Golf Club & What Is The Course Worth?
Hardest & Easiest Holes
Hardest: Par 4 – 8th Hole
The 525 yard par-4 8th is seen as the trickiest hole on the golf course amongst the professionals, despite not being stroke index one on the scorecard.
Finding the fairway is simply a must if you are to reach the green in two and give yourself even an outside chance of a birdie. The fairway is only 28-yards wide and narrows at the 300-yard mark. Not only that, but hole’s main defense is the large lake that frames the entire left side on the approach.
It has ranked as the toughest hole on the DP World Tour this season, with just 25 birdies and an average score of 4.58 at the Italian Open back in May. Par will be a good score here throughout the three days of Ryder Cup action, with a four not losing this hole many times. Of that you can guarantee.
Easiest: Par 5 – 9th Hole
Straight after the players face the toughest hole on the golf course, they are greeted with one of the easiest holes Golf Marco Simone has to offer. Again, the par-5 nineth isn’t the easiest in terms of stroke indexes, but it is a hole players will be expecting a birdie at.
The holes is 587-yards in length and is reachable in two even though it dog-legs gently from right to left. There is a treacherous water hazard the full length of the hole down the left hand side, but each and every player will be stepping on this tee knowing it is a birdie opportunity.
Italian golfer Edoardo Molinari, a former Ryder Cup player himself, had this to say about the hole:
“The 9th hole is probably the easiest on the course. If you avoid the two bunkers on the right, you can easily reach it in two off the fairway with a long iron. Most players tend to bail out short right to avoid the bunkers, but the green is actually one of the flattest at Marco Simone.”
RELATED: When Does The 2023 Ryder Cup Start & Where Is It Being Played?
Best 2023 Ryder Cup Free Bets
44th Ryder Cup – Event Info
- ⛳ Golf Event: 2023 Ryder Cup
- 📅 Date: Friday 29th September – Sunday 1st October 2023
- 🕛 Time: Approx. 6:35AM BST
- 📺 TV Channel: UK: Sky Sports Golf
- 🏟 Venue: Marco Simone Golf Club | Rome, Italy
- 🎲 Odds: USA 4/6 | Europe 11/10
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