Sion

Few golf settings in Europe carry quite the same drama as the Rhône Valley in the canton of Valais. Sion sits at the valley floor beneath a pair of fortress-crowned rock outcroppings — among the most striking urban silhouettes in all of Switzerland — with the Alps rising sharply on both sides. Golf here means playing under that panorama, with the Bernese Alps to the north and the Pennine Alps, home to the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc's neighbors, closing off the southern horizon.

Valais is Switzerland's driest canton, a high-altitude desert in the heart of the Alps, which means the course benefits from more sunshine and fewer rain delays than almost anywhere else in Swiss golf. The valley floor's microclimate also supports the vineyards that make the region famous — Fendant and Cornalin among the local varietals — so a round here fits naturally into a visit with real depth beyond the course itself.

At par 70, the layout asks for precision and shot-making rather than raw power, rewarding players who manage the terrain and think their way around rather than simply overpowering the card.