Castellaro Golf Resort

Few stretches of Italian Riviera coastline offer a golf backdrop quite like this one. Castellaro Golf Resort occupies the hills above the Ligurian Sea in the province of Imperia, where the terrain climbs sharply from the coastal strip toward the Maritime Alps, delivering panoramic views across the Mediterranean that stop play in its tracks. The course was designed by Marco Croze and opened in the early 2000s, built on genuinely dramatic hillside terrain that forces the architect's hand in interesting ways — elevation changes are severe, approach angles are demanding, and the sea sits in the background on what feels like half the holes.

This is resort golf with serious teeth. The layout rewards shot-shaping and local knowledge, and the mountain-meets-sea setting means wind conditions can shift unpredictably depending on where you are on the hill. The surrounding umbrella pines and Mediterranean scrub give the course a distinctly southern European character that no inland venue can replicate.

Castellaro village itself is a quiet Ligurian outpost a short drive from Sanremo, famous for its flower markets and the Sanremo Music Festival. That combination — a genuine golf challenge within reach of one of the Italian Riviera's most celebrated towns — makes this an easy resort to build a trip around.