Riva Toscana

Riva Toscana occupies a stretch of the Maremma coast in southern Tuscany, a region that has quietly become one of Italy's most compelling golf destinations over the past two decades. Follonica sits on the Gulf of Follonica, sheltered by the Tyrrhenian Sea and backed by the Metalliferous Hills — a landscape of maritime pines, macchia scrubland, and long sandy beaches that gives the area a wilder, less manicured feel than the vineyard-and-cypress postcard version of Tuscany most visitors picture.

The course is a seaside parkland layout where the pine forest is as much a playing hazard as a visual backdrop, narrowing fairways and demanding accurate ball-striking off the tee. The flat, sandy terrain is characteristic of this stretch of the Tirrenica coast, and coastal winds off the gulf can shift the challenge considerably depending on the day and season. The combination of firm, fast conditions in summer and a lush winter setting makes it playable across much of the year.

For visitors touring the Maremma, Riva Toscana fits naturally alongside the region's other draws — the thermal springs of Saturnia, the hilltop towns of Pitigliano and Sorano, and some of Tuscany's least-crowded coastline. It serves golfers looking for a genuine Italian round without the crowds of more famous northern Tuscan venues.