Lunchball
Marco Simone isn’t your nonna’s traditional Sunday round; it is a gladiatorial arena explicitly re-engineered to host the 2023 Ryder Cup. While originally laid out in the late 80s by the Fazio family, European Golf Design gave it a massive facelift to prioritize match play drama and spectator flow. The terrain is a veritable rollercoaster through the Roman countryside, offering surreal views of St. Peter’s Dome and the 11th-century castle that gives the club its name. It is ‘Stadium Golf’ in the truest sense, prioritizing massive banking for fans and high-risk shots over subtle ground game nuances.
From a playing perspective, the course is defined by its back-nine volatility. The designers specifically crafted the closing stretch to ensure matches would swing wildly, with water hazards and drivable greens tempting players into hero shots. While it might lack the sandy naturalism of a historic links, it delivers pure adrenaline. It is a course built for Sunday noise, featuring thick rough and complex green complexes that require shots that look great on TV but terrify you standing over the ball.
Comparison: 16th (Drivable Par 4)
16th (Drivable Par 4)
The Ultimate Risk/Reward
Riviera Country Club
Architectural Analysis
Both are world-class short par 4s designed to goad players into aggressive lines; where Riviera defends with tricky green angles and bunkering, Marco Simone uses steep elevation and water to punish the failed drive.