The British community in Florence brought golf to Italy in 1889 when they built an 18 hole course on land belonging to the princess Demidoff, just north of the city. In 1934 a new course was created at the edge of the beautiful Chianti country and the Ugolino golf club came into existence, taking over the mantle of the Florence golf club.

Besides numbering many Champions among its Member, both amateur and professional, Ugolino has hosted numerous international competition. Outstanding among these was the 40th Italian Open in 1983. This Remains probably, the most enthralling tournament ever played in Italy. It was won, in the end, by Bernard Langer following a thrilling play-off with Severiano Ballesteros and Ben Brown. The Event is still vivid in the memory of the older Members.

In 2009, in recognition of its long service to golf, the Italian Olimpic Commitee awarded Ugolino the Gold Medal for sporting achievement. As a further honour, Ugolino can claim no fewer than three out of the eleven members of the Hall of Fame of Italian golf, nominated by the Italian PGA. These are Baldovino Dassù, Federica Dassù and Franco Rosi, recognised for their contribution to the development of golf in Italy.

The new course was designed by an englishman and an irishman, Cecil Blandford and Peter Gannon. They used the natural contours of the Chianti slopes to produce an outstanding course, threaded through the indigenous vines, olive trees, maritime pines and broom.

The course is not long, but demands a high degree of skill. The greens are small and well defended by bunkers. The sloping fairways also present a great challenge. To play Ugolino is not just to indulge in a game of golf, it is to wander through a landscape of great natural beauty, surrounded by olive and other fruit trees. It is an unforgettable and uplifting experience.

In his book “Fifty places to play golf before you die”, the writer Chris Santella includes Ugolino as one of the fifty