I love golf, most of the time. I couldn’t have done this job for as long as I have without an enduring passion for the game, though Lord knows it can be frustrating.
I also (whisper it softly) have more than a passing interest in trains. Not in a geeky, standing on the platform in an anorak kind of way, but as more of a curious observer.
Disused railways fascinate me and I’ve walked many a mile on them; on holiday I’ll always try to engineer a stop-off at any nearby heritage steam railway; and I still have boxes of model railway stuff in the loft, acquired over the years from charity and junk shops for a project that somehow never quite happened (maybe in retirement).
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So, when word of a golf press trip in Italy on La Dolce Vita Orient Express hit my inbox, my eyes lit up. Having only just made my maiden golfing river cruise in Bordeaux, I knew that it wasn’t really ‘my turn’.
But when other writers had to decline for various reasons, the opportunity was all mine. Well, mine and my wife’s as she wasn’t about to pass it up once the PR had indicated that ‘plus ones’ were a possibility.
One of the suites on board La Dolce Vita Orient Express
(Image credit: La Dolce Vita Orient Express)
And so it was that we found ourselves checking into the Orient Express La Minerva hotel in Rome on November 21. Ahead lay four days’ golf and three nights aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express as it made its way to Puglia in the south and back up to Tuscany before returning to Rome.
One of the suites at La Minerva Orient Express Hotel in Rome
(Image credit: La Dolce Vita Orient Express)
This was to be the first golf-specific trip for a train only inaugurated in April 2025 when the hotel, close to many of Rome’s famous landmarks, had also opened.
We headed up to the Gigi Rigolatto Roma rooftop restaurant on the seventh floor to meet our fellow passengers over dinner, then reassembled in the ground-floor Minerva Bar next morning for breakfast (complete with live harpist) after a comfortable night in a lovely fifth-floor room, styled to reflect the heritage of this most famous of railway companies.
The Orient Express La Minerva hotel’s wonderful rooftop restaurant in Rome
(Image credit: La Dolce Vita Orient Express)
My wife and I then went our separate ways, me to the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, scene of Europe’s famous victory in 2023, and her to take in the sights of Rome.
She ended up walking 12 miles with regular accompaniment from talented street musicians as it was St Cecilia’s Day (the patron saint of music), with mandolin and cello among the instruments she stopped and listened to.
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This also meant the Pope was in town, and she was delighted to see him addressing the people in front of St Peter’s Basilica, not far from the hotel. Among the other sites crossed off on her ‘Rome attractions’ bingo card were the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum and the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary in among some ancient ruins
The Trevi Fountain in Rome not far from La Minerva Orient Express hotel
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
I also ticked off several of these on our final night back at La Minerva, along with an obligatory pit-stop at one of the ubiquitous gelaterias.
MY MARCO SIMONE DEBUT
For me, it was good to finally see Marco Simone in the flesh and reduce my ‘home Ryder Cup venues not yet played’ count down to one (Le Golf National).
Tonight, Matthew, I’m going to be Tommy Fleetwood…
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
Having Italian Ryder Cupper Costantino Rocca on hand for a few tips added to the occasion as I teamed up with an American called Nick to take on two more Americans – Jason and Shaun.
The 1st is strong visually as it climbs gently towards a rollercoaster green and distant, snow-capped mountains. There’s a well-bunkered short par 3 at the low point on the 4th, and the front nine closes with two par 5s either side of the same lake. Even the lay-up on the 8th is no pushover.
The back nine ventures onto higher ground, with risk-reward on the 11th where you need to decide how much to take on as the hole climbs and turns left alongside a ditch. The 12th is a big, downhill dogleg-left with a scintillating drive and before long you’re standing on the 16th tee, a short risk-reward par 4 that served up much drama in 2023.
The testing par-3 17th hole at Marco Simone
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
By this stage, our match was well and truly lost so only personal pride was affected by my finding the water off the tee, then three-putting the cracking par-3 17th and finding water again on the excellent 18th.
Saving bogey on 18 at Marco Simone after visiting the water
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
ALL ABOARD LA DOLCE VITA
But as I made my way back to La Minerva hotel to be reunited with my weary wife, a gutsy up-and-down from 80 yards to salvage bogey on 18 had buoyed me. Back at the hotel, a quartet was playing in the Minerva Bar, where we were presented with tickets to make our journey on La Dolce Vita Orient Express’ ‘Italian Swing’ official (carriage D, cabin 3).
My ticket to ride on La Dolce Vita Orient Express’ ‘Italian Swing’
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
We were greeted on board by the smiling staff, lined up in front of the train, and then finally got to understand the need for the strict baggage limits as the cabin was elegant and cosy but space was understandably at a premium, so careful organisation was required.
Being greeted on board La Dolce Vita Orient Express
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
As the train pulled away, we headed to the restaurant car for the first of three dinners exquisitely crafted by Michelin-starred chef, Heinz Beck. Veal stuffed with dried fruit in a pistachio crust was the pick of our first night’s multiple courses.
The restaurant car where Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck served up many a tempting treat
(Image credit: La Dolce Vita Orient Express)
Near the end, a roving clarinettist and singer appeared in the carriage to entice us into the bar, and who were we to resist? I got to experience Tuscan whisky for the first time – for me, highly palatable shades of vanilla and Speyside malt with a hint of Cognac.
We had covered many of the 500km from Rome to Fasano in Puglia by the time we turned in. As we ploughed on through the night, a thought occurred to me… when the train banked sharply, might I roll out of bed or would my body subconsciously brace itself to remain firmly on the mattress?
All I can say is that at no point did I awake to find myself on the floor, but I can’t really answer the second part of the question.
A short drive from Fasano station lies the course at San Domenico, which I’d played soon after it opened 22 years ago. While individual holes had slipped from my memory I really remembered the wildflower areas dotted about and was glad to see some were still there. The layout is mainly flat with sea views at times, especially on the back nine closer to the coast.
The clubhouse and 5th green at San Domenico in Puglia
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The occasional hole came back to me on a bright and breezy day and I did remember that some bunkers were sleeper-faced, including one at the rear of the wonderful par-3 13th, played across a kind of waste area.
The lovely par-3 13th at San Domenico
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
There’s water on the 1st and 5th, while the 2nd and 3rd play towards the sea. From the 6th to the 8th, there is plenty of challenge on and around the greens, which were quick for November. After a fine lunch halfway, the breeze freshened further and holes like 15 and 16 closest to the sea played very tough into the wind.
In a return match, it was looking forlorn for my partner and me, trailing dormie four. However, aided by ample shots over the last four holes, we won them all with gritty pars to snatch an unlikely half.
While all that drama was unfolding, my wife was relaxing at the superb Borgo Egnazia spa next door, enjoying a massage and dips in the pools.
The train staff were there to welcome us back on board, and we whiled away time in the bar before dinner as we set off on the long trek north to Tuscany.
More Italian wine and whisky were taken before a splendid meal that started with ample cold cuts and cheese and ended on a dessert of chocolate, mascarpone, hazelnut and chestnuts, which was beyond rich.
BATTLING THE ELEMENTS
Sadly, next day the weather had turned and opening the blinds revealed a grey, wet landscape. The first station sign I saw was Albinia, but we alighted at Grosseto for the hour’s drive to the fine Tom Weiskopf course at Castiglion del Bosco.
I’d played it ten years ago, so knew what a treat lay in store, a well-bunkered layout with many clever, testing green complexes and views to die for.
Studying a weather app as we came back up from the range, the manager suggested we might just get away with it, and we did… for five holes. After that, we most definitely did not, and got a real drenching as the course turned back into a strong wind to complete the figure-of-eight front nine.
I was delighted to scrape three bogeys and a par before the sanctuary of the wonderful clubhouse, where a restorative lunch and glass of the fabulous local Brunello wine helped us to dry out, at least mentally.
Tom Weiskopf’s beautiful creation at Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany
(Image credit: Jacob Sjoman)
Having thought play had been called for the day, I was surprised when a slight improvement (definitely not a brightening) had my American friends clamouring for more.
I’m not sure Castiglion del Bosco really had in mind English journalists drying off socks and trousers with a hairdryer in the locker room, but I managed to tee off on the inviting but awkwardly angled downhill 10th with at least a vague sense of dryness.
The rain held off for the excellent back nine on which you can opt to take on the par-5 13th at a whopping 685 yards, a glorious hole played from an elevated tee gazing back down the valley.
If you dare to take it on it is at least downhill!
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
The American pair beat us fair and square this time, closing things out on the strong, uphill 17th. The rain was just starting again as we all wedged it close on the cracking little 19th hole, named Brunello.
As we headed back to meet the train once more, my wife told me all about her Brunello wine-tasting (a newly developed liking for the reds), and her tour of the stunning Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco resort set a little way above the golf course.
Back on board, I’m pretty sure we headed away from our next destination for a while as our final game was at The Argentario Resort, also in Tuscany.
Before that, there was one final superb meal to savour, followed by the standout entertainment of the week provided by a talented and amusing singer and his piano- and saxophone-playing accomplices.
The words may often have been Italian, but we all understood the sentiment and everyone joined in. Top-class from all concerned.
The final night’s post-dinner entertainment was first class
(Image credit: Jeremy Ellwood)
Sadly, top-class didn’t describe the weather again next day at Argentario, and although we warmed up in the dry and optimism hung in the air, the rain arrived in abundance after four holes and never let up, such that this time, no-one wanted to venture back out after nine.
The course at Argentario in considerably better weather than we were treated to
(Image credit: Argentario Resort)
We must have cut comic figures with our waterproofs, clothing and shoes drying in front of a roaring log fire over another superb lunch, possibly partly created by my wife.
While we were getting soaked, she’d been learning how to make and serve authentic Italian pasta at the resort and was convinced one of the dishes was her handiwork. Either way, it was delicious.
UNDAMPENED SPIRITS
As for the course, the nine holes I played were fun, with a draw a real asset early on, particularly on the attractively bunkered par-5 2nd that darts surprisingly to the left late on. We were still just about able to enjoy the distant Mediterranean views away to the left as we tackled a cheeky pin position on the shortish par-3 6th.
As we boarded the train for the final two-hour leg back to Rome’s Ostiense Station, I made a mental note to one day return to finish my round at Argentario.
I certainly hope another trip like this might fall my way again as it had been a real adventure, and although the weather had dampened things on the course for our final two rounds, it had definitely not dampened spirits on board the train.
After pulling into Ostiense, we had one final treat – a drinks reception in the Orient Express’ spacious and stylish La Dolce Vita lounge, inspired by the spirit of the 1960s.
The classy Orient Express lounge at Ostiense station in Rome
(Image credit: La Dolce Vita Orient Express)
It rounded off the mood and feel of the whole trip beautifully as we headed back for a final night at La Minerva before flying back to reality next morning.
OR TRY THE NORTHERN GREENS OPTION…
The ‘Italian Swing’ trip I enjoyed features four rounds of golf (Marco Simone, San Domenico, Castiglion del Bosco and Argentario) in various regions of Italy, with three nights on board La Dolce Vita. The next departures are in March and November 2026, with prices from €12,360 per passenger.
An alternative ‘Northern Greens’ itinerary departs in May 2026, with two courses remaining the same – Marco Simone and Argentario – while Franciacorta Golf Club and Royal Park I Roveri complete the line-up as the train heads further north to Brescia and Turin.
Royal Park I Roveri is part of the ‘Northern Greens’ itinerary
(Image credit: Unknown)
There are various activities planned for non-golfers, with the chance to explore Rome at leisure as my wife did on day one.
At Franciacorta, guests can enjoy a premium tasting of the local sparkling wine during a visit to the renowned Ca’ del Bosco winery or visit the Mille Miglia Museum for a guided tour of the legendary race’s vintage cars and memorabilia.
At Royal Park I Roveri, there’s an exclusive tour of the Royal Palace, a private visit to Casa Zegna to discover the brand’s heritage and craftsmanship, or a hands-on chocolate workshop in Turin, to learn traditional techniques and enjoy a guided tasting.
At Argentario, relaxation is the aim, with a fun class celebrating local Tuscan flavours, or a restorative day at the resort’s spa. Prices for the Northern Greens trip start from €14,160 per passenger.
W: orient-express.com/la-dolcevita/itineraries/