The road to Punta Ala runs through the kind of Tuscany that travel writers describe when they want to communicate that a place has not been processed for tourists. The Maremma — the coastal plain south of Grosseto, running from the Tyrrhenian coast into the Tuscan hills — is agricultural, quiet, and specific in the way that regions are specific when they have not had to explain themselves to anyone.
Golf Club Punta Ala sits on the headland above the bay after which it is named, at the end of a peninsula that juts into the Tyrrhenian between the Elba archipelago and the Argentario promontory. The course, designed by Giulio Cavazza in 1964 and mature in the way that sixty-year-old courses become mature, uses the natural topography of the headland — the drops toward the bay, the forest cover, the sea views that appear and disappear as the routing follows the terrain — to produce a round that is unlike any other course in central Italy.
It is not well-known internationally. This is its advantage.
Sixty years of conditioning in the Maremma pines. The Elba archipelago on the 14th tee. A course that has not had to explain itself to anyone. This is what a gem is.
The course: what you are actually playing
Punta Ala Golf is a par-72, 6,037 metres, built through Mediterranean pine and ilex forest on the headland terrain. The Cavazza routing uses elevation change consistently — the course rises and falls with the headland’s natural contours, producing a succession of tee shots played from elevated positions and approach shots played to greens that sit below or above the fairway level.
The sea is visible from multiple holes on the back nine, where the routing brings the course to the edge of the headland before turning back through the forest. These are the holes most likely to appear in photography: the par-3 on the cliff edge, the approach shot to a green with the Elba archipelago visible in the background, the walk between holes where the Tyrrhenian opens up between the pine trunks.
The course is honest and fair. The Cavazza design does not produce artificially punishing holes — the challenge comes from terrain navigation and approach shot precision rather than from penalty positions. A mid-handicap player who manages the course thoughtfully will score better than a lower-handicap player who ignores the terrain logic.
The hole worth knowing
14th hole par-3: the cliff-edge short hole, played from a tee position above the bay with the Elba archipelago visible on clear days. The yardage is modest; the view is not. On a clear April or September morning, with the Tyrrhenian light catching the island chain, this hole produces one of the finest par-3 tee photographs in Italian golf.
The practical reality: what to know before you go
Punta Ala village — a small, wealthy Tuscan resort community of about 150 permanent residents that fills considerably in summer — is adjacent to the course. The accommodation options are limited and fill early: a handful of boutique hotels and villa rentals, most requiring advance booking. The Piccolo Hotel and the Il Pellicano, 30 minutes south in Porto Ercole, represent the area’s luxury tier.
For families: Punta Ala works best as part of a broader Tuscan itinerary. The town is charming and the beach is excellent, but the dedicated family resort infrastructure of the mainland Tier 1 properties is not present. The Maremma’s cultural resources — the Etruscan sites at Vetulonia and Cosa, the medieval town of Massa Marittima, the thermal baths at Saturnia — provide excellent non-golf activity for families who research them in advance.
The course does not have a structured junior academy. For a family combining golf with Tuscan cultural exploration, this is irrelevant. For a family prioritising development work, the alternative is Verdura in Sicily or one of the Tuscany-adjacent resort courses.
Best time to go
April to June and September to October. The Maremma is at its greenest and most photographic in spring. October produces the specific Tuscan autumn light that makes every landscape in central Italy look like a painting. The summer months are hot and the course is at maximum capacity; the Punta Ala beach town fills with Italian families in July and August.
Getting there: the logistics reality
Pisa Airport (PSA) is 90 minutes from Punta Ala — the most straightforward international connection. Florence Airport (FLR) is slightly closer to the Maremma culturally but similarly distant in driving time. Rome Fiumicino (FCO) is 2.5 hours — viable for a multi-day stay but not ideal for a golf-focused visit.
Car rental is essential — the Maremma is not served by public transport in a way that supports golf travel. The drive from Pisa through the Etruscan hills and down into the coastal plain is part of the Tuscany experience and worth taking the slower road for.
What to wear: the Inesea style edit
The Punta Ala visual environment — the Maremma pine forest, the Tyrrhenian, the Tuscan ochre — is the warmest palette on the Italian courses in this series. The earthy tones (terracotta, warm stone, bark) respond to the landscape in a way that the cooler coastal palettes of Greece or Portugal do not. In April and May, the forest floor is covered with wildflowers in yellows and purples; in September, the forest turns amber and rust.
Three pieces worth packing
An ANEW or and per se structured top in sage or warm lavender — the Provençal palette connection is genuine.
Tailored ankle trousers in stone — Peter Millar or J.Lindeberg. The course and the Michelin dinner in the same piece.
A MARK & LONA wind gilet in a neutral — the Riviera wind in spring and autumn is real; the Japanese quiet luxury aesthetic fits the resort register perfectly.
A polo or structured top in terracotta or warm stone — the Tuscan landscape demands warm tones.
A skort for the warmer spring and autumn days — the Tyrrhenian coast climate is warmer than the Ligurian and more consistent than the Sardinian.
A light technical layer — the headland exposure means wind on the back nine is the variable to prepare for.
The honest family verdict
Course quality ★★★★☆ 1964 Cavazza design, mature Mediterranean forest, Tyrrhenian views. Excellent for the Tuscan context; excellent in its own right.
Family infrastructure ★★☆☆☆ No resort. Punta Ala village is charming but small. Tuscan cultural context is excellent if researched. Best as part of a broader Tuscany itinerary.
Logistics ease ★★★☆☆ Pisa 90 minutes, car rental essential, Maremma location requires planning. The logistics are part of the discovery experience.
Style and photography appeal ★★★★☆ The cliff-edge 14th, the pine forest light, the Maremma colour. Distinctly Tuscan visual character not found elsewhere on this list.
Value for money ★★★★★ Green fees €50–90 for a course of this quality and location. The best-value gem on the Italian list.
Who should book it
Golfers building a Tuscany itinerary who want the best course on the coast, integrated into a broader Maremma and Tuscan experience. The combination of Punta Ala, Saturnia thermal baths, and Etruscan sites produces a week with no wasted time.
Who might look elsewhere
Families needing on-site resort infrastructure. Those wanting the full Sicilian coastal drama of Verdura. Punta Ala is for the golfer who finds the Tuscan understated version of beauty more compelling than the spectacular one.
Official site
About the author
Diana Suke
Diana Suke is the founder of Inesea and Europe's leading editorial voice on women's golf fashion and culture. A business transformation director by profession, she coordinates junior golf programmes across Malta and travels the Mediterranean circuit with two competitive junior golfers. She came to golf in her mid-thirties and hasn't looked back.
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