The Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily is a £120m investment where the golf courses have been designed by Kyle Phillips. It is the 13th in Sir Rocco Forte’s empire which includes The Balmoral in Edinburgh, the Amigo in Brussels and the Astoria in St Petersburg.
The 230-hectare resort has 203 rooms, 1.8 km of private coastline, four restaurants and a 4,000 square metre spa. It is in the south west of the island approximately one hour’s drive from Palermo.
Mainly because the land required to build the resort was in more than seventy plots, all with different owners, the project has taken seven years since Sir Rocco first conceived the idea. A second phase will see the construction of 60+ villas around the courses.
Kyle Phillips has designed two eighteen hole courses and a nine hole course. All are set amid olive and orange groves with views of the azure Mediterranean Sea. They are free of any buildings, allowing players to enjoy golf at its purest.
There is also a double-ended driving range, with 80-yard tees at each end, putting and chipping greens, practice bunkers, and PGA-qualified professionals for tuition.
The Director of Golf is Niall Cameron, most recently Director of Golf Operations at the Lyford Cay Club in Nassau, Bahamas. Prior to this Niall was, for six years, Head Professional at Royal St George’s Golf Club, Kent, UK.
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort www.verduraresort.com
Kyle Phillips www.kylephillips.com