Located in the district of Tirrenia and only 20 minutes from Pisa airport, The Cosmopolitan Golf & Country Club offers a very interesting course with water hazards a plenty and was voted the best new golf course in Italy in 1993.The undulating course respects the original shape of the land and the use of water on 11 of the 18 holes makes for a risk-rewarding round. There are four sets of tees on each hole which enables the green staff the ability to set up various options.
All of the holes are well defined with good sized greens and flattish fairways. The greens were slow but true and were in great condition. There are plenty of bunkers to avoid, however, if you do stray into one, there isn???t too much skill required to get back into play. They are flat shallow traps, more like a sandy floor rug than a bunker, but they are well placed.
The golfer is afforded a gentle start to their round before the water hazards begin to appear at the 4th. It's here that I first discovered some Nutria, or water rats, that were minding their own business in the light rough. I dare say they were not as impressed with my game as I was with their course. My favorite hole was the 5th which makes you play over water twice before you can remove your putter from the bag. The defining shot to the round was the approach to the 9th green, again over water, if you can hold your nerve and find the green it's as rewarding as the game gets..
The clubhouse was designed by the renowned Architect Aldo Rossi and was built in 1993. It is modern with a well stocked professional shop and served by friendly and helpful staff. It has a large Dome-shaped copper-clad roof, which represents other famous monuments unique to Tuscany and found in other parts of the region. Dining is a pleasurable experience here and separating the clubhouse from the golf course is a stunning large semicircular swimming pool.
In general it is a pretty course with good facilities, is easy to find and very playable but could be tricky when the wind gets up. The green staff have obviously been working hard to maintain its great condition. A real gem of a course that is well worth the visit. Grant Leggate Caddymaster at Royal St Georges Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent
September 20, 2011
