Ryder Cup hole-by-hole guide: Marco Simone Golf and Country Club

This week’s Ryder Cup will be played in Italy for the first time in the competition’s history with Marco Simone Golf and Country club on the outskirts of Rome the venue.

The course has hosted the last three Italian Opens, with Nicolai Hojgaard, Bob MacIntyre and Adrian Meronk the winners.

MacIntyre qualified automatically for Luke Donald’s European team, Hojgaard was given a captain’s pick but Meronk was controversially overlooked.

Nine of the dozen American players travelled to Rome for a practice round earlier this month, with lush rough expected to be a feature of the course set-up, which will be dictated by Donald.

This is the Marco Simone layout the players will have to navigate.

445 yards, par four

An aggressive tee shot cutting the corner of the dog-leg will leave a shorter club for the approach to a green whose left side is well protected by a long bunker.

506 yards, par four

A drive over the bunker in the middle of the fairway is required, with another bunker on the left making for a narrow target area the further you go.

453 yards, par four

Longer players can try to cut the corner of another dog-leg as there are no fairway bunkers, but the thick rough must be avoided. The front left of the green is protected by two bunkers.

188 yards, par three

The first bunker short of the green is not really in play for elite players but the two to the right of the putting surface certainly are, especially to a tough back-right pin position.

302 yards, par four

Shortened by around 70 yards for the Ryder Cup to encourage more players to take advantage of the matchplay format and attempt to drive the undulating green, despite the water lurking short and left.

381 yards, par four

Plays longer than its yardage due to the slight rise from tee to green and wayward drives to the right risk going out of bounds. A tee shot to the right of the fairway gives the best angle for approach shots.

222 yards, par three

Two bunkers protect the front of a kidney-shaped green which becomes narrower at the back. One of Europe’s vice-captains, Eduardo Molinari, made a hole-in-one here during the 2021 Italian Open.

525 yards, par four

The ideal drive will find the right half of the fairway to give the best angle of attack to a green which sits at an angle to the players and is guarded by a lake all along its left side.

587 yards, par five

The only par five on the front nine has water running down the left side from tee to green, but more of a factor will be the seven bunkers, particularly the three which surround the undulating green.

453 yards, par four

The water hazard switches to the right side of the hole on the 10th, which requires an uphill approach to a green well guarded by bunkers, with a back-right pin position especially challenging.

329 yards, par four

The generous fairway has a bunker in the middle but most players will attempt to take the more direct route and drive the green, with the bunkers short and left likely to be busy.

546 yards, par five

The shortest of the three par fives can be reached in two, especially if tee shots land on a downslope and kick forward. Three bunkers, two of them some way short, protect an undulating green.

150 yards, par three

A relatively straightforward hole which will be reached with a short iron, but the tricky green catches players out and 2023 Italian Open winner Meronk three-putted from 60 feet in the final round.

509 yards, par four

A difficult driving hole, with players who attempt to cut the sharp dog-leg left running the risk of running out of fairway in the narrow landing area. A deep bunker to the right of the green is to be avoided.

479 yards, par four

From an elevated tee the drive must avoid three bunkers to the right of the fairway, with three more hazards guarding the green. A back-right pin position will be the most dangerous.

303 yards, par four

An ideal risk-reward hole for match-play, particularly in foursomes or fourballs. Driving the green will be possible for all but the shortest players, but water lurks to the right and drama is guaranteed.

206 yards, par three

A water hazard should only come into play if the pin is placed in the back left portion of the narrow green, but bailing out to the right leaves a treacherous chip.

597 yards, par five

The longest hole should provide a grandstand finish to any matches which reach it, with an elevation change of 45 feet from the fairway down to the green, which is guarded by a water hazard to the left. Meronk two-putted from 75 feet for a winning birdie in May.