Area: Tuscany
Holes: 18
Par: 72
Teebox in metres:
Men: 5,606
Ladies: 4,930
Teebox in yards:
Men: 6,130
Ladies: 5,391
Designed by: Arnold Palmer
Opened in: 1986
Type: Parkland
Caddie: No
Buggy: Yes
Electric trolley: Yes
Trolley: Yes
Clubs: Yes
Closing Day: Monday
Nearest Town(s):
Florence - Prato
Nearest Airport(s):
Florence FLR - Pisa PSA
Related Golf Packages: (golfinitaly.org)
Argentario Golf & Wellness Deluxe Resort *****
The Golf Club Le Pavoniere lies 3 kilometres far from Prato, the ancient industrial and manufacturing centre very close to Florence that, especially in recent years, has become a leading figure on the Tuscan economic scene. Besides many important memories of the past centuries, the town of Prato also possesses one of the very rare Italian museums of contemporary art, the Pecci Foundation, where from time to time very important exhibitions are held of the works of the major world-famous artists of our times. The town lies in the plain, bathed by the river Arno and crossed by the motorway that links Florence with the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea and Versilia. The area around the club has many nurseries and is intensively farmed: it is rich in water which has been used on the golf course to create several obstacles. Filling material has been used to make the terrain gently undulating, while other features include a wood of holm-oaks, cluster pines and the ever-present cypresses of Tuscany.
A radical transformation changed the original 6-hole course into a fascinating 18-hole course designed by the famous U.S. champion Arnold Palmer.
Comment read on the Peugeot Golf Guide
After a good look at Florence, it is time to head west of the city and discover Montecatini Terme, a pretty spa resort for treating people suffering from too much Bistecca alla Fiorentina or Chianti, and particularly Prato, for many a year overshadowed by Florence but nonetheless a town of many attractions. Visit Duomo, the Palazzo Pretorio, or the amazing fortress of Castello dell'Imperatore. Or again, a few miles further on, play Le Pavoniere, opened in 1986 and designed by Arnold Palmer, as was Castello di Tolcinasco in Lombardy. You can feel Arnie's highly strategic inspiration, where hazards are very cleverly brought into play, and his excellent knowledge of players of differing abilities. All the same, the less experienced players might suffer a little here anyway. Although rather flat, the course is subtle enough to be played and enjoyed often, and the greens big enough to offer very many different pin positions.
