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History
Historical hints
Sardinia sits out in the Tyrrhenian see off the coast of mainland Italy, it is the second largest in the Mediterranean; in the north-east part of the island, the Costa Smeralda is one of the great ecological successes in the European Tourist Industry. This resort area has had extraordinary cachet: big cover stories on the Costa Smeralda began to appear in the pages of Vogue, Bazaar and Town and Country, replete with big glossy photos of sleek yachts moored in quiet azure coves. Beautiful tanned people in the Sardinian sun, and bejeweled, European nobility bathing in one another admiration.
Golf was very much part of the early planning, and the Aga Khan’s consortium brought in Robert Trent Jones Snr to build an intriguing layout between the Gulf of Pevero and the Bay of Cala di Volpe. At Pevero, Jones had to work with what nature had provided him. In his fascinating book Golf’s Magnificent Challenge, Jones talks about the extraordinary obstacles his design team had to face in this formidable ridge along the Costa Smeralda. In one anecdote, Jones describes a meeting between himself, the Aga Khan, and a group of Italian agronomists. On the basis of their soil analysis, the agronomists declared that, considering the present condition of the terrain, grass would be impossible to grow. They proposed to import thousands of tons of topsoil from the mainland to layer the whole course with a foot of this multi-million-dollar commodity. In his infinite Yankee wisdom, Jones came up with another proposal, which if successful, would cost a fraction of the cost. He had observed that there was an abundance of crashed granite and then hope for the best. It worked, and within months Pevero had and still has some of the most beautiful fairways in Europe.
The Pevero Golf Club, designed in 1967, was opened in 1972 and for years it was a terrifically well kept secret and within the years it has been considered one of the world’s most beautiful. There are natural ponds amidst the rocks, the underbrush is fragrant with the perfume of juniper, myrtle and arbutus berries, it is the most scenic and certainly one of the best conditioned you will ever play. It really is a magical place with views of the sea on every hole.
As far as the game itself is concerned, it is one of the most memorable golf experiences anywhere. The holes of the Pevero are designed over a spectacularly beautiful routing, where the Mistral - the northern wind which shaped the rocks in this area – often adds to the difficulty of the shots. The 18 hole, Par 72 course, 6,751 yards, stretches over a surface of 3.8 miles and its many obstacles include 70 bunkers and several lakes with rocks and vegetation. Its course and greens are considered amongst the best maintained in Europe
Thanks to its exclusive ambience, natural beauty, dramatic views and the technical features of the playing route, Pevero was officially recognized as one of the best courses in the world (Ranked by Golf Magazine in the top fifty in the world). Pevero Golf Course is rightfully considered among the most beautiful in the world, not just because of the spectacular nature of the course, but also for the unforgettable charm of the panorama. Such is the case in every aspect of the course’s difficulty, with its treacherous obstacles that require very high degrees of concentration and absolute game precision. To safeguard the score, it is fundamentally imperative to avoid the rough, as it is one of the most punishing known to exist, and offers little hope of recovery. To understand what the Pevero is about, one need only think of the disputed 1978 Italian Open when Dan Hayes beat Tommy Horton with a score of 293, a good five over course par.
Historical hints
Sardinia sits out in the Tyrrhenian see off the coast of mainland Italy, it is the second largest in the Mediterranean; in the north-east part of the island, the Costa Smeralda is one of the great ecological successes in the European Tourist Industry. This resort area has had extraordinary cachet: big cover stories on the Costa Smeralda began to appear in the pages of Vogue, Bazaar and Town and Country, replete with big glossy photos of sleek yachts moored in quiet azure coves. Beautiful tanned people in the Sardinian sun, and bejeweled, European nobility bathing in one another admiration.
Golf was very much part of the early planning, and the Aga Khan’s consortium brought in Robert Trent Jones Snr to build an intriguing layout between the Gulf of Pevero and the Bay of Cala di Volpe. At Pevero, Jones had to work with what nature had provided him. In his fascinating book Golf’s Magnificent Challenge, Jones talks about the extraordinary obstacles his design team had to face in this formidable ridge along the Costa Smeralda. In one anecdote, Jones describes a meeting between himself, the Aga Khan, and a group of Italian agronomists. On the basis of their soil analysis, the agronomists declared that, considering the present condition of the terrain, grass would be impossible to grow. They proposed to import thousands of tons of topsoil from the mainland to layer the whole course with a foot of this multi-million-dollar commodity. In his infinite Yankee wisdom, Jones came up with another proposal, which if successful, would cost a fraction of the cost. He had observed that there was an abundance of crashed granite and then hope for the best. It worked, and within months Pevero had and still has some of the most beautiful fairways in Europe.
The Pevero Golf Club, designed in 1967, was opened in 1972 and for years it was a terrifically well kept secret and within the years it has been considered one of the world’s most beautiful. There are natural ponds amidst the rocks, the underbrush is fragrant with the perfume of juniper, myrtle and arbutus berries, it is the most scenic and certainly one of the best conditioned you will ever play. It really is a magical place with views of the sea on every hole.
As far as the game itself is concerned, it is one of the most memorable golf experiences anywhere. The holes of the Pevero are designed over a spectacularly beautiful routing, where the Mistral - the northern wind which shaped the rocks in this area – often adds to the difficulty of the shots. The 18 hole, Par 72 course, 6,751 yards, stretches over a surface of 3.8 miles and its many obstacles include 70 bunkers and several lakes with rocks and vegetation. Its course and greens are considered amongst the best maintained in Europe
Thanks to its exclusive ambience, natural beauty, dramatic views and the technical features of the playing route, Pevero was officially recognized as one of the best courses in the world (Ranked by Golf Magazine in the top fifty in the world). Pevero Golf Course is rightfully considered among the most beautiful in the world, not just because of the spectacular nature of the course, but also for the unforgettable charm of the panorama. Such is the case in every aspect of the course’s difficulty, with its treacherous obstacles that require very high degrees of concentration and absolute game precision. To safeguard the score, it is fundamentally imperative to avoid the rough, as it is one of the most punishing known to exist, and offers little hope of recovery. To understand what the Pevero is about, one need only think of the disputed 1978 Italian Open when Dan Hayes beat Tommy Horton with a score of 293, a good five over course par.
