Golf in Lombardy is no longer simply a sport associated with a limited niche. Today, it stands out as a tangible economic driver, capable of generating value, attracting high-quality tourism and strengthening the international positioning of the region. This is the picture that emerges from the study “The Economic Impact of Golf in Lombardy”, presented during the launch of the “Open Horizons: Lombardy, Capital of Golf” project, promoted by Assolombarda in collaboration with Federgolf Lombardia and Confindustria Lombardia.
According to the analysis, golf generates an overall value of between €165 million and €185 million for the Lombardy economy.
Lombardy confirms its status as Italy’s leading golf destination
The numbers clearly illustrate the region’s central role within the national landscape. Lombardy is home to 65 golf clubs affiliated with the Italian Golf Federation, accounting for 18% of the national total, and boasts more than 27,000 registered players, equal to 29% of all golfers in Italy. This places the region firmly ahead of Piedmont, Veneto and Lazio.
More than a simple statistical record, this leadership reflects the presence of a mature ecosystem in which golf interacts naturally with the landscape, high-end hospitality and a business network able to enhance its potential.
An economic system involving clubs, tourism, retail and major events
The EY-Assolombarda research, carried out between October and November 2025 through the analysis of public data and in-depth interviews with clubs and sector operators, identifies four main economic drivers. Direct revenues generated by golf clubs are estimated at between €59 million and €62 million. Golf tourism, the most significant component, is valued at between €103 million and €118 million. Sales of equipment and apparel account for between €3 million and €5 million, while the contribution of major events, such as the Italian Open when hosted in Lombardy, is estimated at between €8 million and €9 million.
These figures make it clear that golf extends far beyond the boundaries of the club itself, activating a much wider supply chain that includes hotels, restaurants, mobility services, local retail and premium experiences.
Golf tourism is the sector’s true strength
Tourism is where golf in Lombardy expresses its most compelling potential. According to the study, an international visitor who chooses Lombardy for a golf trip spends on average between €300 and €500 per day, approximately 120% more than a traditional tourist. In addition, this type of visitor generally stays between four and seven days and often plays at more than one club during the same trip.
This is, therefore, a high-spending traveler whose profile aligns perfectly with the idea of contemporary luxury: experience-driven, quality-focused and deeply connected to the discovery of a destination. In 2023, approximately 160,000 green fees were purchased by international tourists at golf clubs across Lombardy, confirming a steadily growing interest in the region as a golf destination.
Lombardy’s lakes are driving international golf appeal
One of the study’s most significant findings concerns the areas with the strongest tourism vocation. Clubs located around the lake districts, particularly in the provinces of Como, Brescia, Lecco and Varese, report the highest average revenues. The reason is clear: in these locations, golf is perfectly integrated with breathtaking landscapes, upscale resorts, refined hotels and a broader experiential offering capable of attracting an international clientele.
Here, golf becomes more than a sporting activity. It becomes part of a larger narrative in which hospitality, nature, wellness and lifestyle come together in a high-value formula.
Open Horizons and the Assolombarda Golf Tour 2026: a strategic new direction
Within this context, the “Open Horizons: Lombardy, Capital of Golf” project and the Assolombarda Golf Tour 2026 take on particular importance. These initiatives were created to connect regional golf clubs with the worlds of tourism, hospitality and business, while further strengthening Lombardy’s international projection as a golf destination.
As Cristian Ferraris, Deputy Director General of Assolombarda, underlined, golf represents “a powerful tool for territorial attractiveness and a concrete lever for the international tourism supply chain,” capable of attracting visitors with high purchasing power from strategic markets such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries.
Major events amplify the value of the territory
The study also highlights the strategic role played by major tournaments. When the Italian Open takes place in Lombardy, average attendance exceeds by 123% that of editions hosted elsewhere in Italy over the past ten years. The approximately 30,000 spectators attending over four days generate a direct impact on hospitality, dining and local services estimated at between €8 million and €9 million.
This is accompanied by the value of international exposure. The study refers to the example of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, which reached more than 620 million viewers across 190 countries, confirming that golf, when linked to major events, also becomes an extraordinary multiplier of global visibility.
From niche sport to a language of contemporary luxury
One of the most interesting themes emerging from the analysis is the need to move decisively beyond the outdated perception of golf as an exclusive and distant sport. The operators interviewed point toward a clear direction: building an integrated ecosystem connecting sport, tourism and culture, improving access to peripheral destinations, developing coordinated international promotional campaigns and making golf more attractive to families, young people and companies.
This is a cultural transformation before it is an economic one. And it is precisely within this evolution that a significant editorial opportunity emerges: telling the story of golf not only as competition, but as experience, destination, relationship, business and lifestyle.
Why golf is a strategic subject for Milano Luxury Life
For a magazine such as Milano Luxury Life, golf is now a highly relevant editorial territory. It speaks to an international audience and naturally connects with resorts, luxury hospitality, fine dining, premium brands and wellness. Above all, it offers a way to narrate a sophisticated, attractive and contemporary Lombardy, where luxury is no longer defined by display, but by the quality of experience and the value of place.
From this perspective, golf is not simply a sport. It is a lens through which to interpret the present, and one of the most effective languages for describing the future of a region determined to consolidate its status as one of Europe’s most authoritative golf destinations.
Read the article in Italian: https://www.milanoluxurylife.it/golf-lombardia-turismo-luxury/
