Best golf courses: Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo

Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in this country or region. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key for the rating definitions.
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Weekdays only
Rio de Janeiro
Davidson, Arthur

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Rio de Janeiro

Designer

Arthur Morgan Davidson from Scotland.
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Weekdays only
Rio de Janeiro
Thompson, Stanley

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Rio de Janeiro

Designer

Original design by Stanley Thompson (1933); improvements by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1958).
5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Rio de Janeiro
Hanse, Gil

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Rio de Janeiro

Designer

Gil Hanse in collaboration with Amy Alcott.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Sao Paulo
Fazio, Tom & Logan

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Father-son team of Tom & Logan Fazio.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sao Paulo
Koontz, Luther

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Original nine holes designed by Luther Koontz (1958); second nine opened in 1969.
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sao Paulo
Rossi, Ricardo

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Ricardo Rossi
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Rsrt guests only
Sao Paulo
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Randall Thompson course (2010); Arnold Palmer course (2015).
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Ltd access
Sao Paulo
Costello, Brian

Visitors?

Ltd access

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Brian Costello (of JMP Golf Design).
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Sao Paulo
Blankenship, Dan

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Dan Blankenship
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sao Paulo
Thompson, Stanley

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Original course dates from 1901; redesigned by Stanley Thompson (1935).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sao Paulo
Serra & Rossi

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sao Paulo

Designer

Emilio Serra & Ricardo Rossi

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

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Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)