Who was Marco Simone and why is the Ryder Cup host venue named after him?
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club is steeped in Italian history, so we dived into its origins and where the name of the 2023 Ryder Cup venue came from…
The Ryder Cup has landed on a pretty idyllic setting to host its 44th edition.
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club sits in a picturesque rural area – just a short drive from Rome’s city centre.
The golf course was only opened 34 years ago, but it is a place steeped in history that dates back over 1,000 years.
The origins of this classic Italian venue started brewing long before golf came along, so we dive into the rich history of how the name of the golf course came about.
Who was Marco Simone?
In 1457, St. Paul sold a property that was part of the territory of S. Onesto’s castle to Simone dei Tebaldi, a Roman nobleman who had a son named Marco di Simone.
The tower of the castle dates back to the year 1000 with later constructions being formed around it in the Middle Ages.
Simone and his son made the first transformations to the architecture of the tower.
This property is now regarded as the most immaculately preserved example of a 15th-century palace in the Agro-Roman area.
When Marco Simone died, the castle began to be restructured by Cardinal Federico Cesi. This involved redecorating the halls with 16th-century frescoes.
The Borghese family bought the property in 1678 and the castle known as ‘Marco Simone’ was then bought by the Brancaccio family at the end of the 19th century.
After World War Two, the castle was finally abandoned and largely wrecked until fashion designer Laura Biagiotti bought the building in 1978 and restored it.
Biagiotti founded the House of Biagiotti, one of the largest fashion houses in Italy which specialises in men’s and women’s clothing, watches and other accessories.
She had previously lived in the castle in the 1970s with her husband Gianni Cigna.
The golf course was named after the Marco Simone Castle and was opened in 1989. Jim Fazio and David Mezzacane designed the course which currently stands at a par 72 of 6,937 yards.
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FAQ
When was Marco Simone given the Ryder Cup?
The Ryder Cup received four bids from different venues to host the event in 2023. It was in December 2015 when Rome was given the event ahead of Germany, Austria and Spain.
This Ryder Cup had been planned for 2022 before the Covid-19 pandemic. This set back the event in 2020 in Whistling Straits to 2021, and so this edition was delayed until now.
Has Marco Simone been used for other tournaments?
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club hosted the Italian Open on the DP World Tour for the first time in 1994.
It has also hosted the event in each of the last three years as the venue ramped up its preparation for the Ryder Cup.
Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard and Adrian Meronk have respectively won on these occasions, with the former two making the 2023 European Ryder Cup side.
Where will the next European Ryder Cup be held?
The next European Ryder Cup will be held in 2027 at Adare Manor in Limerick, Ireland.
It will be the first time the Ryder Cup has been held in Ireland since Europe won the trophy at the K Club in 2006.
Where is Marco Simone Golf and Country Club?
Marco Simone Golf and Country Club is located in Guidonia, about 10 miles from the city centre of Rome.
It has two golf courses: one championship golf course and one 9-hole resort golf course.
Now read: Redesigned for match play: Will Marco Simone prove a great Ryder Cup venue?
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
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