Westhampton - Italy is known for excellent cuisine, its rich history and culture, beautiful and diverse cities and its passionate people. Golf never quite made the cut. Until now. Architect Kyle Phillips, of Kingsbarns fame (near St. Andrews), has designed two 18 hole masterpieces at a five-star luxury resort called Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily, one of the Rocco Forte Collection of luxury hotel properties.

Beach front.

The discerning golfer can play two championship lay-outs and a par three course. The magnificence of the links are rivaled by the excellence of the resort's cuisine, treatments at the spa, the innovative and contemporary design of the resort, both exterior and interior, and the quality of the service, not to mention the rich and diverse beauty of the island and all the historical significance and attractions that come with it!

Both the East Course and the West Course meander in a valley among the 570 acres of rolling hills dotted with orange, lemon and olive groves undulating its way down to the 1.2 miles of the gorgeous coastline of the Mediterranean Sea, where the various shades of blue from the sea are mesmerizing. Many of the holes on both courses have a view of the ocean or run directly alongside the shoreline. Phillips blended an interesting mix of par 3, 4 and 5's and when the strong winds pick up and rip along the coast line, the East Course, measuring 7,221 meters, and the West Course at 7,474 meters, can become quite the challenge.

I played the West Course once and the East Course twice. The East Course seemed to have a bit more of a links-like feel on the holes that were not alongside the water. I adore the opening hole on the East Course, a shorter par four, dog leg right. With its mounds and fairly deep bunkering on the fairway, you feel as if you could be playing a links course in Scotland, except the sun is always shining and there is very little rain!

Main pool area.

My favorite sections of the East Course are the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes. The par five, fourth hole provides quite the challenge against the wind and quite the scenic backdrop as you head toward the sea. The par four, fifth hole is the number one handicap hole nestled among a narrow fairway which runs slightly uphill towards a bunker guarded green, with colorful wild flowers dotting both sides of the fairway. And then you arrive to the charming par three, sixth hole that can either play a picturesque 108 meters with no wind from the blue tees or a scenic but feisty, wind-challenged, two-to-three club extra 140 meters. The par four, seventh takes you back towards the mountain. The par three, 16th hole at 123 meters from the blue tees, can also be deceiving based on wind direction and the beauty of the coastline again comes into play. And then the par four, 17th, with its open fairway and scenic grandeur, heads uphill to a raised green and several bunkers, with the sea on your left before you turn around and head to the clubhouse on the par four, 18th, from a raised tee area on a cliff, looking down along the rugged coastline on your right. High grass on the left and the coastline on the right make this a challenging finish as you navigate home.

Wild flowers, with shades of purple, pink, blue and yellow, fill in the landscape like a Renoir painting. Calmness permeates the expansive lay-out. No cars are allowed on resort property other than cabs picking up and dropping off. Each occupant is given a golf cart to get around. And there are plenty of bicycles if you prefer the exercise. The only sounds come from the roar of the ocean, chirping birds or the strong winds.

View of a hole alongside the Mediterranean Sea, the Sicilian coastline.

As I played the West Course and viewed holes on the East Course, it occurred to me that one course combining all the scenic ocean holes would be an over the top scenic delight! And to my pleasant surprise, I soon learned that Phillips had routed the holes from both the East and West lay-outs which could form a composite championship course. This design would feature all the ocean holes and play at 7,458 meters. What a venue this could be for a televised professional tournament!

Par four, fifth hole on the East Course.

Niall Cameron, Verdura's Director of Golf, who is also working as the main designer for the golf course on a new Rocco Forte Marrakech property which is set to open in 2012, says of Verdura: "It is a very unique setting. From the architectural side, it looks like Africa meeting Europe. From the distance, every building is low rise and every room has a view of the ocean. Kyle Phillips had a great part in the lay-out of the whole resort. The hotel is part of the Rocco Forte Collection, rather than a chain of hotels and being the first of many golf resorts. I think people will love every aspect of it. This is resort golf but we have a championship quality with it and golfers will love it - it is very easy to look at the Verdura courses and say that Kyle has placed the golf course beautifully on the land but the fact is that it takes skill as a designer to create wonderful golf that looks very natural."

Verdura, located in SW Sicily, is an 80 minute drive from Palermo. There are 205 rooms and suites, all with views of the Mediterrean and designed by architect Flavio Albanese. The exterior has a Mexican look with the terracotta and ochre exteriors and minimalist lines. Albanese incorporated ecological features including solar energy and water recycling which is important in Sicily with rainfall at a minimum. The interior design is extraordinary as well. Rocco Forte's sister, Olga Polizzi, the Director of Design on all Forte's hotel properties, created a most contemporary feel - luxurious but practical. Luciano Lussardi, the General Manager of Verdura, says that "all the rooms are modern with personality, utilizing elements from the region. Verdura is not a traditional hotel but satisfies a combination of a very active, dynamic person with a lot of class and the contemporary style."

Par three, sixth hole on the East Course.

And could a resort property thrive in Italy without equally dazzling cuisine? Verdura lives up to that challenge, exceeding expectations! As much as I love to golf, I equally have a passion for food. Chef Fulvio Pierangelini, awarded two Michelin stars, is the culinary consultant. "Fulvio is known all over Italy, and internationally," adds Lussardi. "He is one of the masters of Italian cooking. The food is certainly by itself a reason to come to Verdura!" Verdura offers both casual and sophisticated restaurants and the menus feature local seafood, produce and Sicilian specialties. I became a big fan of Sicilian wines, particularly the blends. And Massimo Fonte, the Head Bartender, shared his recipe for what has become the most popular cocktail at Verdura, the 'Verdino:' fresh basil leaves, fresh grapes, fresh lemon, gin, green apple and sugar. Mix it all together and you have a delicious refreshing concoction to enjoy after your round.

Golf was the featured activity of the day but the spa was to die for! With a heated indoor infinity lap pool and three outdoor salt water pools of varying temperatures and a full equipped gym, I was in heaven! And the Sicilian Aroma massage could not have been better! Can you tell I loved this place?

There was a little bit of time for sight-seeing but you would need much more time than the three days I was there to take it all in. The town of Sciacca, a working fishing port and artisan center, is only a 20 minute drive from Verdura. I loaded up on ceramic gifts for friends and family. Founded in the 7th century, much of its medieval architecture remains and beautiful churches which embrace a variety of architectural styles, from Romanesque to Baroque, can be found scattered throughout the village. It was a lot of fun attempting to converse with the locals, although my Italian needs a lot of work!

The Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) located in Agrigento, consisting of ruins of seven temples dating back to 510-430 B.C., is one of the most important archeological sites in the world. It is located about 40 minutes from Verdura. The entire island has so many historic and cultural attractions that I promised the next time I visit, I would at least spend a week there! Perhaps learning all about olive oil production and Sicilian wine will be part of the next visit as well.

Golf lives in Italy and at the Verdura Golf and Spa Resort in Sicily, it's a slice of heaven.