WA Italian Golf Club

Puglia, Italy – 2025

What happens when you mix sunshine, golf, pasta, and vino?
You get Puglia 2025 — the perfect recipe for friendship, fun, and unforgettable memories under the Mediterranean sky.

From the very first “ciao” at Perth Airport to the final farewell in Matera, our second WAIGC international tour was full with laughter, lively competition, and many Italian lunches and dinners . The feedback has been heartwarming, and none more so than a beautiful message from Alisa Fassetta — wife of our 2025 European Champion ,Patrick — which captured the joy and connection felt by all.

Here’s a little snapshot of the magic we shared…

✈️ Rome – The Warm-Up Act
On 25 May, approximately  50 intrepid adventurers — 32 WAIGC golfers and their brave, ever-patient partners — bid “arrivederci” to Perth and jetted off for 10 days of golf, some  indulgence, and good company.

First stop:  Magliana [just outside Rome]. After checking into the Sheraton  (it had a bar, so we were happy), we tackled the legendary Marco Simone Golf Club — home of the 2024 Ryder Cup. The course was tough, the bunkers tougher… but spirits were sky high (helped by the post-round Italian beers). The scoreboard may have leaned toward bogeys, but we all felt like winners.[Many partners decided to catch a cab to Rome for the day for some shopping ]

🌿 Acaya – The  middle of the Tour
Next, we headed south to Acaya Golf Resort in Vernole — our home base for the heart of the tour. We kicked things off with a warm welcome dinner, overflowing wine, and just one broken chair (we promised not to name names… for now).

Two rounds of golf at the charming Acaya course followed,[ one with heavy rain ] interspersed with scenic day trips: the baroque beauty of Lecce, the coastal gem Otranto, and the olive oil caves of Gallipoli — which, as George Priolo put it, “smelled like Nonna’s kitchen.”

🌊 San Domenico – Golf Meets Glamour
For our show-stopping rounds, we teed up at San Domenico Golf Club, perched along the breathtaking Fasano coastline. With the Adriatic sea sparkling beside us, some played the round of their lives… while others perfected the olive-tree selfie.

Pasta-fuelled evenings and dreamy day trips through Ostuni, Alberobello, Martina Franca, and Locorotondo kept our hearts and stomachs  full — and some even claimed their risotto with truffle had “spiritual healing properties.”

🎂 A dinner  to Remember
In spectacular style —  a large group dined in the world-famous Grotto of Polignano a Mare, carved into the cliff face. The views were breathtaking, overlooking the grotto and ocean, the food sublime, and  John Divirgilio,  took the opportunity to  celebrate his birthday , again , to sound of the  resident Saxaphone … classic WAIGC.

🏛️ Matera – Grand Finale & Awards Night
Our final destination: the ancient wonder of Matera. Here, we wrapped up the tour with a magical closing night in (where else?) another underground restaurant. It was an evening of fine food, dodgy singing, heartfelt speeches, and a lot of love as we crowned our champions and enjoyed each others company.  The tour champion ,Patrick Fassetta, was awarded the  WAIGC Overseas Tour Shield in Italy.  After engraving it will be retained for safekeeping at the WAIC. It’ll take pride of place among the growing collection of WAIGC trophies on display.

🏆 Puglia Tour 2025 Champions

1st – Patrick Fassetta – Trophy – 145 points
2nd – Carla Conceição & Damien Stanoevski – 143 points
4th – Mario Turco & John Gullotto – 140 points
6th – John Divirgilio – 137 points (Birthday bonus pending)
7th – George Michalczyk – 136 points
8th – John Day – 133 points
9th – George Priolo – 132 points
10th – John Italiano – 131 points

👥 Teams Competition – The Battle of the Bunkers

1st – Black Knights – 777 points (Captain: Tony Pagana)
2nd – Espresso Exterminators – 770 points (Captain: Rita Michalczyk)
3rd – Italian Swingers – 758 points (Captain: John Italiano)
4th – The Champions – 751 points (Captain: John Gullotto)

(Note: All team names subject to merciless ridicule at the next catch-up.)

 Fun Fines & Fond Farewells

No tour is complete without a little mischief — and our €5 fine system delivered in style. Kudos to Joe Radici for masterfully policing our (alleged) offences until an unfortunate injury. We wish him a speedy recovery and thank Lee Pagana for stepping up in true WAIGC fashion. The funds raised will go toward a special reunion,  as is now tradition ,  once everyone is back in Perth.

As we said our goodbyes — some returning via Rome, others drifting off to continue their European escapes — we carried home more than just suitcases full of shopping. We brought back laughter, friendships, stories, and a little extra magic from the heart of Italy.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who made this trip so special.

A special thank you of course to George and Rita [Motive Travel]  for organising again a memorable golfing experience .