Golf on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge
The idea to hold a golf competition in Florence came about in 1997, when the company decided to invite top players to play from the Ponte Vecchio, the heart of Florence where history, art and excellence in craftsmanship come together, so creating a unique mix of top level sporting performances and 5-star hospitality. So once a year in December, during the run-up to Christmas, Florence is home to the most enchanting golf course in the world under the banner of the Ponte Vecchio Golf Challenge. World-famous players such as Bernhard Langer, Robert Karlsson and Marc Warren, juniors and amateurs engage in a match play in a very particular setting, hammering the ball towards floating greens anchored in the River Arno between the Uffizzi and Piazzale Michelangelo. . A great part of the competition’s success is due to an adrenaline-filled, high-speed formula that is easily understood by the general public. The islands are the targets, the balls are the bullets; the more balls land on the green, the more points notched up, and the closer they land, the higher the score. Easy to say, but not to do, as many champions defeated over the decade by the River Arno and its floating putting greens can testify. The endeavour becomes almost impossible if wind, cold and snow also add unexpected twists and turns to this magnificent event broadcast every year into the homes of half the world.
