Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Golf, padel and sailing: how sport is changing the way people choose a villa in Italy


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There’s a single metric that captures today’s evolution in high-end travel: affluent guests want far more than a private villa with a pool. They are looking for a villa that allows them to continue practising the sport that is part of their identity, without sacrificing the comfort of a private residence. Golf, padel and sailing are the three languages through which this change is expressing itself most forcefully.

Padel today counts over 35 million players worldwide, with courts growing by more than 15% in a single year to exceed 77,000 globally. Europe concentrates over 60% of players and about two-thirds of all courts in the world. Golf is living a new season of interest, driven by a younger and more international audience that combines it with quality accommodation experiences. Sailing, particularly in its more accessible form with catamarans and charter boats, has become an integral part of the premium coastal destination offer. Three sports, one common denominator: the search for active experiences within a holiday that never compromises on the quality of the residence.

Raro Villas curates some of Italy’s finest residences for guests looking to experience the country on a deeper level. Here is a verified selection, with sporting activities within the property or in the immediate vicinity.


Golf: from private practice to the 18-hole course in Porto Cervo

Golf was the first sport to structurally intertwine itself with the concept of a luxury villa. It is no coincidence that some of the most sought-after structures in the Raro Villas catalogue have made private sports practice a defining feature.

Corte Kalia is the most sophisticated example of this integration in contemporary Puglia: a complex of restored trulli and villa immersed in the Pugliese countryside, with an infinity pool, that includes a golf area with an outdoor putting green and an indoor Trackman simulator. The Trackman simulator is the same tool used by professionals on the world tour to analyse their swing: golf academy technology, available exclusively for the villa's guests. Corte Kalia accommodates up to 12 guests in 5 bedrooms and sits in a strategic position for reaching the Valle d'Itria villages and the Salento beaches.

Masseria Ficalindia, in the Lizzanello countryside just minutes from Lecce, offers a private-use golf practice area on a 4.5-hectare property immersed in the Salento countryside. The masseria has 5 en-suite bedrooms and a billiard room, for an integrated experience of sport, nature and culture: Lecce is 14 minutes away, the Adriatic beaches 21 minutes.

In Sardinia, the absolute reference for golf is Villa Pevero in Porto Cervo: an exclusive villa with pool and sea views, minutes from the 18-hole Pevero Golf Club, one of the most celebrated and scenic courses in the Mediterranean, designed by Robert Trent Jones on a landscape of pink granite, Mediterranean scrub and views over the Gulf of Pevero. For those who want to combine golf and the Costa Smeralda in the same stay, this is the most direct answer.

Read also: Puglia or Sardinia? How to choose the right destination for your exclusive villa holiday


Padel: the sport of the moment enters villas and proximity facilities

Padel is everywhere in 2026. This racquet sport has broken down the barriers for entry and accessibility to take over the world in a rally of fitness, fun and new communities. For decades, high-end sports travel was ruled by golf and tennis. However, the rise of luxury padel retreats at resorts across the globe is becoming hard to ignore.

What makes padel such a natural fit for private is the compactness of the infrastructure required: a padel court needs far less space than a tennis court and can be integrated even into medium-sized properties. Several Raro Villas properties are in the immediate vicinity of facilities with dedicated courts.

The most relevant case in the Fasano area is Borgo Egnazia, the reference resort for luxury Pugliese hospitality, which features three padel courts where guests can challenge their chosen opponent or book private lessons with expert instructors, ideal for both enthusiasts and those trying the sport for the first time. Raro Villas properties in the Fasano, Carovigno and Savelletri area have direct access to this sporting offer within a few kilometres.

For guests seeking an on-site padel court, Raro Villas can organise through its concierge service the booking of courts at the facilities closest to the chosen villa, curating a custom match schedule throughout the stay. It’s this level of service that transforms a villa holiday from a simple getaway into a bespoke active retreat.


Sailing and Water Sports: When the Sea Is Part of the Villa

Sailing is the third sporting pillar that is reshaping how travellers choose a villa in Italy. It does not necessarily mean owning a boat: it means having access to a reachable sea, to a property that can organise catamaran or motorboat hire, and to coves that in high season are accessible only by water.

In this context, Villa Vega at Portobello di Gallura is the Raro Villas property that best expresses this integration: two independent villas for 20 guests, with exclusive access to 3 km of coastline with white sand coves and catamaran service on request, alongside private chef, transfers and luxury car hire. The catamaran is not optional: it is the means by which guests reach the Portobello peninsula's coves that have no road access, some of the finest in the Gallura.

Every September, the Costa Smeralda hosts the Sardinia Cup, the international sailing regatta that transforms Porto Cervo into one of the most exclusive nautical settings in the Mediterranean. Those staying in a Raro Villas property in the area during that period experience the event from the inside, not as an outside spectator. Villa Essenza at Porto Rafael, with a panoramic view over the gulf and the La Maddalena islands, is one of the finest bases for exploring these waters: a seawater pool in panoramic position, equipped terraces, a 2,000 sqm garden, just 4 km from Palau and its port with connections to the archipelago.

Read also: What are the best alternatives to the Costa Smeralda? 5 lesser-known destinations in Sardinia



Why sport is becoming a primary selection criterion for villa holidays

The data driving this shift is clear: the profile of the luxury traveler has fundamentally changed. Those who choose a private villa today are often between 35 and 55, practise sport regularly, and consider the ability to play padel, get a round of golf in or take a catamaran not an optional extra but a necessary condition for choosing the property.

This has direct consequences for how properties are selected: a villa with a private putting green or with guaranteed access to a golf course within five minutes is worth, in the market's perception, significantly more than an equivalent villa without this feature. The same applies to padel and sailing.

  1. Golf: regular practice requires continuity: a Trackman simulator in the villa or an 18-hole course five minutes away are both decisive arguments.
  2. Padel: the social sport par excellence, it lends itself perfectly to a group holiday. The availability of a court nearby becomes a selection criterion on par with the outdoor kitchen or sea view.
  3. Sailing and water sports: the destination matters as much as the property. A villa with an included catamaran or direct sea access opens up experiences that a villa without this service simply cannot offer.

To build a stay that integrates sport and a prestigious residence in Raro Villas' Puglia and Sardinia destinations, the team is available via the contact page for a personalised proposal that includes the planning of the sporting activity alongside the choice of property.

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