Chubu

Map of Chubu

Noted for its most famous landmark, Mount Fuji, the Chubu region is located in the central area of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, between the Kanto and Kansai regions, and it boasts coastlines along both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. Residing within nine prefectures, the population of over twenty million people is spread over an area extending to approximately 28,000 square miles.

The Fuji course at the Kawana Resort is a truly world class layout that C.H. Alison designed back in the mid-1930s and it has featured in World Top 100 listings for years now. The resort’s other 18-hole course (the Oshima) was actually in play a decade earlier but its elementary design leaves a lot to be desired, unfortunately. The Karuizawa course is another Golden Age resort layout that features in our Japanese rankings and it’s a relatively short track which lies at altitude about 100 miles to the northwest of the capital. The Wago course at Nagoya also dates back to the late 1920s and it has featured as an annual stop on the Japan Golf Tour for more than half a century now.

Top 100 Golf Courses - Chubu

Kawana (Fuji)

1^st

There are two courses on the Izu Peninsula at the Kawana Resort and the Fuji course is universally considered to be the best.

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Karuizawa

2^nd

The Yuji Kodera-designed course at Karuizawa Golf Club dates back to the Golden Age and it’s located at altitude in one of the nation's most popular summer resorts. You’ll need to befriend a member to play here, however.

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Nagoya (Wago)

3^rd

Nagoya Golf Club was established in 1929, with Mitsuaki Otani setting out the Wago course for the founding members with the double green system that’s still used in the modern era.

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Katayamazu (Hakusan)

4^th

Established in the late 1950s, Katayamazu Golf Club brought the Hakusan course into play within three years of its formation.

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Taiheiyo (Gotemba)

5^th

Taiheiyo Club operates 17 golf courses in Japan and its Gotemba course was given the honour of hosting the World Cup in 2001, an event won by the South African team of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Originally designed by Shunsuke Kato, the Gotemba was completely remodelled by Rees Jones and Bryce Swanson in consultation with Hideki Matsuyama in 2018.

Aichi

6^th

Originally laid out by the prolific Seiichi Inoue, the course at Aichi Country Club underwent a major renovation by Taizo Kawata in 2004 to coincide with the club’s fiftieth anniversary. Both the Japan Open and Japan Amateur have been held here.

Katsuragi (Yamana)

7^th

Situated near the city of Hamamatsu, Katsuragi Golf Club is owned and operated by the Yamaha Motor Company. There’s not much to choose between the club’s Yamana and Ugari 18-hole layouts – even their overall yardages are almost identical.

Miyoshi (West)

8^th

Situated twenty-six kilometres from downtown Nagoya, the woodland fairways at the 36-hole Miyoshi Country Club fan out from the central clubhouse to form the 7,325-yard West course and the shorter, less demanding East course.

Kawana (Oshima)

9^th

Named after the Pacific Ocean island, the Oshima golf course at the fabled Kawana Hotel is a hilly Koumyo Otani design from 1928, which is shorter in length than its world ranked younger sibling the Fuji.