Kasumigaseki (West)

11^th

A major change to the West course at Kasumigaseki Country Club was made by Taizo Kawata when he converted the traditional Japanese dual greens into conventional putting surfaces...

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Nasu

12^th

Routed across undulating, wooded terrain, Nasu Golf Club measures 6,615 yards from the tips and this must have been a tough course when the Kinya Fujita and Seiichi Inoue-designed Nasu track opened in 1936.

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Hakone

13^th

Designed by Shiro Akaboshi in 1954, the course at Hakone Country Club was built with no expense spared, including the importation of thousands of tons of volcanic soil from the Mt Fuji region.

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Ibaraki (West)

14^th

Originally designed by Seiichi Inoue in 1960 with double greens, the West course at Ibaraki Country Club was renovated by Rees Jones creating single green complexes, reopening to acclaim in 2011.

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Chiba (Umesato)

15^th

The Umesato course at Chiba Country Club opened for play in 1960, hosting the Japan Open just two years after its inauguration.

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Taiheiyo (Mashiko PGA)

16^th

The Gotemba course is the flagship layout in the Taiheiyo Club’s 18-course portfolio, but the Mashiko PGA course (designed by Shunsuke Kato in 1976 and renovated by the same architect in 2002) may well be the most demanding of them all.

Horai

17^th

Located next to Nishinasuno Golf Club, the course at Horai Country Club is a 1990 Robert von Hagge-design that twists and turns through forested terrain where doglegs are aplenty and the green complexes often large, undulating and very tricky to read. It’s a clever amalgam of modern and classic design.

The Royal Golf Club

18^th

With the shortest par three measuring a mighty 239 yards and the longest par five weighing in at a whopping 705 yards, it’s no surprise to learn that The Royal Golf Club course can be stretched to an astonishing 8,143 yards from the tips.

Caledonian

19^th

Caledonian Golf Club is a 1990 J. Michael Poellot design with a back nine that impressed Tom Doak: “The Cape par-4 13th around the lake at the back of the clubhouse, the par-5 15th with its approach vaguely reminiscent of the 13th at Augusta, and the par-5 closer with an alternate fairway route like the 15th at Seminole.”

Narusawa

20^th

Opened in 1994, the course at Narusawa Golf Club lies under the watchful gaze of Mount Fuji at an altitude of more than 3,500 feet. Unusually, a good number of holes on the outward half dogleg to the left, while coming home holes invariably dogleg right.