
Japan
Japan is a country of surprises, formality, exemplary manners, reliable cars, sumo wrestling and sushi. The Japanese people are also proud of their four seasons, which can be quite extreme in terms of weather conditions. This is why many Japanese courses have dual greens, one for summer and one for winter.
Hirono Golf Club
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Hirono Golf Club
Hirono Golf Club has played host to all the major Japanese championships and, although it measures a mere 6,925 yards from the back tees, it’s a supreme test of golf.
Kawana Hotel (Fuji)
Chubu, Japan
Kawana Hotel (Fuji)
There are two courses on the Izu Peninsula at the Kawana Resort and the Fuji course is universally considered to be the best.
Naruo Golf Club
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Naruo Golf Club
Naruo shares all the traditional aspects of Japan’s older golf clubs. The continuity in tradition here is maintained by the 700 members whose average age is 71.
Tokyo Golf Club
Kanto, Japan
Tokyo Golf Club
You’ll need an invite to play here at Tokyo Golf Club but if you are lucky enough to receive one, take it immediately. This is a world-class golf course that is mature way beyond its years.
Yokohama Country Club (West)
Kanto, Japan
Yokohama Country Club (West)
Yokohama Country Club was founded in 1960 and over the following six years architect Takeo Aiyama designed and built both the East and West 18-hole layouts.
Kasumigaseki (East)
Kanto, Japan
Kasumigaseki (East)
The East course at Kasumigaseki Country Club employs the traditional Japanese dual green system, one for the winter and one for the summer, which takes a bit of getting used if you’re not familiar with this feature.
Hokkaido Classic
Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido Classic
One of seven golf facilities operated by the same management company in Japan, the course at Hokkaido Classic Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that debuted in 1991.
Fujizakura
Kanto, Japan
Fujizakura
Located in the northern foothills of Mount Fuji, Fujizakura Country Club is set at altitude in the heart of the popular resort area of Fuji Five Lakes.
Shimonoseki
Chugoku, Japan
Shimonoseki
Founded in 1956, the course at Shimonoseki Golf Club was designed by Osamu Ueda and proudly played host to the Japan Open in 1991 (won by Tsuneyuki Nakajima) and 2002 (won by David Smail).
Tokyo Classic
Kanto, Japan
Tokyo Classic
Built on the site of a former cedar tree farm, an hour’s drive west of downtown Tokyo, the course at Tokyo Classic was more than a decade in the making.
Kasumigaseki (West)
Kanto, Japan
Kasumigaseki (West)
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...
Phoenix (Takachiho & Sumiyoshi)
Kyushu, Japan
Phoenix (Takachiho & Sumiyoshi)
Phoenix Country Club is located within the Phoenix Seagaia Resort on the Hitotsuba Pacific Coast and Kokichi Ohashi set out the original 18-hole course in 1971.
Taiheiyo Club (Gotemba)
Chubu, Japan
Taiheiyo Club (Gotemba)
Taiheiyo Club operates 18 golf courses in Japan and its flagship Gotemba course hosted the World Cup in 2001, an event won by the South African team of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Ibaraki (West)
Kanto, Japan
Ibaraki (West)
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.
Higashi Hirono
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Higashi Hirono
The hilly course at Higashi Hirono Golf Club is a 1989 Yukichi Kobayashi creation, which staged the 2012 Panasonic Open, won by the architect’s namesake Masanori Kobayashi.
Golden Valley Golf Club
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Golden Valley Golf Club
Opened in the late 1980s and designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the mountain course at Golden Valley Golf Club was one of the first in Japan to employ single greens.
Rokko Kokusai (East)
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Rokko Kokusai (East)
The East course at the 36-hole Rokko Kokusai Golf Club is a Fukuichi Kato design from 1975 that was renovated by Nicklaus Design in 1996.
Chiba (Umesato)
Kanto, Japan
Chiba (Umesato)
The Umesato course at Chiba Country Club opened for play in 1960, hosting the Japan Open just two years after its inauguration.
Taiheiyo (Mashiko PGA)
Kanto, Japan
Taiheiyo (Mashiko PGA)
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
Kanto, Japan
Horai
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.
Osaka Golf Club
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
Osaka Golf Club
Osamu Ueda originally designed the course at Osaka Golf Club back in 1937 and it’s routed across high ground where panoramic views of Osaka Bay will be enjoyed from the rolling fairways.
Nagoya (Wago)
Chubu, Japan
Nagoya (Wago)
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.
Passage Kinkai Island
Kyushu, Japan
Passage Kinkai Island
Host to the Japan PGA Championship in 2010, won by Toru Taniguchi, the course at Passage Kinkai Island Golf Club is set on the western shore of Omura Bay and was designed by Yoshiaki Fujii, opening for play in 1992.
Katayamazu (Hakusan)
Chubu, Japan
Katayamazu (Hakusan)
Established in the late 1950s, Katayamazu Golf Club brought the Hakusan course into play within three years of its formation.
The Royal Golf Club
Kanto, Japan
The Royal Golf Club
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
Kanto, Japan
Caledonian
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.”
Fukuoka (Wajiro)
Kyushu, Japan
Fukuoka (Wajiro)
Beginning and ending with a par five, the 18-hole Wajiro course at Fukuoka Country Club is configured with two returning nines. The layout opened for play in 1952 and its two-green system endures to the present day.
Eniwa (Mashu & Akan)
Hokkaido, Japan
Eniwa (Mashu & Akan)
The Mashu and Akan nines form the preferred 18-hole layout at Eniwa Country Club, where tree-lined holes designed by Hirochika Tomisawa are set out on the flood plain of the Izari River, making this an easy-walking place to play.
Bonari Kogen
Tohoku, Japan
Bonari Kogen
The sixth and final Japanese golf project from Ron Fream of Golfplan in the 1990s, the course at Bonari Kogen Golf Club occupies a spectacular location in the foothills of the Azuma Mountain Range.
Grandee Nasu Shirakawa (South & West)
Tohoku, Japan
Grandee Nasu Shirakawa (South & West)
Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed all 36 holes at Grandee Nasu Shirakawa Golf Club in 1995. The Nasu Mountains provide a magnificent backcloth to a challenging course that has hosted the Dunlop Srixon Fukushima Open on the Japan Golf Tour since 2014.
Nishi-Nasuno
Kanto, Japan
Nishi-Nasuno
Laid out by the flamboyant American architect Robert von Haage, the tree-lined fairways at Nish-Nasuno Country Club are framed by tall Japanese red pine trees, providing golfers with a real sense of seclusion when they play here.
Sapporo (Wattsu)
Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo (Wattsu)
Venue for the ANA Open on the Japan Golf Tour, Sapporo Golf Club has all but three times annually hosted this professional event on its Wattsu course.
Ibusuki (Kaimon)
Kyushu, Japan
Ibusuki (Kaimon)
Featuring bent grass greens, the Kaimon course at Ibusuki Golf Club is a late 1960s Seiiche Inoue design that lies at the foot of Mount Kaimon, on the southern tip of the Satsuma peninsula, where strong sea breezes often heighten the challenge.
The Cypress
Kinki (Kansai), Japan
The Cypress
With the forested mountains of Tamba looming on three sides, the course at The Cypress Golf Club comprises two distinct nines; an outward half routed over hilly terrain while the inward half occupies flatter ground to the east of the property.
Musashi (Toyooka)
Kanto, Japan
Musashi (Toyooka)
Located an hour’s drive northwest of downtown Tokyo, the 36-hole golf facility at Musashi Country Club celebrated fifty years in operation in 2009 by hosting the 74th edition of the Japan Open on its Seiichi Inoue-designed Toyooka course.
Sapporo (Yuni)
Hokkaido, Japan
Sapporo (Yuni)
Not to be confused with the Wattsu course which annually hosts the ANA Open on the Japan Golf Tour, Sapporo Golf Club’s other 18-hole design, the Yuni course, is also a 1950s Seichi Inoue design located thirty kilometres further east.
Natsudomari
Tohoku, Japan
Natsudomari
Established in 1992, Natsudomari Golf Links lies at the northern end of a peninsula that protrudes into Matsu Bay in Aomori Prefecture. In truth, the course is more seaside than links in nature but don’t expect local golfers to argue about the difference.
Murasaki (Sumire)
Kanto, Japan
Murasaki (Sumire)
The Sumire course comprises the private 18-hole layout at the 36-hole Murasaki Country Club. Pascuzzo Pate Golf Design began a phased upgrade in 2012 which resulted in the 85th edition of the Japan Open being held here in 2020.
PGM Golf Resort Okinawa (Hibiscus & Bougainvillea)
Kyushu, Japan
PGM Golf Resort Okinawa (Hibiscus & Bougainvillea)
Keiji Matsuyama designed the layout at PGM Golf Resort Okinawa in the early 1970s, with Isao Aoki subsequently modifying the set-up. The Hibiscus and Bougainville nines make up the 18-hole course of first choice at a fabulous 27-hole facility.
Kawaguchiko (East & South)
Kanto, Japan
Kawaguchiko (East & South)
The East and South nines at the 27-hole Kawaguchiko Country Club form the premier 18-hole combination at this 1977 Robert von Hagge and Bruce Devlin creation. The course is routed over gentle, forested terrain at altitude of about 1,000 meters at the northern foot of Mount Fuji.
New St Andrews (New)
Kanto, Japan
New St Andrews (New)
Japan’s New St Andrews Golf Club is a 27-hole facility where Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead laid out the club’s 18-hole New course in 1975. It’s a well-bunkered 6,800-yard layout where both small and large ponds also create an aquatic challenge during the round.
Sagamihara (East)
Kanto, Japan
Sagamihara (East)
A three-time host of the Japan Open Championship (most recently in 2007, which Toru Taniguchi won) the East course at Sagamihara Golf Club dates back to 1955 and it’s a thoroughly challenging layout.
Shishido Hills (West)
Kanto, Japan
Shishido Hills (West)
The West course at the 36-hole Shishido Hills Country Club has played host to the Japan Golf Tour Championship since 2003 and it’s a tough-as-nails 7,200-yard test when the rough is up and the layout is prepared in its rather narrow championship livery.
Kawana (Oshima)
Chubu, Japan
Kawana (Oshima)
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.
Katsuragi (Yamana)
Chubu, Japan
Katsuragi (Yamana)
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.
Hokkaido Brooks
Hokkaido, Japan
Hokkaido Brooks
Designed by Taizo Kawata and Ed Sneed (who had a 3-shot lead with three holes to play in 1979 Masters but lost the playoff), Hokkaido Brooks Country Club (formerly Tomakomai CC) opened in 1992 and it’s a tough 7,312-yard layout that pitches and rolls over the hillside setting.
Ocean Palace
Kyushu, Japan
Ocean Palace
You’d never think that the course at Ocean Palace Golf Club & Resort was fashioned by the Nagasaki Airport Authorities, but you would believe they built the 100-metre suspended walkway across Ōmura Bay to Tatsu Island where five holes are located. The par three 11th, which plays across the full width of the strait, is simply unforgettable.
Miyazaki
Kyushu, Japan
Miyazaki
Established in 1960 and designed by renowned golf course architect Noriyuki Miyoshi, Miyazaki Country Club is not just the oldest golf course in Miyazaki prefecture, but also a revered landmark in the golfing world of Japan. Nestled amidst lush subtropical greenery and boasting stunning views of the nearby Philippine Sea, the club has captivated golfers for over six decades with its challenging yet scenic layout.
Musashi (Sasai)
Kanto, Japan
Musashi (Sasai)
The 36-hole facility at Musashi Country Club was established in 1959, with Seiichi Inoue designing both 18-hole layouts. The Sasai closed for almost a year in 2013/14 during a major renovation of the course and the rebuilding of the clubhouse.
Keya (Daimon & Kofuji)
Kyushu, Japan
Keya (Daimon & Kofuji)
Once known as Kyushu-Sima Country Club, the modern day Keya Golf Club has hosted the Japan Tour’s KBC Augusta tournament since 1992. Designed by Shiro Akaboshi, the Daimon and Kofuji nines extend to 7,151 yards for this professional event.
Hiroshima (Hachihonmatsu)
Chugoku, Japan
Hiroshima (Hachihonmatsu)
First time visitors to Hiroshima Country Club must head east from downtown Hiroshima in search of the club’s two 18-hole layouts. The Hachihonmatsu course is nearest, a 45-minute drive away, with the Saijo course located 10 kilometres further on.
Ibaraki (East)
Kanto, Japan
Ibaraki (East)
The East course at Ibaraki Country Club dates back to when the club was founded in the early 1920s, making it one of Japan’s oldest, and the 18-hole layout hosted the 78th edition of the Japan Open in 2013.
Miyoshi (West)
Chubu, Japan
Miyoshi (West)
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.
Gifu Seki (East)
Kanto, Japan
Gifu Seki (East)
Originally set out by Osamu Ueda in the early 1960s and upgraded on a couple of occasions since then by Taizo Kawata, the East course is the longer and tighter of two 18-hole layouts at Gifu Seki Country Club.
Eagle Point Golf Club - Japan
Kanto, United States
Eagle Point Golf Club - Japan
Situated to the east of the city of Ushiku, the course at Eagle Point Golf Club is a Taizo Kawata design that debuted in 1999. It’s configured as two retuning nines, with water hazards featuring at a handful of the holes.
Nihonkai (West & Middle)
Chubu, Japan
Nihonkai (West & Middle)
Set within a coastal pine forest, the West and Middle nines at the Nihonkai Country Club form the 18-hole combination of first choice at an excellent 27-hole golf facility which is located near the city of Niigata.