Courses

Less than two hours from central Tokyo, Spa & Golf Resort Kuji is nestled in the beautiful Hitachiota region of Ibaraki Prefecture. Renowned for its unique course layout and contrasting nines, I set out from Tokyo eagerly. Having seen pictures of the resort’s accommodations and expansive open spaces on the website, I mostly looked forward to getting away from the city for a few days.

As we arrived in the afternoon on a Friday, the summer sun had dipped behind the trees, casting a magical glow over the surroundings. Immediatley you notice the cool Western-style villas lining the fairways on the right and a large covered driving range to the left, as you enter the clubhouse car park you will see its adjacent the on-site hotel.

Pulling up to the entrance, the staff...

Perched above the picturesque Seto Inland Sea, Setouchi Golf Club offers one of the best golf resort experiences in Japan. It has the 3 most important ingredients for any golfing trip; 1. The Setting: The sweeping vistas of the turquoise sea with beautiful wooded islands, and hemmed by the surrounding mountains are on par with any view in Japan. 2. A player's course: This is a golfing gem- challenging holes, superbly routed that demand your attention and are as beautiful as the backdrop- but more on that later... And no. 3. The Hospitality: This is one point where Setouchi soars above the rest; it is full of local, authentic charm, amazing cuisine, and friendly, good-natured people -are what defines this place.

As a mid-handicap golfer, I’ve never played in any serious golf competitions. The monthly medal at my home course or a "few bob" on a skins game with friends is as close to real tournament pressure as I will ever find. But as a fan of the game, I do love playing championship courses. Remembering the epic battles of professional tournaments fought by the greats of the game, the shots that won them the tournament, how they played the course and their composure never fails to inspire us to try and bring some of that into our own games.

On a recent trip to Mie prefecture in the southwest of Japan, I was lucky enough to enjoy a round at the fantastic Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club. A masterful design by Mr Osamu Umeda, this 18-hole, par-72 course was made famous by being home to...

Mountain courses are not everyone's cup of tea, but I love that they have personality and are memorable in a way some of the more ‘civilized’ courses are not. Sky Hill was no exception and we had a super fun day watching balls fly from the launch pad tees, calculating (guessing!) up and downhill yardages, and spotting various forms of wildlife (was it a Civet or a Japanese Badger?). My memories of the day are happily colored by an equal personal best stolen with a par on the signature downhill par five 18th.

Part of the advantage of living in Chiba, as I do, is the proximity to golf courses. But living out there still doesn't make me immune to the dreaded morning and afternoon traffic jams that greet all golfers! To counter this several golf courses offer night golf, which is the perfect antidote to traffic not only on the roads but on the course itself! Playing night golf in Japan is like playing golf overseas: you drive there in 30 minutes or less, get right on to the course, and play-through in under 4 hours, and head back home. What's not to love? Well, I can hear the naysayers asking about lost balls. But I can honestly say that I lose fewer balls at night than I do during the day. More about that later.

There are no daylight savings in Japan- or Asia for that matter. That means, starting from Mid April until the end of August, sunrise is around 4 a.m. The idea of a 4:32 a.m. tee time might seem a bit daft to most, but for the golfer in Japan it not only makes a lot of sense, it is in fact, genious.