Best golf courses: Japan

Japan: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in this country or region. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key for the rating definitions.
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Chiba
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

Seiichi Inoue

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Chiba
Akaboshi, Rokuro

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

Original design by Japanese course architects Rokuro and Shiro Akaboshi (1930); modifications by Brian M. Silva (USA).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Chiba
Karo, Shunsuke

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

Shunsuke Kato

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Chiba
Izumu, Kazusuke

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

Kazusuke Izumi

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Restricted
Chiba
Poellot, J. Michael

Visitors?

Restricted

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

J. Michael Poellot

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Chiba
Kawata, Taizo

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Chiba

Designer

Taizo Kawata

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Fukuoka
Akaboshi, Shiro

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Fukuoka

Designer

Shiro Akaboshi

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Fukuoka
Ueda, Osamu

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Fukuoka

Designer

Osamu Ueda

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Fukushima
Fream, Ron

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Fukushima

Designer

Ron Fream

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Gotemba
Akaboshi, Shiro

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Gotemba

Designer

Shiro Akaboshi

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Gotemba
Kato, Shunsuke

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Gotemba

Designer

Original design by Shunsuke Kato (1977); renovation by Rees Jones, working with Hideki Matsuyama (2018).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Gotemba
Otani & Asaka

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Gotemba

Designer

Mitsuaki Otani & Yasuhiko Asaka

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Gotemba
Akaboshi, Shiro

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Gotemba

Designer

Shiro Akaboshi

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Rsrt guests only
Ito
Alison, Charles H.

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Ito

Designer

Fuji course: designed by Charles Hugh Alison (1936).
Oshima course: one of Japan's oldest courses; designed by Mitsuaki Otani (1928).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Karuizawa
Kato, Shunsuke

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Karuizawa

Designer

Shunsuke Kato

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Karuizawa
Kodera, Yuji

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Karuizawa

Designer

Yuji Kodera

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Karuizawa
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Karuizawa

Designer

All six 18-hole courses at Karuizawa 72 were designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr, and opened in 1972.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kitakyushu
Ueda, Osamu

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kitakyushu

Designer

Osamu Ueda

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Ueda, Osamu

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Osamu Ueda

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Alison, Charles H.

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Original design and later modifications by Charles Hugh Alison (1931, 1948). Renovated by Martin Ebert (2018).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Inoue, Alison & Jones

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

East course designed by David Hood of Scotland (1923); renovated by Charles H. Alison (1930).
West course designed by Seiichi Inoue (1960); completely redesigned by Rees Jones and Bryce Swanson (2011).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Ueda, Osamu

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Osamu Ueda

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Crane & Alison

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Current course designed in 1927 by club members - the Crane brothers (Joe E., Harry C. and Bertie E. Crane). Later modifications drawn up by Charles Hugh Alison (1930).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Mito
Sato, Kentaro

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Mito

Designer

Kentaro Sato

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Mito
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Mito

Designer

Jack Nicklaus

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Mito
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Mito

Designer

Seiichi Inoue

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Miyazaki
Ohashi, Kokichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Miyazaki

Designer

Kokichi Ohashi

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Miyazaki
Watson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Miyazaki

Designer

Tom Watson

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Nagoya
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Nagoya

Designer

Original design by Seiichi Inoue (1954); redesign by Taizo Kawata (2004).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Nagoya
Ueda, Osamu

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Nagoya

Designer

Original design by Osamu Ueda (1964); redesign and improvements by Taizo Kawata (1994, 2006, 2007).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Nagoya
Otani, Mitsuaki

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Nagoya

Designer

Originally designed by Mitsuaki Otani and Charles H. Alison (1928); modified by Sho Tobari (2010).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Nasushiobara
Nicklaus & Muirhead

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Nasushiobara

Designer

Jack Nicklaus & Desmond Muirhead

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Nasushiobara
Fujita & Inoue

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Nasushiobara

Designer

Kinya Fujita & Seiichi Inoue

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Nasushiobara
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Nasushiobara

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Snr

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Ltd access
Nasushiobara
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Ltd access

Nearest city

Nasushiobara

Designer

Seiichi Inoue

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Niigata
Okubo, Sho

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Niigata

Designer

Sho Okubo

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Okinawa
Unknown

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Okinawa

Designer

Unknown

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Sapporo
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Seiichi Inoue

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Sapporo
Tsutsumi, Yoshiaki

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Sapporo
Dye, Pete & Perry

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Father-son team of Pete & Perry Dye.

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Sapporo
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Jack Nicklaus

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Sapporo
Yasuda, Kokichi

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Current layout by Kokichi Yasuda (1974); modifications by Damian Pascuzzo.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Sapporo
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sapporo

Designer

Arnold Palmer

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Kawata, Taizo

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Taizo Kawata

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Otani, Mitsuaki

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Original design at this location by Mitsuaki Otani (1940).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Yasuda, Kokichi

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Original design by Yasuda Kokichi (1960); redesign by Taizo Kawata (2004).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Akaboshi, Rokuro

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Rokuro Akaboshi

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Ltd access
Tokyo
Inoue, Seiichi

Visitors?

Ltd access

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Seiichi Inoue

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Aiyama & Takemura

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

East and West courses originally designed by Takeo Aiyama & Hideo Takemura (1960). East course renovated by Kentaro Sato (2001). West renovated by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2016).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Hagen, Walter

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Walter Hagen

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Tokyo
Odera / Murakami

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

Odera / Murakami

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Tokyo
Alison, Charles H.

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Tokyo

Designer

East course: designed by Kinya Fujita and Shiro Akaboshi (1929), with five holes redesigned by Charles "Hugh" Alison (1930). Modifications made by Taizo Kawata (1998) and a wide-ranging renovation made by Logan Fazio (son of Tom Fazio) in 2015.
West course: designed by Kinya Fujita and Seiichi Inoue (1929); modified by Taizo Kawata (1992).

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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