Best golf courses: Japan - North

Japan - North: 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
Fukushima
Fream, Ron

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Fukushima

Designer

Ron Fream

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

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Karuizawa

Designer

Yuji Kodera

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

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
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

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
Nasushiobara
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Nasushiobara

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Snr

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

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Niigata

Designer

Sho Okubo

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.

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.

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
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

Find a course

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Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

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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Whistling Straits (Wisconsin, US)

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein, Germany

Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)