Chako Higuchi
Name:
Hisako "Chako" HiguchiCountry:
JapanBorn:
Oct 13, 1945 in Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan.Original/Home Club:
Occupation:
Professional golfer; President of LPGA of Japan.Turned Pro:
1967MAJORS (1): US LPGA Championship (1977). Total professional wins (73), including LPGA of Japan (69), LPGA Tour (2) and ALPG Tour (1). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 2003).
Higuchi, together with fellow World Golf Hall of Famer Ayako Okamoto, dominated Japanese women's golf in the 1970s and 1980s. She also had success on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship win in the LPGA Championship in 1977.
Asia
Sports Nippon
Played as the Sports Nippon Team Match (Nov 4-6; individual low score prize within the US-Japan team match). Sandra Haynie (USA) and Pat Bradley (USA) finished in second place behind Higuchi (Jpn). [Edosaki CC, Inashiki, Ibaraki, Japan].
Asia
Pioneer
Played as the Pioneer Cup (Oct 30-Nov 1; individual low score prize within the US-Japan team match). Higuchi (Jpn) beat Michiko Okata (Jpn) in a playoff for the low score prize. [Genjiyama GC, Ichihara, Chiba, Japan].
Played as the Pioneer Cup. Michiko Okada finished in second place behind Higuchi.
Majors
LPGA
The LPGA Championship (23rd) (June 9-12). Second-placed Pat Bradley (USA), Sandra Post (Can) and Judy Rankin (USA) finished 3 shots behind Higuchi (Jpn), who recorded her first and only major championship win. [Bay Tree Plantation, Little River, SC. All three courses here closed in 2006].
Europe
Colgate
Played as the Colgate European Women's Open (Aug 4-7; LPGA Tr event). Second-placed Kathy Whitworth (USA) and Sandra Palmer (USA) finished 6 shots behind Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn). [Old course, Sunningdale GC, Sunningdale, Berks].
Asia
x
Played as the LPGA Japan Classic (LPGA Tr unofficial money event). Sayoko Matsui (Jpn) finished in second place behind Hisako "Chako" Higuchi (Jpn), who was runner-up the previous year. [Horyuji CC, Ikoma, Nara, Japan].
Aus/NZ
Wills
Played as the inaugural Wills Australian Ladies Open. Second-placed Penny Pulz (Aus) finished 3 shots behind Higuchi (Jpn). [Victoria GC, Melbourne, Aus].
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
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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