Japan’s first golf course was laid out in 1903 by a British tea merchant, Arthur Groom, on the slopes of Mount Rokko above Kobe. The country now has more than 2,000 courses, and the game comes with its own rituals: a break for lunch after nine holes, a soak in the clubhouse bath after eighteen, and remote-controlled carts that follow you down the fairway.
The great courses are mostly private, but many fine ones take visitors. Kawana, on the Izu coast inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, has two clifftop courses above the sea; Phoenix Country Club in Miyazaki hosts a Japan Golf Tour event each November; and Karuizawa and Hokkaido are where Japanese golfers escape the summer heat.
Weekday green fees at good public courses often run about 8,000 to 15,000 yen (55 to 100 USD), usually including a cart and sometimes lunch, which is cheaper than many visitors expect.
At a Glance#
- Most famous resort course: the Fuji Course at Kawana Hotel on the Izu Peninsula, in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, with ocean views and Mount Fuji on clear days.
- Tournament golf: Phoenix Country Club in Miyazaki, home of the Dunlop Phoenix each November, and the Taiheiyo Club courses below Mount Fuji.
- Historic clubs: Kobe Golf Club on Mount Rokko above Kobe, Hirono in Hyogo and Kasumigaseki in Kawagoe, all private and hard to access.
- Summer golf: Karuizawa in the highlands of Nagano and the courses of Hokkaido, from about May to October.
- Winter golf: Okinawa, warm enough to play all year.
- Costs: about 8,000 to 15,000 yen on weekdays at public courses, much more at weekends and at elite clubs, plus a local golf tax of up to about 1,200 yen.
Tokyo and around#
Greater Tokyo has hundreds of courses within two hours, most in Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki and Kanagawa. Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, whose East Course hosted the Olympic golf tournament of the Tokyo Games, is a private members’ club; play there needs a member’s introduction. Visitors have better luck at the many public and semi-private courses in Chiba, which are also handy for Narita layovers. Expect to drive or take a club shuttle bus from a suburban station: few courses are reachable by train alone.
Izu, Hakone and Mount Fuji#
Kawana Hotel, near Ito on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula, is the classic Japanese golf resort. Its Fuji Course, designed by Charles Alison in the 1930s, runs along cliffs above Sagami Bay with pines framing the fairways, and the shorter Oshima Course faces the island of Izu Ōshima. The Fuji Course is reserved for hotel guests, at around 48,000 yen a weekday round, among the most expensive in Japan; the Oshima Course also takes outside visitors.
North of the peninsula, the slopes around Gotemba below Mount Fuji are lined with courses, including Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, venue of a Japan Golf Tour event each autumn. Pair a round with a night in Hakone and its hot springs.
Kansai#
Kobe is the birthplace of Japanese golf. Kobe Golf Club, high on Mount Rokko, is a short, quirky course reached by mountain road, and Hirono Golf Club in Hyogo, designed by Charles Alison and opened in 1932, is the course most often ranked best in Japan. Both are private, and Hirono expects a member to bring you. For public golf, the hills north and west of Kobe and around Osaka have dozens of courses an hour or so from the city.
Kyushu and Okinawa#
Phoenix Country Club, in a pine forest along the coast at Miyazaki, hosts the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament each November, which Tiger Woods won in 2004 and 2005. Visitors book through the neighbouring Phoenix Seagaia resort. Miyazaki’s mild winters make it a popular spring training base for professional golfers and baseball teams alike.
Okinawa has courses open all year, with the most comfortable golf from November to April. Resort courses such as Kanucha on the island’s east coast combine golf and beach, and the Japanese women’s tour opens its season in Okinawa each March.
Karuizawa and Hokkaido#
Karuizawa, an hour from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen, has been the capital’s summer retreat for over a century. At about 1,000 m it stays cool in July and August, and its courses, from the old private Kyu-Karuizawa club to the large Karuizawa 72 complex, sit in larch forest under the volcano of Mount Asama.
Hokkaido plays from about late April or May to October. Courses around Sapporo, Tomakomai and New Chitose Airport are easy to reach, and in Niseko the ski resorts turn into golf resorts in summer, with Mount Yōtei as the backdrop.
Green fees and costs#
| What | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Public course, weekday, near Tokyo | about 8,000 to 15,000 yen |
| Public course, weekend or holiday | about 15,000 to 25,000 yen or more |
| Rural course, weekday, often with lunch | from about 7,000 yen |
| Golf usage tax, per player per day | a few hundred yen up to about 1,200 yen |
| Caddie, where required | several thousand yen per player |
Fees usually include a shared cart, and many include lunch. Caddies are optional or absent at most public courses but required at many top private clubs. Weekday and twilight rates are much cheaper than weekends. See our Japan costs guide for the rest of your budget.
Booking and etiquette#
Most Japanese golfers book online through Rakuten GORA, which lists tee times and prices for thousands of courses, mostly in Japanese; hotel concierges and English-language golf agents can book for you. Many courses do not accept single players or charge extra for groups of two, so find a partner or use a solo-matching plan.
A round is a full day out. You play nine holes, stop for a sit-down lunch of 45 minutes to an hour, then play the second nine. Dress is collared shirts and tailored trousers or shorts, and traditional clubs expect a jacket on arrival in the clubhouse. Afterwards, the clubhouse bath works like an onsen: wash before you get in, and note that some clubs refuse guests with tattoos. Our Japanese culture guide covers the wider etiquette.
Most airlines carry golf bags as sports equipment, but trains are another matter. Send your clubs ahead from the airport or hotel to the course with a luggage-forwarding service; our getting around Japan guide explains how.
Best places for golf in Japan#
More Things to Do#
Japan golf FAQs#
How much does it cost to play golf in Japan?
About 8,000 to 15,000 yen (55 to 100 USD) on a weekday at a public course near Tokyo, usually with a cart, and often 15,000 to 25,000 yen or more at weekends. Add a prefectural golf tax of up to about 1,200 yen, plus caddie fees at clubs that require one.
Can foreigners play golf in Japan?
Yes, at most public and resort courses. Many top private clubs, such as Hirono and Kasumigaseki, need a member’s introduction. Booking is easiest through your hotel or an English-language golf agent.
Why do Japanese golfers stop for lunch?
It is the custom at almost every course: nine holes, a sit-down lunch of 45 minutes to an hour, then the second nine. Lunch is often included in the green fee.
When is the best time to play golf in Japan?
Spring and autumn are best on Honshu. In summer, head for Karuizawa or Hokkaido, and in winter for Okinawa or Miyazaki.
Can I play golf alone in Japan?
It is hard. Many courses only accept groups of three or four, or charge extra for two. Booking sites offer solo-matching plans that pair single golfers together.