Introduced in Japan around 1910, golf is gradually gaining in popularity. There are now about 3,000 golf courses, either private or public, although the private ones predominate. The golf courses are laid out very beautifully, though most of them are much narrower and have more hazards than those in the United States. Note that a hole-in-one can be expensive in Japan. You will be expected to buy expensive gifts and drinks for fellow players.
On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, almost every course is so crowded that it is hard to make a reservation at a public course. At any time, golf is expensive and club membership is prohibitively so. (During the bubble economy of the late 1980s, golf club memberships were publicly traded and listed in newspapers.)
Tournaments
On some courses, international tournaments are held from time to time. Top tournaments include the Konica Cup World Ladies Golf Tournament, the Four Tours World Championship of Golf, the Bridgestone Open, the Suntory Open Golf Tournament, and the Suntory Ladies Open Golf Tournament.
Japan Golf Association
The JGA consists of approximately 1,600 clubs, which belong to the following regional unions:
| Union | Member Clubs | Location |
| Chubu Golf Union | 215 | Nagoya area |
| Chugoku Golf Union | 138 | South Honshu Island |
| Hokkaido Golf Union | 126 | Hokkaido island |
| Kansai Golf Union | 234 | Osaka area |
| Kanto Golf Union | 498 | Tokyo area |
| Kyushu Golf Union | 203 | Kyushu island |
| Shikoku Golf Union | 59 | Shikoku island |
| Tohoku Golf Union | 129 | North Honshu island |
Selected Golf Courses in Tokyo
Akabane Golf Club
Access: 8 min. by car from Akabane Station
Address: Ukima-cho, Kita-ku, Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 6,915 yards
Edogawa Line Golf Club
Address: 6-276, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo
Access: 40 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 4,370 yards
Fuchu Country Club
Address: Tamamura, Minami Tama-gun, Tokyo
Access: 45 min. by car from Shinjuku Station
Koganei Country Club (Japan's most exclusive course)
Address: Kodaira-machi, Kitatama-gun, Tokyo
Access: 45 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 6,755 yards
Rokugo Golf Club
Address: 4-33, Higashi-Rokugo, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Access: 30 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 6,285 yards
Tachikawa International Country Club
Address: Akita-machi, Nishitama-gun, Tokyo
Access: 1 hour 20 min. by car from center of Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 6,525 yards
Tokyo Metropolitan Kinuta Golf Club
Address: 1,510 Okamoto-machi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 40 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Course: 9 holes, 3,160 yards
Selected Golf Courses near Tokyo
Atsugi Kokusai Country Club
Fuchu Country Club
Fujisawa Golf Course
Fujiya Hotel Annex Sengoku Golf Course
Address: Hakone-machi, Sengokubara, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access: 40 min. by car from Odawara Station
Course: 18 holes, 6,338 yards
Gotemba Golf Club
Address: Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture
Contact: Tel.: 0550-87-1555 (Japanese); 090-9892-4319 (English)
WWW: www.gotemba-gc.co.jp / e-mail: ben-galloway@gotemba-gc.co.jp
Course: Par 72, 6,320 yds; panoramic views from Mt. Fuji to the Pacific
GMG Hachioji Golf Course
Hachioji Golf Course
Hakone Country Club
Address: Sengokuhara, Hakone-machi, Ashigara-Shimo-gun, Kanagawa Pref.
Access: 45 min. by car from Odakyu Yumoto Line
Course: 18 holes, 7,100
Hanno Park Country Club
Itsukaichi Golf Course
Kasumigaseki Country Club
Address: Kasahata Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture
Access: 80 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Courses: 18-hole E. Course, 6,895 yds; 18-hole W. Course, 6,590 yds
Kawana Hotel Course
Address: Ito City, Shizuoka City
Access: 2 hours from Tokyo by train
Course: 18 holes, 5,711 yards, 18 holes, 6,691 yards
Kawasaki Kokusai Country Club
Koganei Golf Course
Musashi Golf Course
Musashino Golf Course
Nagatake Country Club
Nakatsugawa Country Club
Oatsugi Country Club
Ome Golf Course
Osagami Country Club
Sagamihara Golf Course
Sagamino Country Club
Sakuragaoka Golf Course
Sayama Golf Course
Showa no Mori Golf Course
Sobu Country Club
Tachikawa Kokusai Country Club
Tama Golf Course
Tokyo Golf Club
Address: Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
Access: 1 hour 30 min. by car from the center of Tokyo
Course: 18 holes, 6,810 yards
Tokyo Kokusai Country Club
Tomei-Atsugi Country Club
Totsuka Country Club
Tsukuiko Golf Course
Yokohama Country Club
Yomiuri Golf Course
Directory
Japan Golf Association (JGA) (Nihon Gorufu Kyokai)
Address: Kyobashi YS Bldg., Floor 2, 1-12-5, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031
Contact: 03-3566-0003 (phone), 03-3566-0101 (fax); http://www.jga.or.jp/
Glossary
| CC | country club |
| GC | golf course |
| hande | (golf) handicap (< handekyappu) |
| kokusai | international |
| purogorufu | professional golf (< purofeshonaru gorufu) |
