A Golf Vacation In The Land Of Rising Sun - Japan Offers Fab Golf
Sumo wrestling, sushi, martial arts like Karate & Kendo, Ikebana and Bonsai – these are perhaps some of the most famous gifts Japan or ‘Nippon’ has given to the world. This small island nation composed of over, believe it or not, 3000 islands the largest of which are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku; has a tremendous presence in the world economy as well as the new age global culture and the Japanese people are known for their industriousness, endurance and creativity.

This inherent creativity has manifested itself best in golf. Yes, this archipelago plays golf and does it with panache. The Japanese have a Yen for everything and their latest offering to the world is several world class golf courses attracting curious golf holiday makers from all over the world.

Despite traditional mindsets and the paucity of space; add to that the regular danger of high seismic activity, golf is a very popular sport in Japan. Even though the lack of space translates more often than not into high membership and daily course fees, golf tours are a regular presence in the country. Interestingly, and expectedly, Japan has found a way to circumvent the problem – with public driving ranges that allow golf aficionados to practice their game without robbing a bank to do so. These driving ranges are big constructions that are wrapped in large green nets and are a common sight in most cities. One can see these constructions everywhere, even in the middle of cities.

Plan a golf vacation to the land of the rising sun, geishas and the Samurais and you‘d come back surprised. Start off your golf holiday with a round at the oldest golf course in Japan – Kasumigaseki Golf Club in Kasahata. This 18-hole, 6959 par 72 course designed by Kinya Fujnta is beautiful and very challenging to play with hazards coming into play due to the deep ravine on the property and several sandtraps. Host to the Japan Open in 1995, the course features huge greens seeded with Korai grass that make play tricky and several sand bunkers water areas make this a memorable course.

Plan your golf travel to account for some out of town courses and you can have some wonderful courses to play on. For instance, just an hour south of downtown Tokyo, in the Chiba prefecture is the Jack Nicklaus designed 6919 meters Kazusa Monarch Country Club full of sandtraps, water hazards and doglegs (23000 Y to 15000Y).

Also include in your golf package courses like The Sakawa Royal Golf Club where the majestic Mt. Fuji forms a distracting backdrop (18400 Y to 9400Y), Kumamoto Kukou Country Club near Mount Aso, The Shinyo Country Club in Nagoya and Akakura Golf Course on the Honsyu Island.