Early Bird Golf: Crazy Like a Fox

The sun rises on the first hole.

Japan, like most countries in Asia, has no daylight savings.  The summer day in the Tokyo area  begins not long after 4 a.m.  And while the idea of a 4:32 a.m. tee time may strike some as insane, for the Tokyo golfer it can make a lot of sense.

Sainomori CC: A Golf Find Near the Hikers' Stomping Grounds

No. 6 (rt.) green at Sainomori CC

Sainomori Country Club (彩の森カントリークラブ) in the mountainous Chichibu hiking area of Saitama, is an off-the-beaten-path golf find for Tokyoites. The course is well designed, fairly easy to get to,  comparatively inexpensive, and the surrounding area is beautiful. The Chichibu area is filled with lush, steep mountains and is known more as a hiking and outdoor tourist destination.  There are other golf courses in this area but most are older and have less satisfying course designs. This is my favorite value course in Tokyo.

Golf in Tokyo: Segway Golf

Segways work well on flat courses.

Ever considered playing golf on a Segway?  This has been on my golf bucket list for a while and finally the opportunity arrived when a golf partner organized a Segway golf outing. Here's a report of my first time to play with a Segway at Asia Toride Golf Club near Tokyo.

Haru Cup #2 Report

The second event of the 2014 Haru Cup sponsored by Accor and Piranha Golf was held last Saturday, April 12th, at the Kodama Golf Club in Saitama.  On a beautiful day with some cherry blossom petals still in sight, Steve Novosel won the event with a net 74. This was Steve's first Haru Cup event and he is now in third place in the overall standings. 

The inagural Haru Cup sponsored by Accor and Piranha Golf is off and running

Last Saturday, April 5th, 28 golfers kicked off the first ever Haru Cup golf tournament at Camp Zama Golf Course just outside Tokyo.  On a crazy weather day, Canadian Chris Hurquin took first place and the 500 point prize.  Chris shot a net 65 (gross 91) and also took a near pin prize on one par three and for the first time scored two birdies in one round.  In addition, Chris won the Sagami Cup being played that day (42 Stableford points) and the ¥15,000 first prize.  The Sagami Cup was a tournament for the same 28 players and organized by Jason Millward.  

Golf in Tokyo: What to Expect

Most Japanese golfers are passionate in their approach to the game and it shows—this is definitely a golf loving country.  And that makes it a fabulous place for the international golfer as well. There are over 2,400 golf courses throughout the country from simple, everyman, riverside courses to prestigious and exclusive designer courses.  Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye, Jim Fazio, and Desmond Muirhead are just a few of the foreign designers who are well represented in Kanto (the area surrounding Tokyo).  A trip around one of these tracks was quite expensive during the golf boom and economic bubble in Japan several years back, but they can now be played for reasonable prices.  Moreover, courses here are usually well maintained, have usually helpful and courteous staff service, and offer hot spring-like baths for relaxing after the round.   

Winter Golf in Tokyo: A Guide for Weather Wimps

It's late December and I haven't played golf in about a month.  It's time to work up a game.  It's a little harder getting a foursome now since some of my golf friends refuse to play in winter. I view these golfers as weather wimps who have gone into golf hibernation caves.  "Enjoy the bath," one wimp tells me after declining to play with me just after the New Year's holiday.  I manage to find a group that will play, however, and the weather forecast is for a day of sunshine.