2016 Aki Cup Sponsored by Air Golf #1 Report: PGA Mashiko Course

Ready for the start of this year's Aki Cup

The 2016 Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf is off and running with a nice start at the beautiful and challenging Taiheiyo PGA Mashiko Course in Tochigi.   Aki Cup golfers experienced a demanding, PGA quality course with tree lined fairways and a variety of interesting hole layouts that force the golfer to think about each shot.  And the runaway winner of Aki Cup #1 was Hiroe Sakai who played superbly and scored a net round of 61 (gross 97).

PGA Professional Brian Joseph joins as sponsor of 2016 Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf

Good News! PGA professional Brian Joseph donates lesson vouchers to the 2016 Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf.

PGA of America professional Brian Joseph has now partnered with SAMADHI Golf School, the number one golf school in Japan. To celebrate, Brian has generously donated two 50 minute golf lesson vouchers at the SAMADHI golf school at the Jingu Gaien Practice Range. 

We’re happy to say that these vouchers will be part of the prize list (still forming) for Aki Cup winners.  

Thank you very much, Brian Joseph!

You can check out Brian’s web page at:

http://www.samadhiclub-golf.jp/en/

Reminders: The first Aki Cup is an eight event points race and the first event is September 24th and the eighth and final one is November 26th.  More information to follow.

Announcing the 2016 Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf

Autumn and cooler weather are just around the corner and it’s time to think of golf again. And with that in mind, we're happy to announce the return of a great golf points rally tournament--the 2016 Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf!

If you aren't familiar with the Aki Cup, it's a FedExCup style points rally of eight organized golf events over two to three months. Points are assigned for each place for each event. Each player's top five event points will be used for scoring.

This is the third season of the Aki Cup sponsored by Air Golf, first won by Jensen Junn in 2013.  The following year, Savuth Kong was the champion. In 2015 the Aki Cup wasn't held, but it's back for 2016. 

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 Range Review: Jumbo 24 Hour Golf Center in Adachi-ku

The recently renovated Tokyo Jumbo Golf Center (トーキョージャンボゴルフセンター）is a good choice for a golf range for those not too far from the Tokyo-Saitama border near Kawaguchi.  

2015 Yahoo! Fantasy Golf

2015 is nearly here and it's time for fantasy golf once again. 

It's free to join and play, but you'll need a Yahoo! account, if you don't already have one.   

There will be small prizes for segment winners (Winter, Spring, and Summer) and one for the overall winner.