Spring Golf: Putter Among Blossoming Sakura
(from early March to late May)

Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in Japan and if you're a golfer, there's no better way to spend it than out at the golf course! Each year, tourists and residents alike await the blossoming of the sakura starting in the southern regions in March. The cherry blossoms are a stunning sight - imagine golfing amidst the pink and white flowers in the warmth of spring! 

With spring just around the corner, Samurai Sports has partnered with Golf Digest Online to introduce three golf courses around Japan with some of the best views of spring. Check out our recommendations and get warmed up for 2018! 

Start your season in the spring breeze, surrounded by sakura!

Yamashiro Golf Club (Ishikawa)

Achieve the Japanese golf trifecta - golf, sakura, and onsen!

Yamashiro GC is only minutes from the Kaga Onsen Kyou, an area known for onsen including the Yamashiro, Yamanaka, Kata Yamazu, and Kuritsu onsen villages. With two 18-hole courses, the Queen and King course inhabit a broad swath of land in Ishikawa Prefecture northwest of Tokyo. 

With its flat and short fairways, the Queen course is a high-grade course surrounded by lush greenery. The King course offers longer distances between each hole and is challenging with its own personality. Unusual among Japanese courses is the ability to golf all 18 holes non-stop (no clubhouse rest is required between holes 9 and 10), as well as the fact that golfers are permitted to ride their golf carts onto the fairway. Overall, both courses are relatively flat but provide enough of a challenge for golfers of all ages and abilities.

For maximum sakura blossoms, plan a visit between early April and mid April.
Also, check out their Facebook.

YAMASHIRO GOLF CLUB
7-2 KOSAKA-CHO
KAGA, ISHIKAWA 922-0266

From Tokyo station, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa station (2 hours 30 min). Transfer to the Shirasagi Shinkansen to Kaga Onsen station (25 minutes), then take a taxi 15 minutes to the golf course.

Chiba Isumi Golf Club (Chiba)

A hilly course but developed with the golfer in mind. Despite the terrain, there are few blinds and no hazards, including ponds and hidden traps. What you see is truly what you get at the Chiba Isumi Golf Club!

Golfers will need to plan strategically and some will find the course challenging as the fairways are long, though wide.

For maximum sakura blossoms, plan a visit between late March and early April.

CHIBA ISUMI GOLF CLUB
588 ITAYA, OTAKI-CHO
ISUMI, CHIBA 298-0261

Hayakita Country Club (Hokkaido) 

Enjoy a round of golf among the last wave of the cherry blossoms! Golf courses located in the snowy wonderlands of Hokkaido only open for the new year once all the snow has been cleared off of the green. In the north, temperatures remain cooler year-round and the sakura are among the last to bloom in Japan.

A vast 18-hole property, Hayakita CC boasts long and wide fairways inspired by golf courses known to host pro tournaments. Throughout the course, golfers can enjoy great views of the course's creeks, ponds, and natural surroundings. Across Japan, few golf courses can compare to Hayakita - challenge yourself to the long drives in the crisp spring air!

For maximum sakura blossoms, plan a visit between late April and early May.

HAYAKITA COUNTRY CLUB
HAYAKITA SHINEI 671-1, ABIRA-CHO
YUFUTSU-GUN, HOKKAIDO 059-1431

From Minami Chitose station, take a taxi about 30 minutes (20KM) to Hayakita CC.
From Sapporo Shin-Chitose Airport, take a taxi about 30 minutes (20KM) to Hayakita CC.

For inquiries, contact japangolf_reserve@gdo.co.jp (Japanese preferred)
or info@samuraisports.co.jp (English preferred).