Sanyo Shimbun Ladies Cup - Round Two
Golfers walk on the 18th hole at Tojigaoka Marine Hills Golf Club in Tamano, Okayama, Japan.
Ken Ishii/Getty Images
Castrol Ladies - Round Two
A general view during the second round of the Castrol Ladies at the Fuji Ichihara Golf Club in Ichihara, Chiba, Japan.
Ken Ishii/Getty Images
Around The Games - Olympics: Day 2
A view of the third hole during a practice round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, the host course of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
hirono-5-june-2019.jpg
The 5th hole at recently renovated Hirono Golf Club in June 2019.
Mackenzie & Ebert, Ltd.
Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters
Hideki Matsuyama hits toward Mt. Fuji on the eighth hole on the final round of the 2016 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course.
Sports Nippon/Getty Images
Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Golf Course
The green on the 517 yard par 5, 18th hole on the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba course in Gotemba, Japan.
David Cannon/Getty Images
Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open - Round Two
Mamiko Higa of Japan hits her tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open at Rokko Kokusai Golf Club in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images
KawanaFuji15.jpg
Kawana Hotel's Fuji Course is the most spectacular resort course you can play in Japan.
Bradley S. Klein/GolfPass
Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf - Round Two
Minami Katsu of Japan hits her second shot on the 18th hole at the Musashigaoka Golf Course, one of many courses in the country that have two greens on each hole ( a cool weather green and warm weather green).
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images
The ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club - Round One
Tiger Woods' latest professionwl win occured at the 2019 ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.
Ben Jared/PGA TOUR
Resorttrust Ladies - Day 2
Eriko Sonoda of Japan plays a tee shot during the second round of the Resorttrust Ladies at the Maple Point Golf Club in Yamanashi, Japan.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open - Round Two
Bo-Mee Lee of South Korea hits her tee shot on the 8th hole during the second round of the Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open at Elleair Golf Club Matsuyama in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images
Meiji Yasuda Life Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament - Round Two
Saki Takeo of Japan hits her second shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Meiji Yasuda Life Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament at the Tosa Country Club in Konan, Kochi, Japan.
Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images
Japan4-ManGolfCart.jpg
Due largely to hilly terrain, golf carts like these four-person models are commonplace in Japanese golf culture.
Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor
TokyoRange1.jpg
Netted, urban driving ranges, often fashioned into severe terrain, are a staple of the golf scene in Japan.
Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor
Tokyo Golf Club - double greens
Two sets of greens, one for warm grass and the other cool, at Tokyo Golf Club.
Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor
Kasumigaseki East Course - hole 10
Kasumigaseki's East Course will host both the men's and women's Olympic competitions in 2021. Pictured is the par-3 10th.
Bradley S. Klein/GolfPass
Bradley S. Klein/GolfPass
17 Images
In photos: Japan's Best Golf Courses
The host of the 2020 Olympic Games has over 2,000 golf courses and a long history in golf.
Host of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan is one of the most established countries for golf in the world. It is second only to the United States when it comes to a supply of golf courses. That is especially impressive when you consider Japan's small geographic footprint. The English empire helped bring the sport to Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Kobe Golf Club is the country's first golf course and expanded to 18 holes in 1904.
There are many private golf courses around Tokyo and a few that provide public access. Tokyo Golf Club, established in the 1920s, is a venerable club, while resort golf can be found nearby at the Kawana Resort, whose Fuji course was been called the "Pebble Beach of Japan."
Kasumigaseki Country Club is the host of the 2020 Olympic Games. The 36-hole club is home to an East and West Course, and the East, while dating back to the 1920s, was updated in 2016 by Tom and Logan Fazio. Check out this tour of some of Japan's most reputable courses, which range form historic clubs in the city to out along the ocean or beneath Mt. Fuji.
7 Min Read
![Bradley S. Klein]()
October 18, 2019
In the lad up to the 2020 Olympics and Skins Game featuring Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jason Day, the country's golf courses and culture remain impressive in spite of a recent downturn.
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![Sanyo Shimbun Ladies Cup - Round Two]()
Golfers walk on the 18th hole at Tojigaoka Marine Hills Golf Club in Tamano, Okayama, Japan. Ken Ishii/Getty Images -
![Castrol Ladies - Round Two]()
A general view during the second round of the Castrol Ladies at the Fuji Ichihara Golf Club in Ichihara, Chiba, Japan. Ken Ishii/Getty Images -
![Around The Games - Olympics: Day 2]()
A view of the third hole during a practice round at Kasumigaseki Country Club, the host course of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images -
![hirono-5-june-2019.jpg]()
The 5th hole at recently renovated Hirono Golf Club in June 2019. Mackenzie & Ebert, Ltd. -
![Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters]()
Hideki Matsuyama hits toward Mt. Fuji on the eighth hole on the final round of the 2016 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course. Sports Nippon/Getty Images -
![Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Golf Course]()
The green on the 517 yard par 5, 18th hole on the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba course in Gotemba, Japan. David Cannon/Getty Images -
![Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open - Round Two]()
Mamiko Higa of Japan hits her tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open at Rokko Kokusai Golf Club in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images -
![KawanaFuji15.jpg]()
Kawana Hotel's Fuji Course is the most spectacular resort course you can play in Japan. Bradley S. Klein/GolfPass -
![Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf - Round Two]()
Minami Katsu of Japan hits her second shot on the 18th hole at the Musashigaoka Golf Course, one of many courses in the country that have two greens on each hole ( a cool weather green and warm weather green). Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images -
![The ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club - Round One]()
Tiger Woods' latest professionwl win occured at the 2019 ZOZO Championship at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. Ben Jared/PGA TOUR -
![Resorttrust Ladies - Day 2]()
Eriko Sonoda of Japan plays a tee shot during the second round of the Resorttrust Ladies at the Maple Point Golf Club in Yamanashi, Japan. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images -
![Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open - Round Two]()
Bo-Mee Lee of South Korea hits her tee shot on the 8th hole during the second round of the Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open at Elleair Golf Club Matsuyama in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images -
![Meiji Yasuda Life Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament - Round Two]()
Saki Takeo of Japan hits her second shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Meiji Yasuda Life Ladies Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament at the Tosa Country Club in Konan, Kochi, Japan. Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images -
![Japan golf trip]()
Due largely to hilly terrain, golf carts like these four-person models are commonplace in Japanese golf culture. Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor -
![Japan golf trip]()
Netted, urban driving ranges, often fashioned into severe terrain, are a staple of the golf scene in Japan. Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor -
![Japan golf trip]()
Two sets of greens, one for warm grass and the other cool, at Tokyo Golf Club. Bradley S. Klein/Golf Advisor -
![Kasumigaseki East Course - hole 10]()
Kasumigaseki's East Course will host both the men's and women's Olympic competitions in 2021. Pictured is the par-3 10th.
Bradley S. Klein/GolfPass
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