Golfing in Kyushu and Hokkaido
Japan is a dream destination for golfers—it has more than 2,000 golf courses dotted around the archipelago. Many golf courses utilise the natural hilly terrains and forests, and create a welcoming environment even for inexperienced golfers. Furthermore, Japan offers rich local experiences especially when you have time to discover them. After an exhilarating round of golf, you can explore local attractions or soak in a well-deserved hot spring bath.
The 18-hole Satsuma Resort Hotel is a good base to explore Kagoshima, from the Sogi Waterfalls dubbed as the “Niagara of the East,” to the remains of the hydroelectric Sogi Power Plant which is mostly submerged in water most of the year. Visitors can also tour facilities that produce Kagoshima’s specialities such as the traditional craft of Satsuma Kiriko cut-glass and shochu, a distilled spirit made in Isa City which is considered to be the birthplace of Japanese shochu. With more sites such as the Satsuma Kinzangura, a former gold mine that is now a facility to age shochu, and the rare active volcanoes of Sakurajima, the Satsuma Resort Hotel is a good base to fully enjoy what Kagoshima has to offer.
Enjoy the vast nature of Hokkaido while playing at Yuni Tobu Golf Club, a 27-hole golf club consisting of three 9-hole courses. Each course boasts a different experience, from tricky water hazards to unique challenges utilising its natural topography.
The club is located midway between two prominent cities: Sapporo and Yubari City. Sapporo is a city famous for its ramen, Genghis Khan, and soup curry, and Yubari City is home to Yubari melons. In summer, you can find a couple of stores around the city that offer an all-you-can-eat melon buffet to savour this luxury fruit. Hokkaido’s vast natural landscape also offers plenty of scenic sites, including Farm Tomita in Furano which is famous for its summertime fields of brilliant purple lavenders, and Mt. Moiwa which boasts breathtaking nighttime views of Sapporo from the observation deck which is accessible by cable car.
Satsuma Golf Resort
Address: 6122 Gumyo, Satsuma-cho, Satsuma-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture
Website: Satsuma Golf Resort
Yuni Tobu Golf Club
Address: 132 Yamagata, Yuni-cho, Yubari-gun, Hokkaido
Website: Yuni Tobu Golf Club
