Two sporting incidents dramatically illustrate the respect that the Japanese display in abundance. The first was following Hideki Matsuyama’s 2021 Masters win when his caddie, Shota Hayafuji, removed his cap before famously bowing to the course after returning the pin on the 18th hole.
The second was a video clip that went viral which showed Japanese supporters picking up litter from the vicinity of where they were sitting at the end of the recent friendly international against England at Wembley. Class.
However, Japan is an awfully long way away and a 13-hour flight is possibly rather too much to endure just to witness good manners.
But there is so much more to admire about Japanese society that the trip might be just about worthwhile if some exceptional golf is included.
And so it was that, despite a strong dislike of camping, I found myself taking the two-hour drive from Tokyo Airport to the popular holiday resort of Glamping Villa Hanz, which lies in the heart of an attractive wood and lakeland region in the northern foothills of Mount Fuji.
It’s a beautiful undulating and heavily wooded area that boasts several exceptional golf courses. Thankfully, the title Glamping Villa Hanz is something of a misnomer since there is a variety of accommodation on offer of which glamping is just a part.
The place is an outdoor activity centre, a sort of Center Parcs without the roof, that appeals to mostly urban Japanese who live cheek by jowl and must enjoy the fresh air and rural activities that it offers in abundance.
Golf is one of these and the management are keen to promote it by urging the best clubs in the area to be even more welcoming to guests.
Villa Hanz should certainly appeal to the Asian market but Europeans probably won’t travel so far – even for a room that boasted both a log fire and Jacuzzi – just to play golf.
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But the adventurous could possibly be tempted by a visit that offered golf on top of the opportunity to experience other aspects of Japanese culture.
The first course to be tackled was at Kawaguchiko Country Club, which was designed by the famous Robert von Haggie and is just around the corner from Villa Hanz.
It’s blessed with three nine-hole ‘halves’. I was warned beforehand that it was a smart club and that it would be as well to wear a jacket in the clubhouse, which resembles a spacious Swiss Chalet complete with timber posts and beams and suitably surrounded by towering conifers.
Unfortunately, I had travelled comparatively lightly and hadn’t packed a jacket. My gracious hosts came to my rescue and lent me something that, what it lacked in sartorial elegance, made up in practicality. I never actually wore the thing but having it draped over one arm was curiously comforting.
Golf in Japan: The delights of Kawaguchiko Country Club
The caddie was no less impressive than the cart. Not only did she have to keep an eye on four balls and remember whose each of them was but also had to carry a selection of appropriate clubs to offer the owners a range of possible options. She was forever running and advising and always with a smile.
As if she hadn’t enough to worry about, she also needed to explain which green was our target. Quite a few of the holes were blessed with two greens at some distance apart but only one was in play. In this way, the wear and tear was divided between them as well as constantly varying the course.
Nearly all the tees were pleasantly elevated and afforded a welcome opportunity to survey the hole. Fairway bunkers were frequently sited about 200-odd yards on either side of the fairway obliging players to consider their options carefully before driving off. The greens, too, were almost invariably elevated and were surprisingly speedy given that winter was comparatively recent.
However, it isn’t only the conifer woods that golfers need to try and avoid as there are numerous bunkers, especially around the very well protected greens.
The attractive silver sand, whilst adding to their visual appeal, doesn’t really render the bunkers any more attractive to the serious golfer searching for pars and birdies.
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Two of the bunkers had a small tree growing in an earthy mound inside them, which were clearly not designed to ease escape.
But, as there are no water hazards, presumably the managers of the course feel entitled to stiffen what hazards there are. Possibly feeling sorry for weary players, they have also installed a welcome escalator that lifts golfers up to the lofty ninth tee.
Mount Fuji’s brooding presence could be felt but not seen as the day I played was sadly cloudy. On clearer days, the majestic snow-capped mountain is a wonderful feature that enhances the pleasure playing this glorious course.
Instead, the visual appeal was enhanced on the day I played it in late March by the striking shades of green and yellow that indicated the previously dormant grass was reviving from its winter slumber.
The golf season was not yet in full swing and the course was consequently remarkably quiet and peaceful. Another aspect that made one feel almost at home is that the distances are all marked in yards.
Golf in Japan: Superb greens at Narusawa
Immediately on arrival at the other course I played, Narusawa, one notices that here there is an abundance of what was lacking at Kawaguchiko … water.
A large lake behind the clubhouse, alerts visitors to this fact and caused me to wonder whether the nine balls I had brought with me from the UK would be sufficient.
After a repeat of the previous day’s jacket charade, I opened a locker to reveal something of which my wife would heartily approve, a pair of slippers to encourage the removal of outdoor shoes.
The Japanese are very orderly and house-proud and providing comfortable slippers is designed to facilitate care and concern.
There really is no excuse for sloppiness and the sincere hope is that by providing the wherewithal, visiting golfers will be encouraged to embrace this philosophy.
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It certainly influenced me and although I’m unlikely ever to bag up rubbish at Wembley, I perfectly well understand the thinking that lies behind such seemingly obsessive behaviour.
The feel and character of the course, with generous conifer-lined fairways, gently undulating terrain and raised tee and greens, was not unlike the previous day.
The five-seater, self-steering buggies and female caddie were the same, but the menacing presence of water was the principal difference.
The transition from winter to spring was more advanced and there was consequently more green and less yellow grass, but the cloud that had obscured the view of Mount Fuji the day before was still hanging about.
The greens were superb, surprisingly big and full of subtle borrows that were often difficult to discern, which made putting precarious. The tees, too, were large. There was plenty of mounding on the fairways and, again, the greens were well defended by an abundance of bunkers.
The presence of deer droppings on the fairways suggested a healthy herd or two of deer inhabited the woodlands but as Yves Ton-That made clear in his excellent book on the rules of golf, ‘Do I Take a Drop or What?’, there is no automatic relief from animal excrement but, despite the penalty, I took a drop and paid the price.
Japan is an awful long distance away but, if your trip combines golf together with a broader sample of what the country has to offer, it is almost certainly worth considering over a glass or two of saki.
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FAQ: Golf in Japan: What you need to know about our trip
Where did we stay and how much did it cost?
Accommodation at Glamping Villa Hanz is from ¥32,000 / £157** per person sleeping two people per night on a room only basis. Breakfast ¥2,500 / £12 pp.
Prices from ¥86,570 / £424 per Villa sleeping up to four people per night on a room only basis. Breakfast ¥2,500 / £12 pp.
Prices from ¥350,000 / £1,715 for five bedrooms in the Guest House sleeping 10 people per night. Breakfast ¥2,500 Yen / £12 pp.
How do we get flights and transers?
Flights: Return flights from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda, with a stopover in Frankfurt, are priced from £820 pp with Lufthansa. Transfer via JR Bus Kanto from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko station is priced from ¥2,000 / £11 pp.
A direct train from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko station is priced from ¥2,360 and takes 70 minutes. A taxi transfer from Tokyo Haneda airport to Villa Hanz is priced from £146 total for a car seating three people with luggage.
Where did we play golf and how much did it cost?
Nine holes at Kawaguchiko costs around £51 but includes lunch in the clubhouse. A round at Narusawa Golf Club costs £87 and also includes lunch in the clubhouse.
Main image: Narusawa Golf Club | Source: Supplied
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