Resort Golf Beneath Mt. Myoko

APA Resort Joetsu-Myoko's golf course, now called the APA Resort Joetsu-Myoko no Mori Golf Course, opened in July 1988 in the highlands of Myoko, Niigata. Its Cedar and Pine nines run through white birch and red pine, with Mt. Myoko rising over the fairways. Strategy and the bentgrass greens are the focus, and the resort describes it as a course for beginners and low handicappers alike. The clubhouse is built into the hotel, so guests can walk out and ride their cart straight to the first tee.

Tee off under birch and pine, then sink into a mountain hot spring.

Play is self-play with iPad-guided carts, and air-conditioned carts help in high summer. Afterward, the natural hot-spring open-air bath and sauna are steps away. Myoko is one of Japan's classic highland retreats, with cool summers and blazing autumn colour, and the onsen villages of Akakura and Ikenotaira nearby. The course is open from mid-April through November and closes for the snowy winter. From Tokyo, take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Joetsu-Myoko, or continue to Sekiyama Station. A free club bus runs from either station and should be booked a day in advance.