Three Names in Twenty-Five Years, and Gunma's Best Value Round

This course has changed identity twice and the name on most maps is now the third. It opened on 12 September 1998 as Higashi-Karuizawa Golf Club, was renamed Matsuida Myogi Golf Club in April 2006 and reopened as a public course after a substantial renovation, and in March 2023 changed hands again to become Atami Club Higashi-Karuizawa Golf Course, part of the Atami Club group alongside Atami, Karuizawa, Kanasago and Takasaki. Anyone searching for it under the older names will find the same 850,000 square metres of hillside woodland in Matsuida, Annaka.

What has kept it consistently among the most popular courses in Gunma is the combination of green fees at the low end and a layout that plays considerably better than the price suggests. At around 6,400 yards from the back it is short, but the fairways are tight throughout and accuracy matters more than distance on almost every hole. The natural terrain provides valleys and ponds that come into play off the tee and on approach, and because the out of bounds and one-penalty zones are clearly visible rather than hidden, the pressure is constant and psychological rather than a matter of local knowledge. There are few doglegs and the sightline from tee to green is good on most holes, so a first-time visitor can manage their way round sensibly. The 2006 renovation raised the tee grounds so that nearly every hole now shows its green from the tee, and on the 6th, the signature long hole, the cedars short and left of the green were cleared to open a genuine chance of getting home in two while keeping the strategy intact.

A tight woodland course at the foot of Mount Myogi, cool in summer, sheltered in winter, and priced well below what it plays like

Climate and clubhouse

The setting does real work here. Summers are cool and fresh at this elevation, and in winter the bulk of Mount Myogi shelters the property from wind and snow, so the season runs longer than most Gunma courses manage. The clubhouse was rebuilt in 2006 and covers 3,515 square metres, bright and generously proportioned, with the restaurant looking out over the 1st, 2nd and 9th holes. Staff service has a strong reputation, and women make up roughly 30 per cent of play, helped by ladies tees set at genuinely playable distances. A driving range has since been added, and accommodation packages are available for overnight stays.

Access and practicalities

The course is within 8 to 10 kilometres of the Matsuida-Myogi interchange on the Joshinetsu Expressway, roughly 90 minutes from the Nerima entrance to the Kan-Etsu. By train, Annaka-Haruna on the Hokuriku Shinkansen is about 40 minutes away by car and Matsuida on the JR Shinetsu main line about 10. Play is self-play with riding carts, on bent single greens.