Tom Watson's woodland puzzle in rural Ibaraki

Central Golf Club NEW Course in Namegata, Ibaraki, opened in December 1999 and was designed by Tom Watson. Much of the original forest was left standing when the course was built, so its 18 holes (par 72, 6,817 yards) wind through natural woodland over rolling hills. It is not a long course, but well-placed hazards make it strategic: there is a bunker on every hole, and the bent greens have strong undulations, so putting decides the score.

Short on yardage but long on strategy, where the greens decide the day.

Run by Accordia Golf with self-play GPS carts, it is an enjoyable round for golfers who like to think their way around a course, and a chance to play a design by one of golf's great champions. The course is about 20 km from the Itako interchange on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway, so it combines well with a stay near Narita Airport or with the sister Central and Aso courses nearby. Around Namegata you will find the shores of Lake Kasumigaura, the canal town of Itako with its June iris festival, and the ancient Kashima Jingu shrine. There is a bath at the clubhouse; you will need a car, as there is no shuttle bus.