Water and Wide Fairways on a Flat Tochigi Championship Course

G7 Country Club sits in Minaminasu, in the gentle farmland of eastern Tochigi Prefecture. Formerly Ogane Golf Club, it opened in 1988 with design supervision by Japanese golf legend Isao Aoki, and it is an 18-hole, par-72 parkland course stretching to about 7,025 yards from the black tees. The land is almost completely flat and the fairways are wide, with palm trees lending a resort touch, but water is everywhere: ponds cover around a tenth of the property, and seven of the back nine holes bring them into play. The course has hosted the Japan Women's Pro Golf Championship.

Easy on the legs, demanding on the nerves, with big greens that punish a loose approach.

Large bentgrass greens with strong undulation and some two-tier surfaces make putting the key to a good score. Play is self-caddie with GPS-equipped carts, and there is a 15-bay driving range plus a bath in the clubhouse. The nearest big hub is Utsunomiya, about 35 minutes away by car and famous for its gyoza; from there, the hot-spring resorts and highlands of Nasu, and the shrines of Nikko, are within easy reach. It makes a good stop on a northern Kanto road trip.