Red pines and mountain air at the gateway to Fuji

Gora Kadan Fuji Golf is a 36-hole club in Oyama, Shizuoka, on the slopes at the foot of Mt. Fuji and within the national park that surrounds the mountain. It was formerly known as Fuji Kagosaka 36. Visitors play the Kagosaka Course, an 18-hole, par-72 layout set at about 850–900 metres on the gentle slope of Kagosaka Pass. Mature red pines line the course and give it a calm, dignified feel. There are few blind shots, but you will often play from sloping lies, and the steeply contoured bent greens call for a careful touch. The second 18, the Fuji Course, is for members only.

Old pines frame every fairway, and the finish is a natural hot spring that looks out on Mt. Fuji.

The clubhouse bath is fed by free-flowing natural hot spring water, and its windows look straight at the mountain. All-day dining serves Japanese and Western dishes. Lake Yamanaka and the Fuji Five Lakes lie just up Route 138, and Gotemba and Hakone are close by, so the round pairs well with a stay around Fuji. From Tokyo, drive the Tomei Expressway to Gotemba IC in about an hour, then take Route 138 toward Yamanakako for around 20 minutes. Book online after registering, and rental clubs and shoes are available.