Highland golf in the shadow of Mt. Asama

Grandee Karuizawa Golf Club's Morizumi Course sits in Miyota, just west of the famous summer resort of Karuizawa in Nagano. Opened in 1995 and designed by Toshiro Otake, it is an 18-hole, par-72 layout stretching 6,847 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 72.4. The terrain is gently rolling rather than severe, with moderate elevation changes, bent greens and GPS-equipped carts. Its pedigree is real: it hosted the JLPGA's Resort Trust Ladies from 2010 to 2012.

A tournament-tested course in cool mountain air, open only in the green months.

Like much highland golf in Japan, the course closes for winter from early December to late March, so plan for spring through autumn, when the Karuizawa plateau offers relief from the summer heat and vivid colour in the fall. Karuizawa itself is a natural base, with its outlet shopping, forest walks, cafés and hot-spring hotels, while the active volcano Mt. Asama towers over the area. Getting there is easy from Tokyo: the Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Karuizawa and Sakudaira stations, and the course is about 20–30 minutes by taxi from either, or roughly 10 minutes from Shinano-Oiwake Station on the Shinano Railway. Caddies can be requested after booking, and there is a 250-yard practice range for warming up.