Torakichi Nakamura's West Harima Hideaway

Himeji Aioi Country Club lies in the hills of West Harima above the port town of Aioi in Hyogo Prefecture. It opened in April 1975 to a design by Torakichi Nakamura, the pioneering Japanese professional, and plays as an 18-hole, par-72 course of 6,377 yards from the back tees. The site is gentle for hill country, with around 27 metres of elevation change: the outward nine is broad and expansive, while the inward nine asks for more strategy, and tree-lined fairways give much of the round a quiet woodland feel.

Wide, generous holes going out, and a thinking golfer's nine coming home.

Bent greens, riding carts and the choice of self-play or a caddie make it a relaxed, good-value stop in the region's mild climate, with a large bath and a restaurant waiting in the clubhouse afterwards. The course is about 10 minutes by car from JR Aioi Station on the Sanyo Shinkansen, or a short drive from the Tatsuno-Nishi IC on the Sanyo Expressway. Pair the round with a visit to Himeji Castle, the white-walled UNESCO World Heritage site a short train ride east, or wander the old soy-sauce town of Tatsuno and the oyster restaurants of the Seto Inland Sea coast at Aioi.