Rolling hills and woodland in the heart of Chikuho

Kaho Golf Club opened in March 1975 in the green hills outside Iizuka, about 15 minutes from the town centre and roughly 30 km from the Fukuoka IC of the Kyushu Expressway. Now run by Accordia Golf, this par-72 hilly course offers two contrasting nines. The outward half is long, with moderate undulation and mostly wide fairways – though the 4th tightens up with out-of-bounds on both sides. The inward half takes on the feel of a forest course, with tree-lined holes and a real highlight at the 15th, where you must carry a large pond of around 150 yards. Greens are big, so choosing the right club is half the battle.

An honest, unpretentious round in Fukuoka's countryside, where the back nine slips into the woods.

Play is relaxed self-play with navigation-equipped riding carts, and rental clubs and shoes make it easy to arrive with nothing but a pair of golf shoes in your luggage. Iizuka sits in the old Chikuho coal-mining region, whose grand merchant houses and the historic Kaho Gekijo theatre make for an interesting detour, and Fukuoka City with its yatai food stalls and tonkotsu ramen is within easy driving distance – a convenient day round on a Kyushu trip.