Three nines on a wooded plateau in rural Ibaraki

Kasama Sakura Country Club occupies a broad hilltop plateau in Shirosato, just north of Kasama in Ibaraki. Opened in 1972 as Shin-Mito Country Club and renamed in 2011, it was designed by Makoto Ezura and offers 27 holes over three nines. The East is the longest and suits big hitters, the tree-filled Central suits every level, and the short par-35 South is full of doglegs. Though set in rolling country, the holes spread out horizontally, with wide fairways, gentle ups and downs and a forest-course feel.

Three distinct nines to mix and match, under the pines of an old Ibaraki plateau.

Rounds are played with a caddie or as self-play in riding carts, and the clubhouse has a bath for unwinding afterwards. Note that the club has no practice range or rental clubs, so bring your own set. The area rewards a longer stay: Kasama's pottery studios and Kasama Inari Shrine are a few minutes away, Mito's Kairakuen plum garden is nearby, and the Ibaraki coast is within an easy drive. By car the course is reached from the Tomobe interchange on the Kita-Kanto Expressway; by train, take the JR Joban Line to Tomobe or the Mito Line to Kasama, then a taxi.