Championship golf among Japanese trees

Opened in 1985 on 1.1 million square metres of gently rolling hills in Ichihara, Chiba, King's Fields Golf Club is one of the most beautiful members' courses within reach of Tokyo. Mature trees frame every fairway: on the very first tee, a stately pair of cedars stands to the left of your line, setting the tone for a round that feels calm, green and unmistakably Japanese. The American firm Bentz & Poellot laid out the course, with Mitsuaki Kobayashi supervising its construction, and many holes have since been reworked to keep it sharp.

7,133 yards, par 72, with bunkers and ponds on open, rolling hills

The par-72 layout plays to 7,133 yards from the back (black) tees, with five tee sets down to 5,288 yards, and a course rating of 73. Fairways are generous and the terrain is gentle for a Japanese hill course, but well-placed bunkers and ponds large and small make it a real strategic test. Its pedigree shows: King's Fields hosted the Hitachi 3Tours Championship six years running (2006–2011) and the 44th Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup in 2011.

A traditional day at the club

Every group plays with a caddie and a guided five-seater cart with course navigation. Arrive early for the 250-yard, 20-bay driving range, bunker and approach area, and a spacious putting green. After the round, the clubhouse has baths with a sauna, and the restaurant serves Cantonese food from a Hong Kong chef; its shumai is famous enough to take home. Men wear a jacket on arrival (except June to September) and a collared shirt on the course.

Playing as a visitor

King's Fields is a members' club: visitors play with a member or through a member's introduction. Send us a request with your preferred dates and we'll check with the club in Japanese. The course is about 20 minutes from the Tateyama Expressway's Ichihara IC (around 70 minutes by car from central Tokyo), and the club runs a bus from the east exit of JR Goi Station, reserved the day before.