Fairways at the edge of Japan, ringed by coral reef

On tiny Kohama Island in Okinawa's Yaeyama archipelago, Kohamajima Country Club holds the title of Japan's southernmost and westernmost golf course, and the only one in the Yaeyama islands. Opened in 2002 to a design by Eiji Takeuchi, this 18-hole, par-72 layout stretches to 6,590 yards from the back tees. The front nine threads through subtropical forest, while the back nine opens up into a links-style stretch with water in play, all of it carried along by the sea breeze and framed by turquoise water and coral reef.

A round here feels like a holiday in itself, with the ocean never far from view.

Play is relaxed and self-guided, with GPS-equipped riding carts, rental clubs and shoes available on request, and a climate mild enough for golf in every month of the year. The course sits right beside Hoshino Resorts' Risonare Kohamajima, making it easy to build a few days of island life around a round or two. Kohama itself is a slow, sugarcane-lined island of beaches and lookout points, a short ferry ride from Ishigaki, from where boats continue to Taketomi and Iriomote. Arrive by ferry at Kohama Port and the course's free shuttle bus will have you at the clubhouse in about ten minutes.