Rolling woodland golf above Lake Kasumigaura

Kokusai Sakura Golf Club spreads across a gently rolling plateau in Inashiki, southern Ibaraki, looking out toward Lake Kasumigaura, Japan's second-largest lake. The club opened in 1969 and today offers 27 holes in three nines, East, South and West, with par 36 on each. Its original 18 holes, laid out under the supervision of the Kanto PGA, are known for their variety: doglegs bending both ways, tree-lined corridors and undulating bent greens that reward careful approach play rather than brute force.

Three nines to mix and match, with the lake country spread out around you.

Rounds are self-play in riding carts, and a bath waits back at the clubhouse. The countryside around Kasumigaura is famous for lotus root fields and freshwater fish, and the area makes an easy pairing with Tsuchiura's lakeside cycling routes or a visit to the giant Ushiku Daibutsu, one of the tallest statues in the world. From Tokyo, drive the Joban Expressway to Sakura-Tsuchiura IC, about 10 km from the gate, or take the JR Joban Line to Tsuchiura Station and continue by taxi.