Golf in the heart of the Aso caldera

Kosugi Resort Aso Highland Golf Course sits close to the center of the vast Aso caldera in Kumamoto, at the foot of Mt. Kishima, one of the Aso Five Peaks, and right beside National Route 57. Opened in 1976 and laid out by Tadashi Masumoto with Obayashi Corporation, it is an 18-hole, par-72 highland course of 6,556 yards that works with the natural volcanic terrain, offering moderate elevation changes, bent greens and tree-lined holes.

A relaxed highland round inside one of the world's great calderas, with an onsen and a bed waiting afterwards.

Play is self-play, but GPS-equipped riding carts make the course easy to find your way around even on a first visit, and a small range with approach and bunker areas lets you warm up. Afterwards, the clubhouse hot-spring bath and the Kosugi Resort's on-site hotel and glamping make it simple to turn a round into an overnight stay. The Aso area rewards a day or two more: the green grasslands of Kusasenri, the smoking crater of Nakadake and Aso Shrine are all close by, and the region is known for its akaushi beef. The course is about an hour's drive from Kumamoto Airport.