Highland golf at 1,300 metres, with an onsen ticket in your pocket

Kusatsu Onsen Golf Course lies about five minutes by car from the centre of Kusatsu, high in the Gunma mountains at around 1,300 metres. Opened in 1989, this 18-hole, par-72 public course runs up to 6,800 yards from the back tees through birch and larch forest, with views of the Kusatsu-Shirane peaks. The outward nine is largely straight and invites a full swing, while the inward nine turns more strategic, with valleys to carry and doglegs to navigate. Wide fairways lead to fast bentgrass greens.

Cool summer rounds among the birches, finished with a soak in Kusatsu's famous waters.

The course's best perk is that every round includes a free day ticket for one of Kusatsu's own bathhouses: Otaki-no-Yu, the Nishi-no-Kawara open-air bath, or Gozanoyu. The atmosphere is relaxed, so you can turn up in golf wear, and rental clubs and shoes are available if booked in advance. Summers are refreshingly cool and the autumn colours are spectacular. From Tokyo, take the Nagano Shinkansen to Karuizawa and a bus to Kusatsu Onsen Bus Terminal, or a limited express from Ueno to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi followed by a JR bus; a short taxi ride finishes the trip. Stay a night in town to wander the steaming Yubatake.