Tournament-quality greens in the quiet hills of Kanuma

LiVEMAX Golf Club Tochigi, formerly Minami Tochigi Golf Club, lies in Kaminagano in Kanuma, Tochigi, around 17 km from the Tochigi interchange on the Tohoku Expressway. Opened on October 28, 1991, it is an 18-hole, par-72 course of 6,621 yards, set in rolling hills surrounded by mountains. The holes are mostly gentle, spiced with downhill tee shots, doglegs, bunkers and ponds, and the signature 12th asks you to carry a valley.

The greens are the star here, the kind pros come to practise on before a tournament.

The club is proud of its pure sand greens, and with an on-site lodge renovated in 2026, complete with a large bath and sauna, it is set up for a relaxed golf stay with two rounds and no driving in between. Play is self-play with navigation carts. A taxi from Shin-Tochigi Station takes around 35 minutes, so a car is the easiest option. Nikko's shrines and the Kinugawa hot springs are within reach for a longer stay, and the old merchant streets of Tochigi City, with their canal-side warehouses, make a charming stop on the way back to Tokyo.