Red pines and quiet fairways, a Nasu classic since 1966

Nasu Country Club opened in July 1966 in Nasu town, northern Tochigi, and is one of the older courses in this highland resort area. The 18-hole, par-72 layout, supervised by Kaoru Kasugai, measures 6,668 yards from the back tees and is laid out in red pine forest that separates each hole. The front nine is fairly flat and plays long, opening with a 572-yard par 5, while the back nine rolls more gently through doglegs with no blind shots. Wide fairways and well-kept bent greens make it a relaxed round for beginners and improving players.

Play a round, sleep at the lodge, and wake up to another tee time among the pines.

The club leans into stay-and-play: an on-site lodge with twenty rooms and a glamping site on the grounds turn a round into a short countryside break. Beyond the gates, Nasu offers onsen villages, the Mt. Chausu ropeway, dairy farms and cool summer air that has drawn Tokyo visitors for generations. Getting here is easy: take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Nasushiobara Station and ride the free club bus (reserve ahead; it does not run late December to March), or drive about eight minutes from the Nasu IC on the Tohoku Expressway. There is no driving range, so plan to warm up on the approach and putting greens.