A friendly country round in Yamagata's snow country

Oishida Golf Club sits in the rural town of Oishida in northern Yamagata, a short drive from the Oishida Murayama interchange on the Tohoku Chuo Expressway. Opened in 1995, the 18-hole, par-72 course measures 6,305 yards, a moderate length that the club promotes as a layout for enjoying all kinds of play. Visitors are welcome, and the clubhouse greets golfers with an 800-year-old zelkova tree at the entrance, unearthed during construction of a nearby dam. A 12-bay driving range, an approach area and an undulating putting green make it easy to warm up before the round.

An easygoing local course with plenty of variety, on the doorstep of Ginzan Onsen.

After the round the restaurant serves dishes made mainly with local ingredients, with the course spread out in front of the windows. The setting is a fine base for exploring this corner of Yamagata: the gas-lamp-lit wooden inns of Ginzan Onsen lie in neighbouring Obanazawa, the Mogami River winds through the region, and Yamagata is famous for its cherries, soba and beef. Sendai is about an hour and a half away by car, so the course fits well into a Tohoku road trip.