Rolling hills beside Okayama's airport

Okayama Kinryo Country Club sits in the hills of Kita-ku, Okayama City, just three minutes from Okayama Momotaro Airport. It opened in June 1988 with a layout built by Kumagai Gumi under the supervision of tour professional Norio Arai, and its 18 holes play to a par of 72 over as much as 6,900 yards from the back tees, carrying a course rating of 73.4. The terrain is rolling hillside, the greens are bent grass, and a range of tee options makes it playable for every level.

Land at the airport and tee off minutes later, with all of Okayama waiting afterwards.

Kinryo rewards a thoughtful game, and its well-kept greens are a point of pride for the club. Players can take a caddie or go self-play in GPS-equipped carts, and a large bath in the clubhouse waits at the end of the round. The location makes for an easy golf stop on a trip through western Japan: Okayama Station is about 35 minutes away, and the club runs stay packages with partner hotels, including one at Kurashiki Ivy Square, a red-brick former spinning mill in Kurashiki's historic Bikan quarter. From there you can stroll the willow-lined canals, visit the Ohara Museum of Art, or head into the city for Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle.