Dye-designed curves in the Saitama hills

Olympic National Golf Club EAST, formerly Edelweiss Golf Club, lies in the wooded hills of Moroyama in western Saitama. It opened in 1989 to a design by Perry Dye. The 18-hole, par-72 course stretches to about 6,950 yards from the back tees. Its graceful, rolling contours are meant to recall English hillsides. There is plenty of strategy in the details. A long bunker runs beside the 6th green, and ponds come into play on the 9th, the right-dogleg 11th and the short 17th, where water surrounds the green. The 13th has only grass bunkers. The large bentgrass greens have plenty of movement.

A members' course with a designer's eye for detail, an easy train ride from central Tokyo.

Getting there is easy without a car. The club runs a bus, by reservation, from Higashi-Moroyama Station on the Tobu Ogose Line and from Hanno Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line. Drivers can take the Kan-Etsu Expressway to Tsurugashima IC, about 13 km away. You can play with a caddie or on your own with a riding cart. The Moroyama and Hanno area is good for an easy day out, with the historic Kawagoe old town, riverside walks along the Koma and Iruma rivers, and the Moomin-themed lakeside park in Hanno. Plum blossom season and autumn colour are especially pleasant times to visit.