Golf on the edge of the sea at Onahama

Onahama Ocean Hotel & Golf Club sits on the Pacific shore at Izumi in Iwaki, Fukushima, with its own hotel by the course. It opened in May 1992 to a design by Mitsuo Yoshizaki and runs 6,452 yards at par 72 on bentgrass greens. The two nines feel quite different. The front nine is a traditional hilly layout. The back nine runs along the coast, with greens set against the sea and a short par-3 16th played over the water. There are plenty of demanding holes, so confident players will get the most out of it. Accordia Golf runs it as a self-play course with GPS riding carts, and caddies can be booked.

Finish your round over the ocean, then sink into a hot-spring bath and stay the night.

This is one of the easiest coastal golf getaways in Tohoku. The clubhouse baths use Terushima Onsen water, with both indoor and outdoor pools and saunas. Stay-and-play packages at the on-site hotel make a two-round weekend simple. Nearby you'll find the Aquamarine Fukushima aquarium, fresh seafood at Onahama port and the historic Iwaki Yumoto Onsen. A free club shuttle runs from the south exit of JR Izumi Station on the Joban Line, about 15 minutes away. By car, the club is 10 minutes from the Joban Expressway's Iwaki-Onahama interchange.