Water, Greenery and Room to Swing

PGM Minami Ichihara Golf Club sits in the quiet countryside of southern Ichihara, in the heart of Chiba's golf belt. Opened in 1994 and laid out by Mitsuaki Kobayashi, a designer known for using water strategically, it is an 18-hole, par-72 course stretching to about 6,700 yards from the back tees. The land is gently rolling rather than hilly, and the holes are generously spaced, so you can swing freely without feeling hemmed in — though the ponds guarding the closing holes of both nines make for a thrilling finish.

An easygoing layout for most of the round, with water waiting at the very end.

Play is self-service in GPS-equipped riding carts, with a 21-bay driving range for warming up and rental clubs on hand for travellers who have left their bags at home. That relaxed setup makes it a good choice for mixed-ability groups or a first round in Japan. Southern Ichihara is also home to the Yoro Valley, with its gorges, waterfalls and hot-spring inns, which blaze with colour in late autumn, and the scenic Kominato Railway trundles through the same hills. The course is best reached by car via the Ken-O and Tateyama expressways, making for an easy day trip from Tokyo with time left for an onsen soak on the way home.