Forest fairways above the Kanto Plain

Roland Golf Club, known until 2019 as Heiwa Lordland Golf Club, sits in the Misato district of Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture. It opened in 1994, and Shunsuke Kato laid out its 18 holes, par 72 and 6,500 yards from the back tees, across rolling hills ringed by old-growth forest. The aim was to let the land speak for itself. The ups and downs are moderate rather than punishing, and on clear days you can see the Kanto Plain spreading south and the Haruna mountains rising to the north.

A quiet hillside course where nature sets the tone, with mountains on one side and the plain on the other.

The 6th and 15th are the holes for big drives, and the 5th and 16th are good short-hole tests. A 250-yard practice range and a bath round out the day. Mt. Haruna and its crater lake are a short drive north, and the stone-stepped hot-spring town of Ikaho Onsen is close by for an overnight stay. Takasaki is on the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen lines, about an hour from Tokyo. From there the club is a drive or taxi ride, or about 15 km from the Maebashi interchange on the Kan-etsu Expressway. Check the club's current status before you plan a trip, because booking sites have listed a temporary closure for renovation work.