A Taste of St Andrews in the Hokkaido Woods

The Thomson Course of Sapporo Regent Golf Club sits in the forested hills of Kitahiroshima, about 30 minutes from central Sapporo. Opened in 1995 and named after its designer, five-time Open champion Peter Thomson, the 18-hole, par-72 layout stretches to 6,847 yards from the back tees. It is modelled on the Old Course at St Andrews, with pot bunkers scattered throughout, but framed by trees rather than dunes. The out nine is flat with generous fairways, while the in nine brings the scenery, with the view from the 13th a highlight.

Pot bunkers and wide fairways, played at your own pace with carts on the grass.

This is self-play golf at its most relaxed: riding carts with GPS can drive onto the fairways, and two-ball rounds are welcome during the season. A large 300-yard range with 35 bays makes it easy to warm up. The club's sister New and Old Courses nearby have their own bath, Shimamatsu Onsen, and New Chitose Airport is close enough for a round on arrival or departure day. Back in Sapporo, the evenings are for miso ramen, Genghis Khan grilled lamb and a cold local beer. The course closes in winter, so plan for the warm, dry Hokkaido summer.