Tokyo's riverside original, nine holes on the Arakawa

Shin Tokyo Tomin Golf Course lies on the banks of the Arakawa River in Adachi Ward, inside Tokyo's own city limits. It first opened in 1955 as the Tokyo Tomin Golf Course, laid out by Osamu Ueda, and is regarded as the pioneer of Japan's riverside courses. Today it is a compact 9-hole, par-31 layout of about 1,900 yards, with separate left and right greens on most holes, ponds, embankments and willow-fringed greens on flat, gently undulating ground. It is a public course where everyone walks with a push cart, and it has long been a training ground for local golfers, including a young Isao Aoki.

A genuine round of golf in the city, no expressway required.

The appeal is pure convenience and character: tee off at sunrise, play nine on a historic riverside layout and be back in central Tokyo by mid-morning. Weekday and early-morning play needs no reservation, rental clubs and shoes are available, and the short, flat course suits beginners and visitors shaking off jet lag, while the tight greens and water still test better players. Getting there is easy by public transport: take a Toei bus from JR Oji Station or JR Akabane Station, or a short taxi ride. Afterwards, Akabane's lively izakaya streets and the cherry trees of Asukayama Park near Oji make for a classic Tokyo afternoon.