Island golf above the Seto Inland Sea

Shodoshima Seaside Golf Club sits on the eastern side of Shodoshima, the olive-growing island in Kagawa Prefecture. Opened in April 1967 and designed by Keiji Matsuyama, it is an 18-hole, par-72 course of around 6,500 yards from the back tees, laid out over steep, mountainous ground. Holes climb and tumble across the slopes, the Korai greens can be tricky to read, and from many tees the Seto Inland Sea opens up below you.

A mountain course with the sea at its feet, and an island adventure to reach it.

Getting here is half the fun: ferries run to Shodoshima from Takamatsu, Kobe, Himeji, Okayama and Osaka, and the club offers pick-ups from the island's ports. Play is self-play with riding carts, the dress code is relaxed, and the on-site Shodoshima Annex has east-facing rooms with ocean views, so you can wake to sunrise over the water and tee off after breakfast. Give yourself an extra day for the island itself: the olive groves and Olive Park, the dramatic Kankakei gorge with its ropeway (especially lovely in autumn), the soy sauce breweries of the old town, and the island's seafood. It pairs easily with the art islands of Naoshima and Teshima nearby.