Golf Inside Tokyo, Lights On After Dark

This is one of the few courses you can play without leaving Tokyo. It sits on rolling hills in Hachioji, in the west of the capital, and has been open since November 1963. Run today by Accordia Golf, it is an easy-going 18 holes at par 72 that suits a relaxed round with friends, and it is one of the rare clubs near the city that also plays at night, so you can tee off after work and still be home for dinner.

From the back tees the course measures 6,373 yards to the A greens, with a course rating of 70.2 (69.2 on the B greens). Every hole has two bent greens, A and B, and the club alternates between them, so the same hole can play quite differently from one visit to the next. You can play on your own with a remote-controlled cart, or book a caddie; only carts with a caddie may drive onto the fairway. Each cart has a GPS screen showing the distance to the pin and a digital scorecard.

Open since 1963 in the hills of Hachioji, 18 holes inside Tokyo with day and night rounds and a free shuttle bus from two stations

The course

The front nine has a run you won't find on many courses: three par fives in a row at the 5th, 6th and 7th, the longest of them 544 yards. The par threes are short to mid length, from a 135-yard 2nd to a 181-yard 11th. On the back nine, the 540-yard 12th is the longest hole and the 418-yard 15th the longest par four, and the round ends on a 413-yard par four. From the forward tees the course plays 4,919 yards, so higher handicaps and beginners can enjoy it too.

Night golf

The club runs night rounds as through play, 18 holes without a lunch break, and same-day bookings are possible. It's the easiest way to fit a round into a short trip to Tokyo: a full day of sightseeing, then golf under the lights in the evening. Some night plans don't include a locker, so check the details when you book.

Getting there

A free shuttle bus runs from Hachioji-Minamino Station on the JR Yokohama Line (about 10 minutes) and from Mejirodai Station on the Keio Takao Line (about 15 minutes), with no booking needed. Morning buses leave from 7:30 and return buses run every half hour from 15:00 to 17:30. There are few taxis at either station, but a taxi from Hachioji Station costs about ¥2,500, or about ¥1,800 from Hashimoto. By car, the club is 10 km from the Hachioji interchange on the Chuo Expressway and 8 km from the Takaosan interchange on the Ken-O Expressway.

Good to know

The club opens at 6:00. Golf wear is expected: no T-shirts or jeans, and soft-spike or spikeless shoes only. A hat is recommended in summer. Rental clubs are ¥5,000 a set and shoes ¥1,200. The bath comes with towels and toiletries, and the restaurant serves from 7:30 on weekdays and 7:00 at weekends. You can pay by cash, card or PayPay. Groups made up only of players under 18 can't play, and players aged 70 and over are exempt from the golf course tax if they tell the front desk at check-in.