Shrines, Ancient Mounds and a thoughtful Kato layout

Tone Golf Club, formerly known as Kanan Golf Club, sits in Inashiki, Ibaraki Prefecture, just south of Lake Kasumigaura and around 8 km from the Inashiki-Higashi interchange of the Ken-O Expressway. Opened in 1988 and designed by Shunsuke Kato, it is an 18-hole, par-72 course stretching to 6,803 yards from the black tees. Kato describes it as challenging but fair: rather than relying on tricky traps, it applies gentle pressure and makes you feel a missed shot, while staying fun to play for golfers of every level.

Quiet beauty meets careful strategy, with Mt. Tsukuba on the horizon.

What sets the course apart is its sense of place: shrines, ancient burial mounds and sacred trees sit beside several holes, and some tee boxes look out toward Mt. Tsukuba. A 13-bay driving range with putting and approach areas, a clubhouse bath and a well-stocked shop round out the facilities. The course is about 40 minutes by car from JR Narita Station, which makes it a handy first or last round for visitors flying through Narita. Nearby, the historic merchant town of Sawara with its canal-side streets, Katori Shrine and the waterways of the Kasumigaura area make for a relaxed afternoon after golf.