Pete Dye's Scottish spirit in the hills of Hyogo

West One's Country Club, in Kato City in the Hokuban hills of Hyogo, opened in 1993 as the work of Pete Dye and his son Perry Dye. Billed as the only Pete Dye links course in the Kansai region, its 18 holes play to par 72 and stretch to 7,077 yards from the black tees, with five sets of tees down to 5,077 yards. The American-Scottish design brings bold undulation to both fairways and greens, so imagination and shot-shaping count as much as length.

A links-style test from one of golf's great architects, an hour's drive from Osaka.

For visitors who know Dye's work in the United States, this is a rare chance to play his links ideas in Japan, and the course welcomes visitors through online booking, including single-player tee times. The club is about 3 km from the Takino-Yashiro IC on the Chugoku Expressway, making it an easy drive from Osaka or Kobe; by train, take the JR Kakogawa Line to Nishiwaki-shi Station and a 10-minute taxi. Kato and neighbouring Nishiwaki sit in Hyogo's golf heartland, and the hot springs of Arima Onsen and the castle at Himeji are within reach for anyone building a longer Kansai trip.