A European-style resort course in the Ibaraki hills

Windsor Park Golf & Country Club opened in July 1997 in Shirosato, in the green hills northwest of Mito. Designed by Kentaro Sato, it is an 18-hole, par-72 course of just over 7,000 yards that the club bills as a European-style resort course. The layout follows complex, rolling terrain, so undulating fairways and bentgrass greens ask for careful placement and a good feel for slopes, while four sets of tees keep it fair for every level.

Stay the night, play two days, and let the hills do the talking.

What sets Windsor Park apart is that you can stay on site: the clubhouse has rooms for up to 27 guests, a large bath, a restaurant and even mahjong and karaoke rooms for the evening, making it an easy base for a two-round golf weekend. Carts have GPS navigation, there is a 250-yard driving range with short-game areas, and the official website offers an English booking form, which is rare for a Japanese club. The course is about 20 minutes from the Mito IC on the Joban Expressway. Nearby Mito is home to Kairakuen, one of Japan's three great gardens, famous for its plum blossoms in late winter, while the Ibaraki coast offers fresh seafood and the Hitachi Seaside Park's seasonal flower fields.