Three Nines on the Saitama Plain, an Easy Escape from Tokyo

Yoshimi Golf Course sits in the quiet farming town of Yoshimi in central Saitama, part of a small group of public courses run by Saitama River Frontier. Open since 1982, it offers 27 holes split into three par-36 nines (East, Middle and West), which can be paired however you like. The nines play quite differently: East rewards pinpoint accuracy, Middle mixes river, pond and tree carries, and West puts the focus on the approach and the greens.

Three distinct nines, one relaxed day out, barely an hour from the capital.

This is uncomplicated, good-value golf, and it suits a day trip. Solo golfers can book alone through the one-player plan. Yoshimi is known locally for the Yoshimi Hyakuana caves, an ancient hillside burial site a short drive away, and nearby Kawagoe adds Edo-era streets and sweet-potato snacks to the day. By train, take the JR Takasaki Line to Fukiage Station, then a taxi of about 12 minutes. Drivers can reach the course in about 25 minutes from Higashimatsuyama IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.