Hirono (Alison) in Japan

[mark chalfant]

Ive been very impressed by the Alison courses Ive visited
including Kirtland,Century,and Milwaukee. Im curious if anyone
has had the opportunity to play Hirono which looks to be
a great piece of golfing terrain. If so did the course live up to
your expectations. Thanks.

[Tyler Kearns]

While I do not know if Tom MacWood has ventured over to Japan to play Hirono, much information can be gleaned about the course from his recent articles in Golf Architecture 7, and Paul Daley's Golf Architecture II.

TK

[SPDB]

Mark - If you haven't yet, please take a look at Paul Turner's marvelous compendium of old Hirono photos (link below). It remains one of the best threads in GCA history, and par for the course for Paul Turner.  

HIRONO THREAD

[T_MacWood]

I have not seen Hirono unfortunately, but Tom Doak has. Noel has been over there, but I'm not sure if he's played Hirono, I know he has a friend who has played it.

 I've seen recent photos of the course and the course has lost a bit in comparison to those striking old pictures. One or two holes have been changed (par-3's where the tee has been relocated at a completely different angle), bunkers lost or altered, tree over growth, and Doak wrote the green surfaces had been altered....but for the most part the course is still there.

Hirono might benefit more from a restoration than any golf course in the world...and it doesn't appear it would require anything extraordinary. Remove trees, re-establish a few tees, and re-edge and reclaim the bunkers.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Thanks for the link. I was searching for that thread recently and couldn't find it.

Absolutely fascinating. And thanks to you Tom MacWood, too, for your informative research and writing.

Awesome stuff.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Had the pleasure last year. A remarkable course.  They just published a book from which the photos that were posted on the site were lifted. The book is from 1933 and shows the greatness of the course and its very linksy early look.  The course has many excellent qualities: width, central hazards, beauty, interesting green complexes, variety. A great, great course. Probably 5000 trees too many though.  A bit overrated given the tree problems today, but properly trimmed, there would be precious few courses one would enjoy more.  For feel, for me, the most similar US course would be Bethpage.

[Paul_Turner]

Just to clarify.  I didn't lift the pics from the current book.  They were lifted from the original photo scrapbook/prospectus.

The bunker that T Doak complains about, has since been removed.

[George Pazin]

I seem to recall Noel reporting about a trip there, but I would guess he's on his honeymoon, since Tommy just posted the news of his wedding over the weekend. Someone will have to remember to bump up this thread in a couple weeks.

Thanks for the link, Sean - thanks for the photos, Paul.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Paul, did not mean to cast any aspersions with respect to the photos.  Just pointing out that there is a run of 100 books that have the same photos that were posted here. Interesting to note that not many of the members have apparently seen the photos.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

At the time of the last update to World Atlas of Golf I wrote to the secretary who was most helpful and sent me, amongst other things, an up to date map of the course and a book of postcards of it.  I've sent most of the postcards but I'm sure if an Alison fan wrote to the club they'd send them to you, too.

[Jeff_Lewis]

Tom MacWood,

looking at those pictures again and thinking of what the course looks like today, I would second the motion that this would be the most restore-able great course in the world today. its still there.

anybody interested in seeing my pix from japan (hirono, kawana, tokyo), send me a message and i will show you how to get them on imagestation.  there are way too many to post here.

[John_Cullum]

What sort of grasses do they have?

[SPDB]

Did they ever build 2d (winter) greens at Hirono?