Kawana (a few more pictures added)

[Philip Gawith]

I lost my golfing virginity in Japan last week and what a place to lose it! Kawana really is a great course - a memorable piece of land and the memorable imprint of Hugh/Charles? Alison on it. No wonder it belongs in Mr Doak's "Gourmet Guide". As Tom points out you can see why it is likened to Pebble Beach - personally I thought it a more memorable course (just to keep you guys on the West coast interested...) though it was not scenically at its best on account of the weather/season.

The most striking feature of the course is the dramatic change in elevation - 48 yards tee  to green on the first hole, 39 yards on the third, 40 yards on the fourth, 23 yards on the sixth, 26 yards on the eleventh, 33 yards on the 15th and 28 yards on the 17th.

The next most striking feature are the famous "Alison bunkers". Many of the greens are  built-up with very deep bunkers in the side. If you miss the greens, whether in or out of the bunkers, you are in a LOT of trouble. The difficulty of the course definitely lies at the green end of the hole - off the tee it is actually quite forgiving - my wife and I did not lose a ball in two rounds each. This last feature adds a lot to the pleasure of the course.

Obviously I was playing the course in winter and you can see this in the colouring. All the publicity pictures show a deep green course during the summer months. I actually found this colour scheme - green fairways and yellow rough quite appealing.

Two things appear different from when Tom Doak reviewed the course. First - second greens are NOT a feature of the course (only now on four  holes,  none were in play, and really did not feature at all). Second, the greens were VERY quick. Although they lack internal contour, most greens have quite marked front to back, or side, slope and the combination of this, plus speed, plus grain made them a real handful.

It would also be remiss not to comment on the fantastic Japanese habit of the big clubhouse bath after the round. What a way to finish off, especially if you have been wet! Also the caddies - all women, who push these specially designed motorised trollies that carry two (or more) bags.

I am posting the first nine first, then the second nine (roughly 20 pics in each). I took 100 plus in total so if anybody is gagging for more let me know and i will see what I can do.

I played the course off the back markers - 6691 yards.

The dramatic opening hole...





Looking back up from the green (you can see second green on the right)



The drive on the 2nd - over the first of the deep fairway bunkers you get to.




Looking back up the 2nd from behind the green. A long drive leaves you a short iron in.




The par 5th third, dramatically uphill. 450 yards off the back, but you have to hit a mighty second to get up. Fabulous bunkering on the inside of the dogleg which you must drive over, to a fiercely cambered fairway.




The drive on the 4th, a downhill par 5...




The approach to the fourth - quite a short shot if you have hit a good drive...




Looking back up the fourth from behind the green...



The fourth green from short and left....





Tee shot on the first short hole - 185 yards off the back, played 5 iron or 4 iron into the breeze..





The 5th green



The 5th green from the right, with the uphill 6th hole behind...






View of the 6th green- one of the best and most difficult holes on the course, but not so easily photographed. A good drive and 3 iron to get up here...




Tee shot on the short par four 7th (slightly foreshortened)- one of the most amazing looking holes (really the green complex) that I have ever seen. The line is over the middle of the front two bunkers, to a flat lie on the left of the fairway.




More of the 7th...





A view from the side of the short 8th - the green beautifully nestled into a natural setting.



The 9th fairway snakes its way up between mounds on either side...

[Eric Franzen]

h.
I actually found this colour scheme - green fairways and yellow rough quite appealing.

I really agree in this specific case. However being jet lagged in Tokyo and sitting through a bunch of weird golf shows, usually where a club pro plays 18 holes with elderly ladies, on japanses television I would say that it doesn't look that good on courses with less interesting contours.

Do you think that the 4th would benefit from some tree removal on the right side in front of the green?

Anyway, good photos. Thanks for posting!

[Philip Gawith]

Here are pics from the second nine...slightly in haste.

The small green of the short 10th - sharp back to front slope and general calamity if you miss...



The course opens up from 11-14 - this shot has 13th fairway  in the foreground, 14th to the right and 12th green near the pink cherry trees..






The approach to the 619yd 11th, a wonderful plunging hole with great views, rolling fairway, two tier green...



The approach to the 12th - carry all the way..




Behind the 12th...





The 12th features in best 500 holes in the world list. You can see the tee in the right distance in front of the lighthouse. hole sweeps around the cliffs, uphill..



From the right of the 12th green...




Tee shot on the wide-open 13th, but if you are too far right you have a difficult approach over bunkers...




Approach to the 14th...



Wonderful dramatic tee shot on the 15th....



Rolling fairway on 15th...




From behind the 15th...




15th green shots...







The short 16th - 4 or 5 iron, 185 yards, all carry. One of the hardest short holes I have played. If you miss...



The 17th - quite open off the tee, but very long carry, uphill all the way to the green...



The 17th green is one of the widest on the course...



Short par four brings you home...



If you are not precise with your approach then more short game duress follows...

[Philip Gawith]

Yes Eric - I think it would, just so you get a better view of those bunkers on the right.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Excellent Philip it must have been a blast. Odly the fairways remind me of your photo's from Durban, all that movement.


Do you know how much rough they grow when it's green?  I would thinkg playing form rough with some of those stances must really toughen up the course.

Also we hear so much about the expense of golf in Japan, do you care to share any details?  Is that why it's compared to Pebble Beach?

[Philip Gawith]

Tony - I have no idea how long they let the rough grow in summer. It is not particularly punitive in winter - you have quite good lies in it - but that is the beauty of the course: it does not feel punitive, but is very difficult around the greens. So you enjoy your round, even if scoring is not so simple.

As for cost - including the caddie, it is £112 in the week, £143 on the weekend. That is not cheap, but it is a real gem and I think unquestionably worth it at that price. I don't know what golf more broadly costs in Japan - I am sure the spectrum of value is covered as elsewhere. For what it is worth, the pound is stronger vs the yen right now than anytime in living memory!

[Jonathan Cummings]

Phillip, how were you able to make arrangements to get on?  I have always thought that all the quality Japanese courses are harder to get on than Augusta.  JC

[Eric Franzen]

Phillip, how were you able to make arrangements to get on?  I have always thought that all the quality Japanese courses are harder to get on than Augusta.  JC

Kawana is a resort course, as I understand.

http://www.princehotels.co.jp/kawana/

[Brad Klein]

Fantastic images, great tour.

[wsmorrison]

Thank you for posting the photos.  Maybe it is the color differences, but the fairways seem pretty narrow with a fairly wide margin of rough between the fairway and the bunkers.  How wide are the fairways?

That is some topography.  The green surrounds, especially the steep falloffs seem very punishing to missed shots.  

[Eric Franzen]

The green surrounds, especially the steep falloffs seem very punishing to missed shots.  

I can assure you that they are. We still have a couple of those left at Stockholm GK, an Colt, Alison & Morrison course that sadly have been altered a bit during the years.

[Philip Gawith]

Jonathan - yes Eric is right, it is a resort course so you pays your money and you are on the course. It is the exception among the leading Japanese courses, I believe.

Wayne - I meant to measure off the fairways but did not get round to it. I would say they were about 25 yards wide or so - so yes, fairly narrow, but then the rough is quite benign, at least in its winter variation. It is a bit thicker and fluffier than being on the fairway, but not a severe penalty. In other words, at least during winter, it plays wider than the fairways indicate.

Your eyes do not deceive you re the green surrounds!

[wsmorrison]

Philip,

Is Mt. Fuji visible from the course?

[JMorgan]

Obviously I was playing the course in winter and you can see this in the colouring. All the publicity pictures show a deep green course during the summer months. I actually found this colour scheme - green fairways and yellow rough quite appealing.

Two things appear different from when Tom Doak reviewed the course. First - second greens are NOT a feature of the course (only now on four  holes,  none were in play, and really did not feature at all). Second, the greens were VERY quick. Although they lack internal contour, most greens have quite marked front to back, or side, slope and the combination of this, plus speed, plus grain made them a real handful.

Thank you for posting those pictures, Philip.  Wow.

Did you get a sense that the second greens are used more in the summer, and is green speed more a factor of season?   If you had summer weather but the course conditions remained the same, do you think you would prefer playing under winter conditions?  

There is something extremely appealing to the color scheme (I like that shot of #5), and it seems that conditions would support more of a ground game, though with the elevation changes that may not be a blessing?

That is a dream #18 for me -- a short, par four Alison finishing hole -- and in that setting!  

[Noel Freeman]

Phil-

Good on you m8 for making the trip down the Ito Peninsula.
You must have been able to see Fuji-san on a clear day from there!


I'm struck by how the dormant grass really gives you a good idea of the land contours.

My favorite holes were the 3rd, 7th, 15th and 17th.  I find the 7th a terrific option hole especially given today's driver length.

When I played there the greens were like velcro with the Korai grass making them putt uber slow.  I only played 1 sub green (on the par 3 10th) and overall found the real weakness of the design to be in the flatness of the greens.  That is the major difference b/t it and Hirono which still has greens with a lot of slope to them.

I'm also quite curious about the Oshima course there.. I bet it is a lovely walk in the park, it seems no gaijin play there..

I also liked the ritual post round bath but can tell you I shot 38 going out (which is good for me) and then stopped for a huge sushi lunch (as they make you do)which make the first 5 holes of the back 9 a bit of a slog given my belly was full and came home in a whimpering 45!

For those who want to see the course in season (on a day that was the most humid I've ever seen, I looked like a NBA player filled with sweat who gives a damn after walking to my tee shot on the 1st hole), here is a link to a piece I did for Ran back when I visited the course.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/opinionfreeman.html

[Philip Gawith]

Wayne - apparently Mt Fuji is generally not often visible owing to hazy weather - so I did not see it. But if you were to see it, it would be in the background of the shot taken from behind the 12th green.

James - yes I believe the second greens are used more in summer for wear and tear purposes. As for when I would like to play it most - judging from Noel's comment, now was not a bad time! I think the contours do come out better now than when the course is green, judging from the pictures I have seen.

re the ground game - it was applicable on some holes eg approaching the 15th, but you are right that in many cases the elevated greens meant you had to get the ball in the air.

Re green speed and seasons - I am no agronomist so I would defer to others. Indeed, I wish I knew more so I could make some more informed comments in this area. Judging from what Noel said, the grass on the greens is clearly different from when he (and, earlier, Tom Doak) played because these greens were unquestionably very quick (similar grass to what they used to have on some courses in Johannesburg I think before kikuyu took over). Indeed, the green surfaces Noel refers to sound like he is describing the green fairway grass in my pictures.

Noel - I agree with you re those holes you favour. I thought the 6th was also an excellent hole, and I liked the look of the 11th too. Indeed, I don't think there is a weak hole on the course.

Re your comment on the option of the 7th hole - I wonder. To me, the spine in the fairway looked so severe as to make the chances of driving the green extremely low. To my eye, the landing area was non-existent. I should have given it a try rather than lamely playing a 3 iron up the left. (By way of reminder, if is 393 yards off the back - but I played it at 330 yards).

I would be interested to know what you thought re the greens when they putt fast - at the speed I played them, they could not have tolerated much internal contour, and the external slope on some of the greens eg 10, was quite considerable.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Philip, Photos to treasure.  Thank you.  Mark.

[ed_getka]

Philip,
    Thanks for the photo tour. What fantastic looking land.Yet another course to add to the ever-growing list.

[John Sabino]

Philip - spectacular pictures, they have almost a surreal quality to them, thanks for sharing them and for the thoughtful comments. Joe

[Brian Joines]

This course looks incredible. There is so much movement in the terrain. Thanks for sharing!

[Tom_Doak]

Philip:  I'm glad you made the trip and found it on a good day, and thanks for sharing your pictures ... I had forgotten how spectacular some of the holes are.  They have been asking me to come back for years but I never seem to find time; after this reminder, I might take them up on it.

Wayne et al:  The photo of Kawana in The Confidential Guide shows Mt. Fuji rising above the clouds in a view from the 14th green.  It is spectacular when you get to see it, although it's fairly far away.

[Jeff Doerr]

Thanks so much for including all of us.

[Paul_Turner]

Philip, thanks for the pics.  Nice to see the less photographed holes in detail.

There almost needs to be a new category for courses like Kawana, Eastward Ho!, Hague, Durban.  Courses with an unusual amount of roll.

How much is the green fee?

Eric

Is that Kevinge?  I have a few old pics.

[Eric Franzen]

Eric

Is that Kevinge?  I have a few old pics.

Spot on!

The 18th - 1932.

[Philip Gawith]

Thanks Paul - I think the figures were around £112 during the week (inc caddie, which you must take) and around £130 on the weekends.

It is an amazing site, and a real achievement to make the course one which is quite forgiving in terms of how it plays -  albeit the scorecard suggests differently (unless you have a good short game!)

The 11th also has role quite similar to the 15th, though not show in these pictures. I think that maybe on account of my lashing my drives miles off the fairway, which is not conducive to taking pictures showing the rolls in the fairway!