Kawana (Fuji)

[Rob Miller]

川奈富士コース



Visited Kawana Hotel over the weekend.   The weather was just short of awful but I did get a round at the Fuji course.  Unfortunately did not get a play at the Oshima course which predates Alison’s Fuji by 9 years.  I'll try to swing back sometime later this year and post some photos.

There have been some good posts and photos on the website on Kawana Fuji so I’ll try not to overlap other’s good work here.

My stay at the hotel almost overlapped with the Emperor of Japan, it seems I missed him and according to one of my taxi drivers, the 2000 security guards that were brought in by just a few days.   Also, while I played they were preparing for the Fuji-Sankei Ladies Golf Classic scheduled for next week.  Spending a day or two hanging around professional Japanese women golfers preparing for the tournament was not a bad addition to a memorable visit. 

The hotel seeps with history and feels like a step back into the past.  It's a bit overdue for a renewal but it doesn't take anything away from the experience. I’m sure there are many luxurious rooms for Emperors and heads of state although mine however was not quite so large. Since golf is the reason to visit simply having a place to rest was more than enough. 

It seems that Akaboshi (I believe Rokuro) did the initial routing for the Fuji course.  His routing posted below was shown to me out of the course archives.  Not sure that it has been circulated much before.   Alison was commissioned after the owner of the property returned to the estate which was originally intended as a proper estate for horse riding like those Baron Okura had seen in Britain.  CH Alison spent three days touring the property by horse before doing a routing. 

Here are Akaboshi’s original routing and the course as it was routed by CH Alison and built by Otani Komyo (who designed and built the Oshima course).  The Akaboshi routing deserves some additional study and would be interesting to imagine how that would have been built. 






These are the original routings in the clubhouse








Preparing for next week's tournament-



Off to the course...

[Rob Miller]

1st, par 4, 415 yards

One of my favorites, there is a serious elevation change (48 yards) from the tee to the green.  Great opener with an outstanding view.



A look back to the tee from the fairway



The approach is slightly uphill to a small green





2nd, par 4, 411 yards

The best path to the green is just over the bunker which just requires 215 to clear but is still a formidable obstacle. 




The approach and an introduction to the flash bunkers that gives Alison his reputation in Japan.  A well-stuck tee shot over the bunker will give you a nice path to the green.  Play safe left and the route is less friendly.




3rd hole, par 5, 450 yards

The first of two consecutive par 5s.  The 3rd is a serious uphill challenge.  Here is the approach.





4th hole, par 5, 482 yards

The tee shot at the fourth hole gives a great view of the ocean.  A bit difficult to tell from the photo but the green and the flag in the distance is the only visual that you are given at the tee. 




5th, par 3 181 yards

View from the tee





6th, par 4, 434 yards

The sixth is an uphill dogleg right which is one of the most simple yet one of my favorites.  Here is the tee shot. 




On the approach shot the visual is a very small green protected by a mound to the right that seemingly requires a lot of accuracy.  In reality as you approach the green becomes much larger than imagined.  Not sure if this comes out well in these two photos but regardless I love the illusions that the course sometimes presents.   

[Rob Miller]

7th, par 4, 393 yards

Slightly downhill, green on the right, there are split landing areas. 


Here's the approach from the bunkers on the left.  Advice on the tee was stay right, I didn't follow it well. 



Greenside bunker.  According to my caddy this is a famous bunker in some japanese manga (comics).  I didn't really know what she was talking about though and just nodded my head through her explanation.  She seemed really excited about it though. 





8th, par 3, 150

Short but well-protected green with bunkers on the front and right (seen) and on the left (hidden at tee shot)





9th, par 4, 367

From the tee-




Approach





10th, par 3, 143 yards

The split greens which are only on a few of the holes are shown here.  They were added during the Japanese bubble era when it became popular but I don't believe they rotate much anymore. 





11th, par 5, 619 yards

The 11th, 15th and 18th are my favorites on the course.  The lighthouse was built in 1957 after the course was requisitioned back from the US military and is shaped like a tee. Note the palm trees on the hole as you weave towards the ocean.




At the tee-  see that palm tree in the fairway?  Think it's seen a few golf balls over the years?




Those holes in the tree are from golf balls of yesteryear.  It looks like one side of the tree has been to battle...and the tree won.




Approach to the green

[Emil Weber]

very, very cool, thank you!

[Ally Mcintosh]

very, very cool, thank you!

Seconded...

[Rob Miller]

I read that the stretch from 12-14 was the weakest part of the course.  Alison's original routing was changed on 13 and 14 (read Masa Nakajima's interview in the featured interview section for more information).  For me, the 14th was a bit strange but the outstanding 15th-18th stretch more than makes up for it.  The 15th is the signature and deserves the attention it receives but the 18th for me is by far my favorite.  Photos to come...

12th, par 4, 404 yards

From the tee




Approach




A close up of the greenside bunker - not fun if you find it.  Much steeper than it seems on the photo. 



Here's a look back from the 12th tee to the 11th green.  Not a bad view and probably even better when it's not cold and raining.






13th, par 4, 395 yards


From the tee







14th, par 4, 419 yards

From the tee-  the bunker on the right, which is a killer is about 250 from the back tee and 200 from the regular tee.  Most likely, you'll be short of the bunker, in the bunker or left of the bunker which all give you a blind shot.  Not my favorite, but get through this shot and excellence awaits.




Green - stay right. 





15th, par 5, 470

Quite a bit has been said about this hole so I'll just keep it simple with some photos



This is from the view from the tips- 33 yard drop in elevation




With some cherry blossoms-




Here's a look back from the green- the group behind me on the top right is from the regular tee.  The back tee gives much less of an angle.  After I told my caddy we should have played the regular tees because the shot was more fun, she said don't be selfish, stick with your tees.  Ouch. 





16th, par 3, 185 yards


From the tee, tournament ready.  Nasty bunkers right, left and back aren't in view.  The caddy said 95% of shots to this hole fall short.





The view from the 16th tee. 





17th, par 4, 410 yards


View from the tee. Uphill-28 yards.  The mound on the right which looks harmless from the tee is actually a pretty serious bunker.





From the fairway




The approach on 17




The elevation change from an approach on the right





18th, par 4, 366 yards




A fantastic finishing hole that gives you the entire layout at the tee.  My favorite on the course.  No explanation needed. 





Bunker on the 18th

[Tom MacWood]

Rob
Great information and pictures, thanks for sharing. Does the club have all of Alison's plans displayed or just the ones pictured? How closely do those plans match the current course?

[Rob Miller]

Tom-

Gliding Past Fuji was an excellent article and great primer for the round.  Thanks.

The original plans are displayed in the clubhouse for all 18 holes.  I asked and someone confirmed that they were they original drawings.  There is no Alison routing but I noticed at least the 14th looked a bit different than it currently plays.  Seems most were true to current form.

[Jason McNamara]

Fantastic stuff, Rob.  I hope you're making the rounds all across Japan.

[Jed Peters]

Wait, was that lady carrying DOUBLES?

[Brad Swanson]

Wow!  Thanks for posting your photos Rob.  Its great to see a course off the beaten path like this.

Brad

[Ulrich Mayring]

This looks like a super course, on par with the best I should think.

Ulrich

[Rob Miller]

Jed-

She wouldn't have made it far with one bag let alone two.  Kawana has some serious hills.  They have a typically Japanese electronic push cart that is wheeled around.

[Tom_Doak]

Rob:

I'm surprised you liked the 18th hole so much ... I thought it was just straightforward and a short finisher to boot.  Reminds me a bit of the 18th at Bethpage Black but with a nicer setting.  My favorite holes include #2, #7 and #17.

When I was there last, I played with Masa Nishijima, and he insisted we play the 14th hole from the original planned angle of the tee (coming from the right of the 13th green, across the 13th fairway).  Well, we did that, and the single golfer playing behind us took great exception to our breach of etiquette ... I thought he was going to come up and pick a fight at one point!  Gotta mind your manners in Japan ...

[Rob Miller]

Tom-

Thanks. Just the idea of playing from the regular tee instead of the back on 15 riled my caddie so much that I can't imagine teeing off crossing the fairway on 14. Kudos for that.

The reason I really liked the 18th is that it presents itself gracefully at the tee. It stands out from every other hole and immediately let's you know that this is the end.  In terms of strategy probably not exciting but visually I love it regardless.  The 18th should be like that, no?   
   

[Michael Taylor]

Sensational photos Rob.

How long is the airtime of a tee shot on 1? Looks like a helluva lotta fun for a tee shot!

Pup

[Tom_Doak]

Rob:

Did you meet Mr. Kato?  For 30+ years Mr. Kato would meet and assist English-speaking visitors to Kawana.  On my first visit, when I got up at 5 a.m. to go out and take pictures of the course, he was down by the pro shop waiting to assist!

He retired several years ago but he still comes around often when there is someone visiting from the USA, especially if they've been there before.  I saw him a couple of years ago when I played there last.

[Rob Miller]

Tom-

Mr. Kato came by at the end of our trip. He was very gracious and exceedingly nice.  He's PR director these days and I followed up with an email thanking him for his hospitality and sent him a link to this discussion.  I'd be lucky to feel as welcome in any course as he did for us in  Kawana.  Good guy. 





 

[Rob Miller]

Hey Pup,

Isn't any downhill 1st tee shot with a view of the water at a great course fantastic? 

Be sure to let me know if you ever make it out to Asia...

[Jeff Doerr]

Rob,

Thanks for bringing us along. It really is one of the GCA treasures!

For me, the simplicity of the bunkers highlights the movement of the land.

Jeff

[Jordan Wall]

Awesome, thank you Rob!!

[Ron Farris]

Back in the late 1980's we use to go over to Kawana with Perry Dye.  I remember John Harbottle getting into it with a caddie at Kawana as she told him to lay up and he refused to do so.  Memory fails me but it seemed like a par 5 on the front.  We actually enjoyed the food as much as the golf at Kawana. That was probably because it rained most times we were there or we went during the so called off season.

Great Place.

[Michael Taylor]

Hey Pup,

Isn't any downhill 1st tee shot with a view of the water at a great course fantastic? 

Be sure to let me know if you ever make it out to Asia...

Sure is Rob. How long would you have said the air time is on a tee shot for the 1st? And what is the point of that bunker at the begginning of the fairway?

Will do mate.

Pup

[Kevin Pallier]

Cheers for the thread Rob - how does Kawana compare in your eyes to the other famed golf courses in Japan ?

[Rob Miller]

Cheers for the thread Rob - how does Kawana compare in your eyes to the other famed golf courses in Japan ?

Kevin- give me the rest of the year and a bit of luck and I'll provide some thoughts as I make my rounds around Japan.  I can say that Kawana is infinitely better than every course I've played built during the bubble era. 

I'm headed to CA later this week and will be playing Pebble for the first time so it should be interesting comparing the two courses.