[Brett_Morrissy]

Hi all,

I have a stopover in Tokyo on my way home to Australia from Europe in July, I would love to see Hirono, or Fuji or Tokyo, does anyone have any experience with golf in Japan, that can be passed on here, has anyone played any of these courses which I here are very well regarded works of CH Alison? It sounds like he may have had as big an impact on Japan as Mackenzie had in Australia, certainly with quality of work?

At this stage I have about 9 hours free during the day, flight lands around 9am, I am not keen to change my flight to do an overnighter at this stage. Frequent flyer points!

Am also not sure of logistics and travel times, I have heard the bullet trains are very fast, obviously  , taxis, buses, etc

Any advice would be most welcome.

Cheers
Brett

[Joel_Stewart]

Tokyo CC.  Recently restored by some guy named Gil Hanse?

[Brett_Morrissy]

Thanks Joel! I didn't realize Mr Hanse had done a renovation there.

[Andrew Bertram]

Brett

A 1 day stopover will be very challenging

Tokyo and Kasumagaseki are both 45 minutes, from the airport by train it is about 2 hours each way, train to Kawagoe and then taxi


Kawana - if you get a 10.15 train you will get to the resort about 1.30pm, train to Ito and then taxi

It is no quicker by car

All great to play

Andrew

[Tom_Doak]

Brett:

You are highly unlikely to get a game at Tokyo Golf Club, unless you know a member, or possibly if Gil Hanse will introduce you to someone there.  It's about as private as a member-owned club can get, outside the USA.

Kawana is the only one of the great Japanese courses that's easily accessible if you are not well connected.  It's a bullet train ride and a van ride from Tokyo, but on the wrong side of the city from the airport.  Not doable unless you stay overnight.  Staying overnight to play Kawana would be worthwhile.

The one other thing I could suggest would be to play at Keiyo Country Club, which we have plans to rebuild one of these years.  [The ownership has put off the project for a couple of years due to the downturn in Japan.]  The club is on the north side of Tokyo, only about 30 minutes from the airport; and though it's private, it's not exclusively private, and I could probably arrange for you to play there.  It's only an above-average course, but it might make for an interesting before and after comparison.

[Brett_Morrissy]

thanks very much Andrew and Tom, your travel advice is much appreciated!

sounds like travel times are tough in Tokyo (I have only ever transited at Narita), but assumed the trains were fast. obviously not?

[Tom_Doak]

thanks very much Andrew and Tom, your travel advice is much appreciated!

sounds like travel times are tough in Tokyo (I have only ever transited at Narita), but assumed the trains were fast. obviously not?

The bullet trains are very fast, but Narita Airport is not on [or near] the bullet train line.  Nor are Tokyo GC and Kasumigaseki.  The regular trains are efficient, but just average in terms of speed.

[Andrew Bertram]

Narita is 45 minutes into Tokyo and the out from there, 45 minutes to where Tokyo GC is and 200km down the coast to Kawana
Local trains are normal trains and you also need to walk between some stations for connections

If you could stop overnight you might be able to do a couple

Kasumgaseki i found to be quite welcoming and could not do enough, i will personal message you with a contact there
My english speaking contact at Kawana has retired but you will find some one there to assist

[Tom_Doak]

My english speaking contact at Kawana has retired but you will find some one there to assist

A quick shout-out to Mr. Kato who for thirty years looked after American and English-speaking visitors to Kawana.  What a very nice man.  When I wanted to take pictures of the course, he was waiting for me at 5 a.m. with a golf cart to help.

[Andrew Bertram]

Mr Kato met me at Ito train station and held his umbrella over me as it simply poured, a true gentleman who simply could not do enough for me in my efforts to schedule everything

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