Seth Raynor in JAPAN ?

[Tom_Doak]

No, he didn't get there, as far as I know.

However, a good friend in Japan called me excitedly this morning to tell me about discovering a golf course called Hakone GC down near Mt. Fuji, which has many of the classic Raynor elements ... including a Redan and a Biarritz green.

The architect, Shiro Akaboshi, lived in New York for two years in the 1920's.  It's not known whether he ever got to know Macdonald and Raynor, or just played some of their better courses and brought their favorite holes home with him.

My friend believes that Hakone GC ought to be considered for top 100 status ... by way of comparison he mentioned that he thought it was BETTER THAN SHOREACRES!  (No kidding ... that was my best laugh of the day.)

P.S.  I'm hoping that Shoreacres does not become for golf course top 100 lists what Tommy McCarthy and Joe Tinker are for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

[T_MacWood]

Shiro Akaboshi and his brother Rokura Akoboshi were both educated in the US--Shiro at Penn (he played football) and Rokura at Princeton. Both were fine golfers, Rokura won the spring amateur championship at Pinehurst and won his first Japan Open 1927 by 10 strokes (as an amateur). If I'm not mistaken they defeated Hagen and Cruckshank in one match and lost a close one in another (during their tour of Japan).

Rokura was allegedly a member of Pine Valley. They made extensive tours of the US and Britain studying the great courses. They were most impressed by Cypress Point. The NGLA was another course they liked. I'd guess if Hakone is the result of an American influence, it would be Macdonald not Raynor.

The brothers desgined a number excellent courses, together and solo. I think Hakone was built in 1954, which is their only design after WWII (that I'm aware of). Rokura was with Alison during much of his visit to Japan. And Shiro asked him to advise on his design Fujisawa (NLE). Both men were very much influenced by Alison...as were just about all Japanese architects.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom Mac,
Your unqualified to research this since you didn't know or play with the Akaboshi Brothers. at least in Matt Ward speak you aren't......

Thanks once again for the info.

[Gyrogolf]

It would be an interesting question to find out if there is anybody in the Treehouse from Japan. Are any of your out there in cyberspace living over there?

Tom (Doak),

Please shoot me your new E-mail, I have a couple of off-line questions for you.

-Gib

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Tom Mac,That was very good. I am impressed with the speed and depth of the feedback.

[T_MacWood]

I gleemed it all from an aerial.

Actually I've done a lot of research on early Japanese golf architecture, and in particular Alison's visit.