KYUSHU

Somewhere in those hidden corners of Japan you will discover our exotic golf journeys. Our superb 11-day journey through Kyushu Island will introduce you to our selection of six country club golf courses. Kyushu is Japan's warm and friendly southern island with verdant green hills, abundant hot springs, friendly locals and so delicious food. As Kyushu lies the furthest south of the main islands, it enjoys a warm and mild climate that makes it ideal for further enjoying the game of golf. We operate in Spring and Autumn.

 

Sunday  Day 1. Arrive in Fukuoka

If you are coming by train or plane, welcome to Kyushu and the beautiful city of Fukuoka. Due to staggered arrival times, we kindly ask that you make your way to the Marinoa Resort on the waterfront. We will reimburse your taxi fare. After 2pm you may check-in and explore the hotel surroundings or to use the beautiful hotel facilities. We will meet in the lobby at 6pm for BlueMoon canapes and drinks to introduce all of your fellow golfers. Then the night is free to explore the city and start to know your fellow golfers.

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Monday Day 2 Fukuoka.  Kokusai Country Club

Ohayō gozaimasu (good morning) and we hope that you had a restful sleep. After breakfast we meet in the hotel lobby and re-introduce you all before our first round of golf.  This golf course was established in 1969 and boasts 36 holes, making for two 18-hole golf courses. Fukuoka Kokusai Country Club is located about 30 minutes by car from Fukuoka and can be easily reached off the Kyushu Expressway.

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Fukuoka Kokusai Country Club plays host to many events including the Yakult Ladies Tournament which is an annual tournament contested on the golf course. All 36 holes are known for their undulating fairways and testing greens, but the fairways are often wide and this makes using the driver off the tee a pleasure on the longer holes.

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We encourage a snack and a drink with the friendly locals after your golf game. Later you have the night free to enjoy at leisure. Fukuoka is famous for foods like ‘tonkotsu’ ramen, ‘motsunabe’ hotpot, and ‘mentaiko’ pollack roe. And that’s just for starters - the region is packed with one-of-a-kind delicacies. When it comes to ramen broth there are four basic types – soy sauce, salt, miso and tonkotsu. The latter started out in a street stall here in 1937 and has since spread across the world. Maybe that could be dinner tonight.

Tuesday Day 3.  Chihushigaoka GC

The course is in the hills, only 30 minutes from Fukuoka, covering 27 holes and opened in 1976. We are semi surrounded by the beautiful Homan, Kusenbu and Sefuri mountains. The  course was designed by Akira Hocchi, is quite challenging and it can be enjoyed from beginners to professionals. The secret to a good score is how well get through the doglegs.

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The North Course 5th hole is 424 yards par-4. It is little uphill and dogleg to the left, and bunkers are placed along the course. At the second shot point, the fairway is 2-tiered but you should better aim from the top of the fairway on the left side. The green is also 2-tiered, and the left side is surrounded by bunkers and the right side is surrounded by mounds. Depending on the position of the pin, club selection and putting become quite difficult. The clubhouse and Mt.Kusenbu can be seen from the tea-house where you can relax after an enjoyable round of golf in these beautiful mountains. This course is one of our favourites. 

 

Wednesday Day 4.  Fukuoka half-day castle tour

First a hearty breakfast then we are off to the ruins of Fukuoka Castle in the city. During the Edo Period (1603-1868), Fukuoka Castle used to be the largest castle on Kyushu, but it was almost completely torn down after the Meiji Restoration period as an unwanted symbol of the feudal past. In March and April, Maizuru Park walking paths are lined with cherry trees so that visitors may walk through a tunnel of flowers, and there are also plenty of lawned areas for holding hanami parties under the blossoms. In the autumn, gingko trees vivid foliage turn the park into a popular viewing spot for falling autumn leaves, usually from early November to early December. Then onto Hakata Machiya Museum where we try first-hand the ancient arts of calligraphy and origami. We finish off at a Sake brewery which sets the scene for lunch. The Fukuoka waterfront is a lovely place to take a stroll and find an interesting place to eat and watch the world walk by. The afternoon is free time to relax.

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Thursday Day 5. Genkai Golf Club

Genkai Golf Club, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, has completed a major renovation project, transforming itself into a tournament course that can be considered one of the best in Japan. Under the direction of Ryo Yokoyama, the course underwent a bold re-modelling that utilized the original design. The course has been transformed into a facility that offers an even richer golfing experience by changing from a double green to a single green, further extending the driving range, that is one of the largest in the Kyushu area, and adding a practice bunker and approach practice area. The 36th Open Golf Championship in 2026 and the 94th Japan Open Golf Championship in 2029 will be held at the new course, making it one of Japan's premier tournament courses. This is one very beautiful golf course.

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Tonight, after golf, we settle into dinner at one of our favourite izakaya restaurants.

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Friday Day 6.  Shima Seaside CC

Here we have another beautiful seaside course offering absolutely stunning views of the ocean, plus the regular opportunity to hit golf balls into it since more than half a dozen holes are on the water. Happily, the greens are generally large and without major undulations. Par is 72 and the overall length is 6614 yards while a fine restaurant round of a wonderful day of seaside golf. Tonight is the last night in Fukuoka and is a good excuse to have a night on the town with our included dinner in the popular Canal District.

 

Saturday Day 7.  Kamome Express Train to Nagasaki

After breakfast and check-out at 10am, we take the Kamome Limited Express to Nagasaki. The coast route gives us wonderful ocean views and stops are made along the 2-hour trip. On arrival we check into the nearby Nagasaki Hilton Hotel for the next four nights. Nagasaki is a treasure-chest of seafood. The Nagasaki coast is long and intricate with remote islands, coves and bays which creates one of the best fishing locations in Japan. Many local cuisines in the prefecture were developed in the Edo Period when Nagasaki was an international trading port. Nagasaki hauls in the second largest fish catch in Japan, but it is ranked No.1 for having the most variety of fish, with over 250 species. Throughout the prefecture, you can easily enjoy fresh and delicious seafood in various ways including sashimi, sushi, seafood rice bowl, hotpot, and even steaming it over natural hot spring. There are numerous gourmet events throughout the year for food lovers. As customary, at each new location we have our welcome included dinner and after we have settled in we will have an evening beside the beautiful Nagasaki waterfront and we will try out seafood at our popular local.

 

Sunday Day 8.  Nomozaki Country Club

This golf club is located at the end of a blind peninsula and surrounded by sea and views. A course, where you can see the deep blue ocean from every hole, is also a full-fledged championship course where the Penta-Ocean Construction Ladies Tournament was held. The Nomozaki Golf Clubhouse is modelled after the Glover House, one of Nagasaki's most representative buildings. From the clubhouse, you can see the famous mountain Mt. Ninodake, and from the restaurant on the second floor, you can see all the islands in the East China Sea and Gunkanjima. The course was designed by Shunsuke Kato, one of Japan's leading course designers. The 18 holes, which require skill as well as strength, have been praised as the ‘Kawana of Kyushu’. He suggested ‘Golf is a sport that has a lot to do with nature. Nomozaki has a long coastline with a beautiful and varied landscape, islands, and distant views of beautiful mountains. Each hole takes advantage of nature to create a highly complete course that utilizes trees as much as possible. Each hole has its own unique characteristics that convey the depth of golfing’. Self-drive carts make for an interesting day. It will likely be a day to be remembered and will certainly be discussed over dinner tonight.

 

Monday Day 9.  Nagasaki Half Day Tour

During the Age of Exploration, a wave of Western civilization swept over Japan. Starting from 1550, when the first Portuguese ship to visit Japan arrived in Hirado, the people of Nagasaki came into contact with Europeans. Many churches were built in Nagasaki after that and Christian culture flourished here to such an extent that the city earned the nickname ‘Little Rome’. In the 1630s, the third Tokugawa Shogun issued a series of edicts and started the ‘Sakoku’ policy of national isolation. Japanese people were not allowed to leave the country and all trade from abroad was strictly banned except for at a single place: one small island in Nagasaki. The artificial island housed the Dutch East India Company’s Japanese trading post. For the next 218 years, Nagasaki became Japan’s ‘only open window to the west’ and the centre of international trade for all of Japan. Japanese people came to Nagasaki to acquire knowledge in medicine, astronomy and chemistry, laying a foundation for the modernization of Nagasaki and Japan. Then, on 9th August 1945, Nagasaki became the second and last target for atomic bombing. Lives of 73,884 people were lost. We visit the Atomic Bomb Museum, Peace Park and Oura Cathedral, Glover Garden, the Mt Inasa summit and a late lunch on Nagasaki waterfront. The afternoon and evening is free to relax.

 

Tuesday Day 10.  Passage Kinkai Island Golf Club
A beautiful seaside course that makes full use of a small peninsula beside Omura Bay where sea breezes come into play. There are three ocean fronting holes and the remainder are surrounded by mature woodland. The fairways are wide and narrow towards the greens. Hole three, a par 3 of 184 yards, is a gorgeous signature hole at the tip of a peninsula and surrounded by the sea on three sides. Holes 4, 5, 8 and 12 all feature water of some kind and mis-calculated approach shots will show on the score card. The long par five 18th has an OB zone along the entire right side. The pond on the left continues right to the green while the fairway landing area is narrow. Here is a wonderful way to play the game of golf.
Tonight is our included farewell dinner with the group. There are several to choose from in Hamamachi District which is walking distance from the Hilton. These are usually long nights.

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Wednesday Day 11.  Depart Nagasaki

The hotel checkout is 10am We transfer to the railway station or airport for your onward plans.  We wish you a pleasant flight back to your home. For now we say Sayonara.