Choose your golf course by its designer! 10 strategic courses

The person who taught me: Golf journalist Shoho Mitamura

"The reason why people hit their balls into bunkers or ponds is because the designers have set up traps (hazards). When you play while keeping the designers in mind, you can hear the voices of the builders saying things like, 'That bunker over there is bothering you, isn't it?' This is also one of the joys of golf."

Designers also have their own personalities: elites, craftsmen, artists, geniuses, and legendary players.

"The history of Japanese golf course designers began with Charles Hugh Allison, who came to Japan in 1930. Allison's assistants were Seiichi Inoue and Osamu Ueda. Inoue's courses feature curved, "soft" layouts that make use of nature. On the other hand, Ueda, an elite graduate of Kyoto University, is known for his powerful, "rigid" designs. Desmond Muirhead is a genius with a playful spirit.

"The American Robert Trent Jones Jr. course is designed in the American style of rewarding good and punishing evil, with clear birdies and bogeys, making it exciting. The American star player Jack Nicklaus's sensitive personality is reflected in his courses."

Golf becomes even more profound when you keep the designer in mind.

Seiichi Inoue

A Japanese pioneer who combines artistry and strategy

●It is said that "Seiichi Inoue's courses never fail," and the course layout can be enjoyed by beginners to advanced players.
● Like his master, C.H. Allison, he boasts a high level of strategic ability while making use of the natural environment of the area.

Oarai Golf Club (Oarai/Ibaraki)

Inoue was so fond of Oarai GC, an early masterpiece, that he described it as "a treasure-like course, blessed with the land of Seaside Links."

Other courses I designed
Kasumigaseki Country Club West Course (Kawagoe/Saitama)
Takanodai Country Club (Chiba/Chiba)
Ise Country Club (Tamaki/Mie)

Osamu Ueda

Dynamic design by an elite Kyoto University graduate!

He is often compared to "Inoue in the East and Ueda in the West." He is good at making bold elevation changes by actively using large heavy machinery.
● He majored in landscape architecture at Kyoto University. In the 1930s, he studied course design in Europe and the United States, and designed golf courses of world standard.

Ibaraki Golf Club (Tsukubamirai/Ibaraki)

Ueda has many courses in western Japan, but Ibaraki GC is said to be the best. It is the venue for the Women's Tour's World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup.

Other courses I designed
Ono Golf Club (Ono/Hyogo)
Koga Golf Club (Koga/Fukuoka)
Osaka Golf Club (Misaki/Osaka)

Shunsuke Kato

A revolutionary tournament course with a highly competitive feel

● It is not a traditional Japanese miniature garden course, but features a large pond and potato chip-shaped greens.
During the bubble period of the 1980s and 1990s, more than 10 new courses were designed and opened each year. This made it a darling of the golf boom of the 1990s.

JFE Setonaikai Golf Club (Kasaoka/Okayama)

One of Japan's leading links courses, reminiscent of Scotland. Designed to allow the winds of the Seto Inland Sea to become a hazard. The Mizuno Open, the road to the British Open, has been held here 19 times.

Other courses I designed
The Golf Club Ryugasaki (Ryugasaki/Ibaraki)
Katayamazu Golf Club (Kaga/Ishikawa)
Pacific Club Gotemba West (Gotemba/Shizuoka)

Shiro Akaboshi

The father of Japanese golf! From top player to designer

After returning from studying in the United States, he won the Japan Amateur twice as a player in the 1920s and designed approximately 20 courses in Japan.
● The fairways and rough make full use of the natural undulations of the land, and many courses are praised as works of art.

Hakone Country Club (Hakone/Kanagawa)

Akahoshi said, "This is a land links course. There is no other land in Hakone that is more suitable for a golf course." The entire course is located within Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Other courses I designed
Kasumigaseki Country Club East Course (Kawagoe/Saitama)
Keya Golf Club (Itoshima/Fukuoka)
Fuji Country Club (Gotemba/Shizuoka)

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

A master who has designed over 300 courses around the world

● The world's most famous golf architect. His father, R.T. Jones Sr., designed approximately 500 courses.
● The design philosophy is "risk and reward." The layout allows bold shots to lead to birdie opportunities.

Golden Valley Golf Club (Nishiwaki/Hyogo)

Golden Valley Golf Club, which opened in 1987 and was designed with the concept of a world-class tournament course, boasts one of the most difficult courses in Japan.

Other courses I designed
Katsura Golf Club (Tomakomai/Hokkaido)
Miho Golf Club (Miho/Ibaraki Prefecture)
Oak Hills Country Club (Katori/Chiba)

Charles Hugh Alison

A pioneer in Japanese course design

● A British architect who influenced Seiichi Inoue, Osamu Ueda, and Shiro Akaboshi. He is famous for the difficult-to-escape "Alison Bunker."
● In just over three months, he designed Tokyo GC, Kawana Hotel Fuji Course, Hirono GC, and Fujisawa CC, and remodeled four other courses, including Kasumigaseki CC.

Kawana Hotel Golf Course Fuji Course (Ito/Shizuoka)

This prestigious course is annually selected as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world and is a dream destination for all Japanese golfers. It is also praised as "Japan's Pebble Beach."

Other courses I designed
Hirono Golf Club (Miki/Hyogo)
Former Tokyo Golf Club Asaka Course (Asaka/Saitama)
Ibaraki Country Club East Course (Ibaraki/Osaka)

Isao Aoki

Combining American glamour with British rigour

● A unique style that combines the splendor of prestigious American courses with the rigour of British links courses.
● His famous "apron" in front of the green is a product of his experience having played in over 1,200 tournaments.

The North Country Golf Club (Chitose/Hokkaido)

He himself describes this club as "the culmination of my course design and the best of my work." Aiming for turf conditions on the same level as prestigious American courses, it is the first in Japan to use all-bent turf.

Other courses I designed
Country Club The Lakes (Kasama/Ibaraki)
Gold Kisarazu Country Club (Kimitsu/Chiba)
Shirosato Golf Club (Shirosato/Ibaraki)

Jack Nicklaus

The king of American golf who designed approximately 200 courses

●While still playing, he founded a company called Nicklaus Design and entered the course design business in earnest.
● Approximately 200 courses have been designed around the world, with approximately 30 in Japan alone. They are characterized by strategic play that skillfully incorporates ponds and bunkers.

PGM Ishioka Golf Club (Omitama/Ibaraki)

Nicklaus spent about 10 years designing this American-style course, which he himself describes as "the best course in Japan as far as I know."

Other courses I designed
Tokyo Classic Club (Chiba/Chiba)
Rokko International Golf Club (Kobe/Hyogo)
Sanko Golf Club Japan Course (Miki/Hyogo)

Desmond Muirhead

A genius in the design world! Once you see it, you'll never forget its originality

● A genius who expresses inspiration from paintings, art, mythology, music, and more on the golf course.
● In the United States, he has also designed prestigious courses such as Mission Hills CC and Muirfield Village.

Fuji Classic (Fujikawaguchiko/Yamanashi)

The Fuji Classic is based on Hokusai Katsushika's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. The 16th hole has a swastika-shaped bunker, and the 17th hole is designed to resemble Mount Fuji and a large wave.

Other courses I designed
Segovia Golf Club in Chiyoda (Kasumigaura, Ibaraki)
Wakagi Golf Club (Takeo/Saga)
New St. Andrews Golf Club Japan (Otawara/Tochigi)

Pete Dye

He was nicknamed "The Devil's Architect"

● This par 3 hole is known for its floating island green surrounded by a pond, known as the island green.
● He has worked on many tournament courses selected as one of the top 100 in the world and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2008.

New Nishiyamaso Country Club (Hitachiota/Ibaraki)

A highly strategic links course, with a 200-yard bunker on the 6th hole and an island green on the par-3 17th hole, a symbol of Muirhead.

Other courses I designed
PGM Maria Golf Links (Kisarazu/Chiba)
Golf 5 Country Bibai Course (Bibai/Hokkaido)
Narita Hills Country Club (Sakae/Chiba)