Golf Adventures and Culture Through Japan
Another unforgettable Signature Golf Tours experience with a fantastic group of 45 golfers! Over the course of the week, we explored world-class golf courses, stayed in iconic hotels, and immersed ourselves in Japan’s rich culture—all while enjoying some truly spectacular golf.
I am excited to share our journey of Japan with you below.
Course Visits, Culture & A Taste of Tradition
It’s been a big couple of days here in Japan.
Saturday included visits to two private member clubs—East Wood Country Club and Prestige Country Club. No golf this time, but meetings with staff and a chance to explore both properties. Prestige may just have one of the most extravagant clubhouses I’ve ever seen. Wow.
A fun fact about Prestige Country Club’s clubhouse – it is so grand, locals jokingly refer to it as “The Palace” because the interior features marble floors, chandeliers, and a dining hall fit for royalty!
Between course stops, I took time to visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine, established in 1617 to honour Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun. From there it was on to Four Seasons Bamboo Park before finishing the night at a buzzing local Izakaya, Japan’s lively pub – lots of fun.
Sunday kicked off at Edo Wonderland, a cultural experience brought to life with samurai, ninja shows, traditional crafts, and Edo-era architecture.
Then it was back to Tokyo aboard the luxurious Spacia X train, featuring six seating classes, including a cockpit suite inspired by private jet travel. A comfortable way to end a busy few days of touring.
One final stop on arrival—Tokyo Skytree, towering over 450 metres with panoramic city views. A little cloudy, but still clear enough to see Mount Fuji in the distance—a sight we’ll get even closer to when we ride the Shinkansen to Kobe later this week.
Tonight all guests arrived safely in Tsukuba for our welcome dinner—lots of laughs and great energy already. Tomorrow, we officially tee off the trip with round one at The Golf Club Ryugasaki.
Teeing Off in Tsukuba
While the non-golfing ladies ventured out sightseeing, the rest of us enjoyed our first round at The Golf Club Ryugasaki.
Tree-lined holes weaving through the property made for a demanding layout, with tight fairways and thick rough rewarding precision.
Special moment of the day:
Big Al monster drive on the 2nd… traveling an impressive eight inches (give or take). A highlight for the group and one we won’t let him forget!
After golf, 17 of us headed into Tokyo for an unforgettable night—go-karting through the city in costumes, cruising past Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Scramble, and Tokyo Station. Three hours of pure fun, zero accidents, and plenty of very confident driving as the evening progressed.
A fun fact about The Golf Club Ryugasaki, it is home to some of the toughest rough in the region, and the club is known for its mascot “Ryu-chan,” a dragon symbolising the area’s name — Ryugasaki literally means “Dragon Cape.”
Onto Summit Golf Club + Bullet Train to Kobe
Round two took us to Summit Golf Club, a stunning layout with rolling fairways and expansive mountain backdrops. The greens at the Summit are so enormous, some are over 1,000 square metres in size, making two-putts a genuine achievement! The condition was excellent and the course was a hit with everyone.
After golf we checked out of Tsukuba, visited Sensoji Temple—Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple—before sitting down to a traditional lunch at Aoi-Marushin and travelling past the Imperial Palace en route to Tokyo Station.
From there, we boarded the Shinkansen to Kobe, our base for the remainder of the tour.
Premium Golf in the Kobe Mountains
Yesterday’s round was played at the Rokko Kokusai Golf Club (East Course)—a prestigious, mountainous layout where every hole demanded a photo stop. The combination of elevation changes, immaculate conditioning, and scenic vistas made for an unforgettable day.
Perched high in the Rokko Mountains, this course sits near Japan’s oldest mountain resort area, where golf was first introduced to Kobe over 120 years ago!
Next up was a rest day from golf and spent exploring historic Kyoto—Kinkakuji’s Golden Pavilion, serene Arashiyama, and the iconic Fushimi Inari Shrine, known for its thousands of vermillion torii gates and over 10 million annual visitors.
Next up was Arima Royal Golf Club – we have been spoiled with course selection this trip.
The Final Round at Arima Country Club
Our final round was played at Arima Country Club—a spectacular way to wrap up the tour. Beautiful mountain scenery, immaculate surfaces, and ideal weather capped off a perfect golfing week.
Fun Fact: Arima Country Club has a mountain micro-climate, which means the course can experience all four seasons in a single day—locals say “if you don’t like the weather here, wait five minutes.”
Huge thanks to everyone who joined us. We were welcomed warmly everywhere we visited, treated to world-class golf across five private member courses, premium accommodation (especially in Kobe), and unforgettable cultural experiences. Our bus drivers also deserve a special thank you for navigating roads clearly not built with coaches in mind!
We loved hosting this tour and look forward to seeing everyone on another Signature Golf Tours adventure soon.
Thanks for following along!
