Fuji at Kawana Hotel Golf Course

About the club

Charles H. Alison's ground-breaking tour of Japan in 1930 brought him to the Kawana Hotel for some relaxation following his work on the Tokyo Golf Club, and he was so taken by the area's potential that he convinced owner Kishichiro Okura to commission a course. Okura, who had studied in England, readily agreed and provided Alison with a site on a ridge overlooking Sagami Bay and framed by Mt. Fuji and Oshima Island. The rocky ground is heavily forested, making for a blend of parkland and beach holes; Alison of course installed his signature bunkering. Every hole is enjoyable, and some downright stunning; of particular note is the 11th, which plays down to a broad, terraced green in the shadow of a lighthouse. A slight disappointment is the use of rough Korai grass on the putting greens. Kawana is a private club, but guests of the hotel may play the Fuji course.