Nikko Country Club

About the club

Nikko Country Club opened on the eve of the boom in Japanese golf that was occasioned by the country's 1957 Canada Cup win, and the course here very much exemplifies the style of the times. The gently rolling parkland terrain gives shape to the fairways, having obviated the need for large-scale excavation, and native forest defines the holes, which nevertheless are sufficiently open to encourage long drives. That kind of power is an asset on a course that renovations have brought to a length of 6400 meters. Given its location in the northern part of Honshu Island, the course is best avoided in summer and winter in favor of play in the flower-rich springtime and the cool days of fall. There is nothing over-the-top about Nikko; the clubhouse is unassuming but welcoming, and the rustic carts that the caddies shuttle about on this walking-only course add a homey touch.