Hokkaido golf tours
In the Hokkaido summer, the fairways run between silver birch beneath Mount Yotei.
Hokkaido is Japan's northern island, and its golf courses open from late April and close in early November, course by course. Around Niseko and Rusutsu the fairways lie on volcanic ground beneath Mount Yotei, the mountain Hokkaido calls Ezo Fuji, and the eighteen holes are played straight through.
the courses
Niseko, Rusutsu and the north
Within half an hour of Niseko lie the courses of Niseko and Rusutsu, four of them at Rusutsu alone, framed by silver birch and the low sasa bamboo of the island, with Mount Yotei above them. In winter these are ski mountains, and in summer the snow gives way to fairways, lakes and forest.
Where most Japanese courses pause for an hour's lunch at the turn, Hokkaido plays its eighteen holes straight through, so a morning round leaves the whole afternoon free for the lake, the onsen or the drive on.
the island
Hokkaido, around the golf
Between rounds, the island opens up: an afternoon at Lake Toya, with the island at its centre across the water and an onsen at the end of the day, or dinner at a sushi counter in Otaru, the old port town on the sea west of Sapporo.
Because the journey is private, it can carry on south when the golf is done: Hokkaido for the courses and the mild summer, then Kyoto's gardens or Tokyo's tables, a short flight away.
where you stay
Where you stay in Hokkaido
You stay in the finest luxury hotels and ryokan in Japan, each one chosen personally by us for its luxury, its comfort and its setting.
In Hokkaido, that can mean a suite with its own onsen above a lake, or a hotel at the foot of the mountains with the course a few minutes away.
one of our own
Your Tour Director
Your Tour Director takes care of every arrangement on the island: the tee times, the car between the course and the lake, and the table for dinner afterwards.
golf in japan
Golf, across Japan
questions
Golf in Hokkaido, answered
When is the golf season in Hokkaido?
From late April into early November, course by course: around Niseko and Rusutsu the first courses open in late April and the last close in early November, and every one of them is open through September. In winter the courses lie under snow.
Why play golf in Hokkaido in summer?
Because the island's summer is mild while most of Japan is hot and humid, and the courses lie in open country, with Mount Yotei above the fairways at Niseko and Rusutsu.
How is golf in Hokkaido different?
In Hokkaido the eighteen holes are usually played straight through, without the hour's lunch at the turn that is the custom on most Japanese courses, so the afternoon is free for the lake, the onsen or the drive on.
Can a Hokkaido golf trip include the rest of Japan?
Yes. Every Custom Tour of Japan is private and created around your party, so days of golf in Hokkaido can open a journey that continues to Kyoto, Tokyo or anywhere else in Japan.
What is a Tour Director?
The most sought-after doors in Japan, and its most exclusive places, open only from within. Your Tour Director opens them: one of our own, fluent in English and Japanese. They enhance every day, turning a beautiful journey into a deep and authentic experience of Japan.
begin
Begin your journey
Tell us who is travelling, how much golf you would like and what else of Japan you would love to see. The Custom Tour of Japan begins with the Journey form, where golf is one of the interests you can choose, and continues on a call with our team.