Hakone Country Club

Our next stop was Hakone Country Club.

Hakone was built in a spectacular location, that has you constantly looking around at the surrounding mountain ranges.  It is very tranquil, with the only noise aside from the wildlife, being a small burst of activity at the nearby Fuji Speedway, one of Japan's major motor racing tracks.

The area the club is built is in actually a National Park.  The Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, which is an area that covers 1227 square kilometres. Eight golf courses are situated in the National Park.

Mt Kamiyama is the dominant mountain the nearby landscape, and it is from this mountain that the valley was formed.  An active volcano, Mt Kamiyama partially collapsed approx 3000 years ago and formed Lake Ashinoko, and the Owakudani Valley where the golf course sits.  Volcanic gases have been spewing from the area ever since.  In certain sections of the course, the sulphur smell of the volcanic gases are quite strong.  It has also meant that there are quite a few hot springs in the area.

The course itself was not built until the 1950's, designed by Shiro Akahoshi in 1954, as his first course designed as a professional architect after World War 2.  Shiro had worked with CH Allison (there he is again) when he was contracted for Tokyo GC in 1930.

Akahoshi's design theory was to utilise the natural terrain as much as possible, offering multiple shot options to every green, require the golfer to choose one of many options depending upon their skill.  He certainly achieved that here.

 A tough start to the back nine, the 10th is a strong par three, especially when you are trying to get moving again after lunch.

The tee shot at the par five 12th hole.

The bunkers both in the fairway, and greenside also at the 12th.

Jeff Faure is pictured attempting to "kick a goal" between the trees on the fairway of the par four 13th hole.  He scored a behind by the way.

Elizabeth Knight setting up to her approach, also into the 13th hole.

 The view back from the green of the par five 15th hole, a great hole set along the highest portion of the course.

The bunker complexes at the short par four 16th hole.

The Koi that live in the stream behind the 17th green, are well trained.  When someone claps whilst standing on the bridge, they swim quickly, like a cat running for treats, because they think they are going to be fed.

A very impressive course.  Today was a long day, (well most golf days seem quite long anyway in Japan with the lunch break in between nines, and the onsen baths after) but we also had to move from Hakone to Kobe.  An hour in the bus, and then a 2.5 hour Shinkansen (bullet train) ride got us to the hotel at approximately 9pm.

It will be worthwhile, as our next stop is Japan's number one golf course, Hirono.