Kobe, Japan
Just a bullet train hop from Tokyo, Japan’s finest course is built on a flattish woodland area just outside of Kobe, home of the most expensive beef in the world. This course is likely to be one of the best conditioned a golfer can find on the international stage. Greens and fairways are always kept in meticulous condition; even trees on the course are manicured from top to bottom to create the effect of taking a walk through a Japanese garden. Similar to Pine Valley’s layout, most of Hirono’s holes are isolated from the others by dense trees. It also has all the key elements present of a championship course: strategically placed bunkers, double dog-legs, long carries over natural hazards and small elevated greens.
The 14th hole is particularly memorable for its clever design. Only 388 yards from the back tees, it seems a short and easy dogleg par 4 with one of the broadest fairways in the world. Your tee shot must carry a ravine close to the tee, but the fairway tilts both back to front and right to left, so much so that an escalator carries you to the top plateau. While a drive of only 130 yards will hit the fairway, doing so leaves you with virtually no shot to the green as natural bounce and roll carries the ball further away from the hole. Only a carry of 200 yards and to the right will leave you on flat ground with a view of the hole, presenting the fairway as the most significant hazard on this hole. Keep some pocket money for dinner in town afterwards – Kobe beef is said to be the most expensive in the world.
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