Katsura Golf Club

Course Data

Location	Hokkaido, Japan
Yardage	6520 yards　Par 72
Course Rating	71.0
Playing Date	Aug. 6, 2004
Designer	Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Opened	1993
Caddy	Yes
Golf Cart	Yes (Can be run on the fairways)

Rating

Overall Rating

5.00

Course Layout	5
Difficulty Level	3
Greens Condition	5
Fairways Condition	6
Landscaping & Views	6

Katsura GC is a hillside & forest course developed in a beautiful forest. All holes are seperated by trees, making full use of the natural terrain. Strategically placed dry creeks, lakes and bunkers make the course really challenging. The bent grass fairways are neat and well maintained.

A view from the clubhouse

3rd　 Par 4　502 yards

A dogleg to the left par 5 reachable in 2. The forest on the left side of the fairway comes into play off the tee but you should drive down the left side as the downhill fairway sharply slopes left to right. The second shot is over a creek crossing the fairway. If you lay up, the positioning of the second shot is important, as the landing area is narrow with sharp slopes on the left. The green is slightly elevated, and guarded by bunkers and a sharp drop on the left. It gently slopes from right to left.

3rd hole seen from the green

3rd　Par 4　502 yards (2)

3rd　Par 4　502 yards (1)

4th　 Par 4　419 yards

4th　Par 4　419 yards (2)

4th　Par 4　419 yards (1)

A dogleg to the right. The green is elevated with a well-positioned bunker on the front right.

5th　 Par 3　180 yards

5th　Par 3　180 yards

A par 3 over a bush. The front side of the green is protected by bunkers. The trees behind of the green appear to be closer than they really are. The contrast between the bush in front and the trees is wonderful. The green slopes from back to front and the right half of the green also slopes to right.

7th　Par 5　548 yards

7th　Par 5　548 yards (2)

7th　Par 5　548 yards (1)

A slight dogleg to the right. A bunker guarding the right side of the green is in play.

12th　 Par 4　373 yards

A dogleg to the left, short par 4 with a downhill tee shot. A dry creek runs along the left. The bunkers on both sides of the green are in play.

12th hole seen from the green

12th　Par 4　373 yards (2)

12th　Par 4　373 yards (1)

15th　Par 4　364 yards

　A dogleg to the right with a lake along the right. The fairway is narrow, sloping to the water on the right. The second shot should be accurate as there is a bunker on the left and water on the right of the green.

15th hole seen from the green

15th　Par 4　364 yards (2)

15th　Par 4　364 yards (1)

18th　 Par 4　397 yards

18th　Par 4　397 yards (2)

18th　Par 4　397 yards (1)

A slight dogleg to the left. The second shot is gently downhill. Several bunkers protect the angled narrow green. Judas trees on the left of the second shot area is called “ Katsura” in Japanese, which is used as the name of the course.

19th hole

It is a 30 minutes drive from Shin Chitose Airport. Visitors can play.

The Masters Course is in fact 7113 yards long from the championship tees but the longest tees are seemingly open to players only a couple times par year such as at the Club Championship and the Chairman’s Cup. So, I had no choice but to play from the front tees, 600 yards shorter than the championship tees, so some holes were not enough of a challenge to me, although it is a great course. I wish the championship tees would be open to advanced players.

The course placed 6th in 2002’s Japanese golf course rankings sponsored by Japan Golf Classic Magazine. Within the top 100 Japanese golf course rankings, Robert Trent Jones Jr. has the second largest number, 10, followed by Siichi Inoue. Those are Golden Valley GC, Kinojo GC, Pine Lake GC, Spring Fields GC, Miho GC, Regus Crest CC, East Wood CC, Oak Hills CC, and Cherry Hills GC.