大厚木CC

大厚木カントリークラブ (Oatsugi Country Club) sits in the hills of Kanagawa Prefecture, roughly 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo in the city of Atsugi — a region where the Tanzawa mountain range begins its rise from the Kanto plain. Golf in this part of greater Tokyo has always carried a certain prestige, and the private clubs of Kanagawa Prefecture rank among the most coveted memberships in Japanese golf. Oatsugi is firmly in that tradition: a members' course that rewards familiarity, where knowing the slopes and seasonal conditions matters as much as raw ball-striking.

The terrain here is characteristically hilly, with tree-lined corridors that define landing zones and reward precise shotmaking over power. Autumn brings vivid foliage across the hillsides, and the course plays differently in the humid Japanese summer than in the crisp, firmer conditions of early spring — a quality serious members come to know intimately over years of play.

Japan's private club culture is distinct: immaculate conditioning, formal etiquette, and a caddie tradition that remains very much alive at courses of this caliber. For visitors fortunate enough to secure an introduction, playing Oatsugi offers a genuine window into the considered, unhurried pace of Japanese golf at its most traditional.