相模カンツリー倶楽部

相模カンツリー倶楽部 occupies a storied place in Japanese golf history. Founded in 1930 and designed by the pioneering British architect Charles Hugh Alison — the same visionary behind Hirono and Tokyo Golf Club — it stands as one of the foundational courses of Japanese golf. Alison's fingerprints are unmistakable: deep, steep-faced bunkers that became so characteristic of his Japanese work they earned the nickname "Alison bunkers," demanding precise iron play and genuine course management rather than simple power off the tee. The layout weaves through mature woodland that has grown dense and atmospheric over nearly a century of play.

Yamato City sits in the heart of Kanagawa Prefecture, south of central Yokohama and within the greater Tokyo metropolitan orbit. The surrounding flatlands and gentle slopes of this part of the Kanto Plain give the course a distinctive character — tighter than many modern layouts, with trees defining every hole.

As a private members' club with deep roots and genuine pedigree, Sagami carries the quiet authority of a course that shaped the game in Japan. Playing here is less a leisure outing than an encounter with the country's golf origins.