What Japan has given the golf industry

For years Japan has been giving to golf. But until recently with the amazing tenacity and skill of Hideki Matsuyama, The Masters Champion, not to mention the less publicised 17 year old winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur event, Tsubasa Kajitani, the country has been ticking away in the background.

Opening in 1903 Japan’s first golf course was Kobe. The second, Unzen Golf Club didn’t open until 10 years later. Fast forward a hundred years or so and the quantity of golf courses has surpassed those in the UK, with around 2,500 serving a population of 126 million.

Whilst you might think golf is the top, or near the top for sports in Japan, it isn’t. Sumo still holds that top spot. Although it has been recognised that the younger generations are less keen on Sumo. Which is probably why Baseball, Rugby, Basketball, Football, Martial Arts, Pro Wrestling, Boxing all precede golf who makes an appearance in 9th place

Japan’s evolution has earned a solid reputation for its quality golf equipment. Established forges, some coming from Himeji, home of the Samurai sword, turn their skilled hand to making golf clubs and the results are explosive.

Big names such as Mizuno, the largest manufacturer in Japan, to the more bespoke hand made clubs from Honma and Muira. Srixon, Vega, XXIO, Fujimoto and Kyoei are also worth a mention.

Whist Japanese forged steel is known for its strength, there is also a strong emphasis on aesthetics of the golf club. In fact Japanese people are quite particular when it comes to golf and golf apparel. 

Japan may seem like a relative newcomer in terms of its professional golfers, but the females have been paving the way for a few years. In 1977, at the LPGA Championship, aged 31, Hisako Higuchi was the first Asian born - male or female to win a major. Higuchi, alongside Ayako Okamoto, who herself won 62 international tournaments, dominated the Japanese women’s golf during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Higuchi was also the first Japanese golfer to be inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. She later became President of the LPGA of Japan Tour.

More recently, the infectious smile of Hinako Shibuno, the Smiling Cinderella, who won at the 2019 British Women’s Open, smiling from ear to ear was as endearing as her great golf.

And now, of course, the show stopping play of Hideki Matsuyama taking the win at The Masters, has turned the eye of the golfing world and propelled Japan into the golfing public arena. 

So we have great golf equipment, strong professional golfers and a country with so many golf courses, what else could it possibly offer?

Tourism

Starting a few years ago by the forward thinking Mie Prefecture who entered the world stage and pitched its wares at IGTM in 2015. Dressed in full Japanese national dress, the Kimono was enough to start my first conversation with them. And I will be honest, I didn’t think they had much to offer the golfer.

Following my first trip in October 2018, I was more than happy to eat my words, I was totally wrong.

With a major influence from British course designer Charles Alison who arrived in Japan in the 1930’s, it did strike me that the golf is not too dissimilar to that of some UK golf courses. With one exception - the grass!. The Korai grass tends to die back in winter and takes on a whole new appearance of bright yellow. The greens are often bent grass, so stand out like a sore thumb lying in stark contrast against the yellow fairways.

The reality is anyone can play great golf in pretty much any country in the world, so I always ask the question, so what else is there when visiting Japan.

This question came totally unstuck with the quantity of unique, quirky, traditional, cultural and good old fashioned humble humour of the Japanese people became more apparent.

Steeped in tradition, respect is of huge importance to the people of Japan. There still remains the hierarchical approach, which was endearing and delightful to witness on the golf course. The earlier designed golf courses often have two greens, one left, one right. One for winter, one for summer. With markers on the right of the fairways giving distances to the right green, and left for the left green. A simple, yet logical approach.

Caddies are common place, it is less usual to tip them, but I think this will change as golf tourism takes hold. The buggies can be driverless, instead being operated by a remote control the caddy controls. 

The golf is great, but it is the people and the culture which make visiting Japan an exceptional experience

Sarah Forrest, CEO

Golf Guru Group

Video footage ‘Kicking around in Kansai’ : youtube.com/c/travellingladygolfer

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Unabridged article with more images on golfgurugroup.blogspot.com

Article featured in Women & Golf magazine