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 champion of The Masters, the country has been ticking away in the background - or has it? Japan’s first golf course was Kobe which opened its doors in 1903. The second, Unzen Golf Club didn’t open until 10 years later. Interestingly Unzen is also the first public golf course in Japan. Fast forward a hundred years or so and the quantity of golf course has surpassed those in the UK, now sitting around 2,500 serving a population in the region 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 other sports such as Baseball is the second favourite sport, followed by Rugby, Basketball, Football, Martial Arts, Pro Wrestling, Boxing. Golf surprisingly, makes an appearance in 9th place. In that 100 plus years of golf evolution, Japan has earned a solid reputation for its quality golf equipment. Established forges, some coming from Himeji, home of the Samurai sword, turn their 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 businesses such as Honma and Muira. Srixon, Vega, XXIO, Fujimoto and Kyoei are also brands some may have heard about. 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 exact when it comes to golf and golf apparel. I have never seen or played with a scruffy looking Japanese golfer!

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 now. 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, aka the Smiling Cinderella, who took the win at the 2019 British Women’s Open, smiling from ear to ear was as endearing as the great golf on display. The little published and little known winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The 17 year old Japanese young lady, Tsubasa Kajitani, who stole the show just one week before The Masters.

And now of course the show stopping play of Hideki Matsuyama taking the win at The Masters recently has again turned the eye of the golfing world and propelled Japan into the golfing public arena. So we have great golf equipment, great up and coming 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. 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 is totally different yet still plays consistently well thought the year. The Korai grass tends to die back in winter and takes on a whole new appearance of bright yellow to sand brown, which adds wonderful definition to any photographs against a blue sky. 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 - what can the golfing visitor look forward to if they chose to go to visit. 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 green on the right, the same applies for the left hand side. 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 has complete control of. Anther unique practice was the use of two golf bags. The main golf bag is strapped to the cart, a smaller pencil bag is carried by the golfer. After being loaded with a few golf clubs from the main cart bag, he takes it to where his ball lies. This means the golfer can walk down the fairway and play the hole out, whilst the cart chugs along by itself to meet you at the green.

The golf is great, but it is the people and the culture which make visiting Japan an exceptional experience - don’t get me started on the food, that is a whole new article! You can view my video ‘Kicking around in Kansai on Travelling Lady Golfer You Tube channel More artilces, including Japan, www.golfgurugroup.com Follow me on Instagram sarah_thetravellingladygolfer Connect on LinkedIn Sarah Forrest Twitter and Facebook @golfgurugroup ENJOY