Hayama Kokusai Country Club

by Brianin Japan, Kanagawaon Posted on

A coworker of mine was nice enough to book a tee time through MWR at this Japanese country club in Hayama (not far from the base). I’m not sure what the normal price would be to play here but through MWR it was ¥6500, plus another ¥2000—-something more for cart. They say first timers have to have caddies but they didn’t have any that day so sadly we didn’t get to experience that. After a few drinks and lunch, the total cost of the day was about ¥12000 (or roughly $100)… not bad for golf outside of a military base!

The most hi-tech golf cart I've ever been in... I'll explain as we go along... for now... look! 4-seater!
View from the club house
They have two courses, we played the diamond course
Pro shop... a bit lacking but the frozen drinks made up for that
Main lobby. Lockers are included in the price, and so was the bath house I believe. Upstairs is the restaurant. It's a full service course, or at least the most service I've ever received at a golf course.. even more so if we had caddies. Only time I lifted my own bag was to put it back into the car on the way home. They have bag drop, bag check-in/out, they load it, they clean your clubs, they unload it, etc.
Club house, looking from the practice green near the #10 tee
Okay so... these golf carts are automatic! Meaning, you push the green button to go, and the brake to stop early. Otherwise, they'll stop at designated white lines along the cart path. There is also a green button in the back seat, passenger side, so you can control this cart with nobody in the front seat. Yes, this automatic feature means it's cart path only folks... but it drives itself! No steering required... just keep pushing the green button. Also, the cart comes with a remote control that you can carry with you when you walk to your ball. You can control the cart from anywhere on the hole to move it up alongside where you are playing! It's great to have control over it too when other people are trying to get to the cart haha
Did I mention it's a four-seater? With plenty of cargo space and protective netting from the hawks.. yes, hawks.
Fits four bags
This is the magic key. You get this when you check in. The number is your locker and also how they keep your tab for when you buy things, drinks, lunch, cart fee, etc... Pay out when you check out at the end of the day. It's also a scorecard holder.
Ahhh, the great screen. Tells you pretty much everything you'd need to know and keeps electronic scores as well. Red numbers are to the cart(s) in front of you. Color of the clock changes based on your pace of play (we finished with it green).
Sand bucket, club scrubber bucket, umbrellas for shade! yes, you do need it for shade.
And after nine holes there's a mandatory hour lunch break before you hit the back nine. This was actually a great relief because in all honesty it was unbearably hot to be golfing (I came home 4 lbs lighter than when I left even after all the drinks and food). Did I mention pants (or shorts with knee high socks) were mandatory??? Or so they said.. until we saw others wearing shorts
Yum, seafood curry
See these things again. Pull to see who hits first.
If you look closely at the line in the middle of the cart path, that's the line the cart follows throughout the entire 18 holes.
Well, first time swinging my clubs in over 6 months... shot a 96 and lost about 7 balls haha but I'll take it in this weather
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