Golf tourism feature: Make the most of golf and sightseeing in Hyogo, a hallowed land of golf! You can even enjoy hot springs and gourmet too
Did you know that Japan’s oldest golf course lies on Mount Rokko? Hyogo boasts large amounts of hilly terrain that is perfect for golf courses, and is home to over 160 of them; more than 100 of these are easily accessible from Kobe within an hour. The ability to make the most of the sights, hot springs, and gourmet unique to Hyogo as you enjoy golf is another reason for its popularity.
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- Hyogo is a hallowed land of golf?
- Hyogo’s golf courses: packed with detail
- Unique ways to have fun in Hyogo after you’ve finished golfing
- Additional sightseeing destinations in Hyogo
- Popular and recommended souvenirs from Hyogo
- Our recommended itineraries for enjoying golf in Hyogo
- List of golf courses in Hyogo
- Summary
Hyogo is a hallowed land of golf?
Kobe Golf Club, Japan’s first golf course, was completed in 1903. It started with Kobe industrialist A. H. Groom, who created an almost entirely hand-built course on Mount Rokko, wishing to enjoy the golf with which he had been familiar in the UK. This triggered the creation of one course after another, making the most of the natural topography unique to Hyogo. The prefecture is home to numerous prestigious courses by internationally famous designers, and has come to be called a hallowed land of golf.
Hyogo’s golf courses: packed with detail
Hyogo, the birthplace of Japanese golf, historically values the traditions of classic British-style golf. There are many highly formal golf clubs, where, for example, jackets are worn in clubhouses. The feeling of exclusivity is one reason for their popularity. The course designs are also meticulous, appropriate for such hallowed ground. The prefecture has numerous golf courses brimming with charm, with fairways that make use of beautiful hills, ocean views, delicious lunches, and attached hot springs.
Irons made in Hyogo Prefecture
Japan’s first iron was created in 1930, in Ichikawa Town in Hyogo Prefecture. It was the fruit of trial and error by craftspeople, who used sword-smithing techniques to make it. These techniques have been passed down until today, and are highly rated both in Japan and overseas.
Unique ways to have fun in Hyogo after you’ve finished golfing
There’s a wide variety of ways to have fun in Hyogo: head directly to a hot spring inn after you play or return to the city to enjoy delicious food and a good drink—perhaps some Kobe beef, seafood, or sake from Nada. Or, you could watch some professional sports, like baseball, soccer, basketball, rugby, or volleyball. Why not make the most of the nightlife by visiting some long-running bars in Kobe Sannomiya or Motomachi?
- 1. Hot springs
- Soothe your tiredness after playing in famous hot spring waters, such as Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s three oldest hot springs, Kinosaki Onsen, famous for its open-air bath tour and Matsuba winter crabs, or Sumoto Onsen on Awaji Island, the “land of food.”
- 2. Bars
- Bars developed in the port town of Kobe with the opening of the port. There are still plenty of appealing options, including traditional and long-running bars, hotel bars, and bars where you can enjoy jazz.
- 3. Gourmet
- In addition to world-famous Kobe beef and Chinese cuisine, Hyogo Prefecture also offers an abundance of seafood—the result of its location between the Sea of Japan and the Seto Inland Sea. It's a treasure trove of delicious dishes, including crabs and firefly squid from the Sea of Japan, three-year-old fugu (pufferfish) from Awaji, oysters from Ako, and octopus from Akashi.
Additional sightseeing destinations in Hyogo
It's common practice to have plenty of fun sightseeing on a golf trip in Hyogo. With so many golf courses accessible within an hour of the center of Kobe, you can spend an enriching time there after you play. Why not enjoy nighttime scenery and mouth-watering gourmet, then travel a little further on the following day to visit World Heritage site Himeji Castle, the stunning views of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the historic romance of Ako Hachimangu Shrine, the Takeda Castle Ruins, and more.
- Kobe Animal Kingdom
- This huge all-weather facility is based on the theme of coexistence between flowers, animals, and people. Here, you can encounte…
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- AQUARIUM × ART átoa
- Inside this facility that combines light, sound, scent, and living creatures is a “theatrical aquarium” that clearly differs fro…
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- Uonotana Shopping Street
- Uonotana Shopping Street is located around three minutes’ walk from Akashi Station, and is a well-loved shopping area affe…
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- Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets
- In Sanda City in the north of Kobe, you’ll find the largest outlet mall in western Japan. Enjoy shopping with the feeling …
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- Sue no Sato Tamba Traditional Craft Park
- Tachikui Sue no Sato Tamba Traditional Craft Park, located in Tamba-Sasayama City in Hyogo Prefecture, is a comprehensive facili…
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- Nadagogo
- Nadagogo refers to an area that spans Kobe City and Nishinomiya City. It is made up of five localities—Nishi-Go, Mikage-Go, Uozaki-Go, Nishinomiya-Go, and Imazu-Go—and is home to a large number of breweries, as well as a collection of facilities associated with Japanese sake, including antenna shops (shops selling local specialties from other regions), miyamizu (famous brewing water from Nishinomiya) wells, and museums. You can enjoy visiting different breweries here.
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Popular and recommended souvenirs from Hyogo
Hyogo encompasses plenty of popular sightseeing spots, including Kobe and Arima Onsen. Visit a shopping street, souvenir store, or department store and you’ll have trouble deciding what to get from among the fine products, packed with the charms of each area of the prefecture. Here, we introduce some of our recommended confections and gourmet foods available in the Kobe area, as well as traditional craft products. Why not get one as a present for someone you love?
- 1. Kawara senbei
- Given the name “senbei,” you might assume that these are Japanese confections, but they’re actually Western-style sweets (similar to cookies or crackers). Kawara senbei were created using plenty of eggs, sugar, and honey—the ingredients of Western-style confectionary, which were expensive and hard to get—and it is said that the sale of these senbei was the start of Western-style confectionary in Japan.
- 2. Tamba kuridora
- Tamba chestnuts are added to thoroughly cooked large-grain Dainagon adzuki beans from Tamba to create a truly Tamba bean paste, and its sumptuous flavor is gently sandwiched in a moist, baked skin. Each shop has devised its own way of using the chestnuts, offering kuridora with finely chopped simmered chestnuts with inner skin, with a single whole chestnut, and more.
- 3. Akashi nori (seaweed)
- Akashi nori grows in the nutrient-rich ocean waters of the Akashi Strait. It is well-loved as one of Akashi’s specialty products, after sea bream and octopus. It is characterized by a deep and glossy black color, exquisite fragrance, rich taste, fleshiness, and good texture. Akashi nori is a cut above regular nori in terms of quality.
- 4. Butaman steamed pork buns
- These buns are a popular gourmet treat that originated in Kobe. Take one bite of the pork filling, bursting with juice, inside the soft and springy skin, and you’ll find yourself hooked. You can reheat butaman in a steamer if they get cold and enjoy them deliciously.
- 5. Arima ningyo-fude (doll brush)
- This craft from Arima is made by winding glossy silk threads around each brush by hand, weaving intricate patterns. These are writing implements with an adorable mechanism: when you lower the brush to write, the face of the doll—the size of a bean—suddenly peers out. They have been designated a traditional handicraft of Hyogo Prefecture.
- 6. Pottery (Tamba-tachikuiyaki, Izushiyaki, Ako-unkayaki, etc.)
- Discover Hyogo’s individual pottery, including Tambayaki, designated Japan Heritage as one of Japan’s six ancient kilns; Izushiyaki, characterized by its whiteness; and Ako-unkayaki, made without glazes. You can also enjoy going around the potteries in the Tachikui area, where more than 50 Tamba ware potteries can be found.
Our recommended itineraries for enjoying golf in Hyogo
Head on a golfing trip in Hyogo, traveling around several fascinating courses and enjoying the sights, gourmet, and ambiance of the hot springs. Make the most of Kobe’s nightlife after playing a round in the nearby north Harima area, visit all the prestigious courses you’ve dreamed of, and deepen your relationships by joining in a friendly competition. Here are some model courses that may help you plan your next golf trip.
List of golf courses in Hyogo
Hyogo Prefecture takes pride in having the highest number of golf courses in Japan. More than 100 of the prefecture’s 160+ courses are located in the Kobe/Harima area, and these are concentrated within one hour of the city of Kobe. You’ll soon naturally reach an expansive golf course with abundant nature in just a short drive. Have fun playing a memorable round on this aspirational hallowed land!
● Kobe/Hanshin area
Arima Country Club
Kitarokko Country Club East Course
・West Course
Kobe Pinewoods Golf Club
Taiheiyo Club Takarazuka Course
Takarazuka Classic Golf Club
Takarazuka Kogen Golf Club
Cherry Golf Inagawa Course
Hyogo Country Club
Mukonodai Golf Course
●Tajima/Tamba area
Ooka Golf Club
Kannabe Country Club
Santo Country Club
Bell Green Country Club
● Harima area
Awaga Golf Club
Aono Undo Koen Auno Golf Course
Ako Kokusai Country Club
Ichikawa Golf
West One’s Country Club
ABC Golf Club
Ono Grand Country Club
Oriental Golf Club
The Olympic Gold Club
Sun Royal Golf Club
Zen Country Club
Tamamuroike Golf Club
Taiheiyo Club Rokko Course
Tokyu Grand Oak Golf Club
Tojoko Country Club
Tojo Pine Valley Golf Club
Hanayashiki Golf Club Yokawa Course
Harima Shizenkogen Funasaka Golf Club
Miki Seven Hundred Club
Minagi Golf Club
Myoken Fuji Country Club
Yashiro Country Club
Yokawa Inter Gold Club Mecha
Yokawa Royal Golf Club
● Awaji area
Awaji Country Club
Sumoto Golf Club
Summary
What do you think? Make sure you enjoy some golf in Kobe, a hallowed land of golf. After making the most of a round in its natural world, don’t forget to recharge your energy. Hyogo is a treasure trove of gourmet ingredients made from the bounty of the sea, mountains, and countryside. You can also feast on world-class Kobe beef and savor inexpensive and delicious regional foods and meals at the favorite spots of the local people. Check out our feature on gourmet in Hyogo!
