Iwakuni Century GC ☆ Follow

Iwakuni Century Golf Club is a 18-hole, par-72 course located in Kurose, Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Designed by Akiyoshi Hayashi and opened in May 1975, the course is set on hilly terrain that offers expansive views of the Seto Inland Sea. The layout utilizes the natural topography to create a compact yet challenging round, with the majority of holes providing sightlines toward the sea and surrounding greenery. The course features Bentgrass greens and fairways that are overseeded to maintain year-round green conditions. The front nine presents a mix of strategic demands, beginning with a demanding downhill par-4 on the first hole that offers panoramic sea views but requires precise distance control. The third hole is a notoriously difficult par-3, featuring a narrow green flanked by pressure from bunkers and rock faces, with unpredictable winds from the sea adding to the challenge. The fourth hole is a long par-5 that requires a dramatic valley carry off the tee, while the fifth hole introduces a water hazard on the right side of a dogleg-right par-4. The seventh hole is widely regarded as one of the most difficult on the course, a short par-4 where a large waste bunker area on the left and a water hazard on the right constrain the approach to a small, well-bunkered green. The back nine continues the test with significant elevation changes and strategic hazards. The eleventh hole is a long par-5 that plays uphill, with the shortest route running alongside pine trees and out-of-bounds on the right. The fourteenth hole is a par-3 that plays downhill to a green with a strong slope from back to front, guarded by a water hazard on the right and out-of-bounds to the left. The eighteenth hole is an uphill par-4 that serves as a closing test, with the fairway separated from the ninth hole by pine trees and bunkers guarding the green. The course total yardage is listed at 6,825 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 73.0. Local rules designate specific waste bunkers on the seventh and sixteenth holes as general area, allowing players to ground their clubs. Red penalty areas are established on the fifth, seventh, fifteenth, and eighteenth holes, with the penalty extending infinitely on one side. The course also features a unique rule allowing players to drop without penalty if their ball is in water flow marks within a bunker. These characteristics, combined with the undulating fairways and fast greens, create a course that demands both accuracy and strategic course management.