The Cypress GC ☆ Follow

The Cypress Golf Club is a 18-hole, par-72 course located in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, set within a 930,000-square-meter landscape surrounded by the mountains of Tanba, including Mount Shingane and Mount Tsurugamine. Designed by golf course architect and critic Hisamitsu Onishi, the layout is built into the natural terrain, preserving the original slopes and elevation changes rather than flattening them. The course is characterized as a forest course where mature trees such as cedar, cypress, maple, and mountain cherry—many over a century old—line the fairways and separate the holes. The design philosophy emphasizes the harmony between nature and human play, resulting in a layout that relies on the natural environment for its challenges rather than artificial obstacles. The course features 18 distinctively shaped greens and only 29 bunkers, with no out-of-bounds stakes or artificial yardage markers, creating a relatively open but demanding environment. The front nine is described as having significant elevation changes, with holes 1, 2, and 6 playing uphill, requiring accurate tee shots over longer distances. The back nine is largely flat, with the primary challenge coming from the sequence of Par 4s starting at the 13th hole. While the course is considered moderately difficult, it offers "flower paths" (alternate tees) on all holes except the 17th, allowing players of varying skill levels to navigate the course without significant score penalties. The Cypress Golf Club opened in 1991 with a total length of 6,947 yards, which was extended to 7,044 yards during a renovation in 2013. The club operates on a concept modeled after European and American private clubs, utilizing a one-way start from the first tee and restricting the use of caddie bags to maintain a traditional playing environment. The setting is noted for its natural beauty, including approximately 3,000 mountain cherry trees that bloom in spring and a variety of seasonal flora such as azaleas and ginkgo trees that line the approach to the clubhouse. The facility is situated in a remote, natural setting where the sounds of wind and birds replace the noise of human activity, reinforcing the course's focus on the fundamental aspects of the game.