Ryugasaki Country Club ☆ Follow

Situated in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture, Ryugasaki Country Club is a 7,302-yard, par-72 championship course designed by the renowned architect Makoto Inoue. The layout is set within the flat Kanto Plain but utilizes the area's naturally varied terrain to create a challenging and strategic round. Inoue, who was in his late forties when he designed the course, viewed it as a masterpiece that required players to master every type of shot to conquer. The design philosophy emphasizes modern strategic play, where the course is difficult to break par but allows for a one-over-par score with careful management. The course features a unique dual-green system, utilizing Bentgrass for the main "O" greens and Coolray grass for the "C" greens. This setup ensures that the putting surfaces remain in optimal condition throughout the year, despite the region's hot and humid summers. The layout includes six sets of tees, ranging from the championship tees at 7,302 yards down to the ladies' tees at 5,593 yards, with course ratings varying from 74.8 to 66.6 for men. The hole distribution includes five par-5s, ten par-4s, and three par-3s, with the longest hole being the 591-yard 2nd hole and the shortest the 192-yard 3rd. Ryugasaki Country Club has a significant history in Japanese professional golf. It hosted the 1963 Japan Professional Golf Championship, the 1967 Kanto Open Championship, and the 1969 Kanto Senior Championship. The course also held the 1989 Japan Amateur Championship and the 1992 Japan Open Championship. In 2006, it hosted the final qualifying tournament for the U.S. Open. The club was founded in 1957, with Shigeru Kawauchi of Nippon Steel serving as the first president, and officially opened on November 8, 1958, with a ceremonial tee shot by Prince Takamado. The course is recognized for its strategic depth, with the 13th hole, a 567-yard par-5, and the 17th, a 553-yard par-5, serving as the primary testing grounds for length and accuracy. The 6th hole, a 425-yard par-4, is the most difficult hole on the scorecard, rated as handicap stroke 1. The 13th hole follows as the second hardest, rated as handicap stroke 8. The design ensures that no two rounds are the same, with varying tee placements and green complexes keeping the layout fresh for returning players. The club's commitment to maintenance is evident in its recent green renovations, including the introduction of Neo Bent 007 in 2012 and Neo Bent CY2 in 2006.