Sanda Golf Club ☆ Follow

Sanda Golf Club is a 72-par, 18-hole course located in Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Opened in April 1930, it is the sixth-oldest golf club in the Kansai region and the eighteenth in Japan. The course was established by Mitsuru Sato, the first manager of the Kobe Golf Club, who sought to create a more accessible facility for Japanese golfers. The layout was designed by the club's construction committee and built manually using shovels and baskets, without the use of bulldozers. The course covers an area of 720,000 square meters and is classified as a hilly course. The layout is characterized by subtle undulations that utilize the natural terrain, creating a strategic challenge where difficulty varies based on landing positions. The front nine holes are generally longer and more modern in design, favoring power hitters, while the back nine features more individualistic holes that require a diverse range of skills. In February 2020, as part of the club's 90th-anniversary celebrations, the front and back nines were swapped. The course features a classic Himeko grass green, which changes its roll characteristics with the seasons and time of day, adding an element of reading the grain to the game. Notable features include the first hole, which offers views of Mount Arima, and the presence of weeping cherry trees, plum, wisteria, and hydrangeas throughout the grounds. The club maintains a family-oriented atmosphere rooted in its founding principles, with a single-story clubhouse that retains its historical appearance. The course has a course rating of 72.6 and a slope rating of 141 from the back tees. It is located approximately one hour from Osaka and offers free shuttle service from JR Sanda Station.