Yaita Country Club ☆ Follow

Yaita Country Club is a 27-hole hillside golf course located in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture. Designed by Shoji Yamamoto, the facility opened in October 1973 and spans 1,200,000 square meters. The course features three distinct nine-hole layouts named Rindou, Azami, and Kikyo, which can be played in various combinations. The total course distance is 10,104 yards with a par of 108, and all holes feature bentgrass greens. The layout is set against the backdrop of the Nasu mountain range, offering panoramic views of the surrounding peaks from the elevated terrain.

The Rindou and Azami courses each carry a par of 36, and the Azami and Kikyo combination also produces a par 36. Tee placements vary across five sets: tournament, back, regular, silver, and ladies. The tournament tees yield a USGA Course Rating of 72.2 and a Slope Rating of 128 for the Azami-Kikyo combination on A greens, while the ladies' tees from the same pairing produce a rating of 65.4 with a slope of 115. The Rindou-Azami pairing on A greens from the tournament tees registers a 70.7 rating with a 128 slope.

The course layout demands precise shot selection, with wide fairways featuring both natural undulations and artificial contouring. Several holes are identified as driver-recommended, including the third and seventh on Rindou, the third and fifth on Azami, and the fourth and sixth on Kikyo. Conversely, the fourth on Rindou, the fourth on Azami, and the third on Kikyo are noted as near-pin recommended holes. The first hole on the Rindou course is a downhill long par 5 at 503 yards from the tournament tees, offering a commanding view of the entire course. The sixth hole on Rindou features three water hazards positioned centrally in front of the green, requiring accurate approach shots. The Azami course includes a downhill par 5 first hole at 510 yards from the tournament tees, where two-putt opportunities exist but bunkers guard the approach. The fifth hole on Azami stretches 522 yards as a dogleg-right par 5, with the third shot playing uphill. The fourth hole on Azami is a 156-yard par 3 from the tournament tees, where pins on the left side require careful club selection to avoid the out-of-bounds area to the left.