KAWANA HOTEL
WHERE 75 miles south of Tokyo (one hour by bullet train, plus 15-minute minibus).
WHY The Kawana’s first course, Oshima, opened in the 1920s. Then followed a visit from revered course architect CH Allison. Staying at the Kawana Hotel, he persuaded Anglophile owner Baron Kishichiro Okura to create the Fuji Course, named for the mountain seen from the 11th fairway. This course, laid out through mature parkland with changes of elevation and deep bunkers, opened in 1936. The opening tee shot is steeply downhill, begging the question, “What comes next?” The answer is a grueling three-hole climb. After the halfway house – a compulsory 15-minute stop – fairways cross a plateau towards the finishing stretch along spectacular cliffs. The 11th is the longest hole, while the 15th, which slopes down towards the shore, is the most dramatic. No carts on Fuji, but Oshima allows them. Some holes have robot carts to carry players up steep inclines, an eerie taste of the automation to come.
PRICE Fuji: weekdays ¥26,000 ($248), weekends ¥34,000 ($325), play fee includes caddie and range balls. Oshima: weekdays ¥12,300 ($118), includes cars with GPS and range balls; weekends ¥14,300 ($137). Club rental ¥6,480 ($62), Japanese brands.
HOURS Fuji: stay-and-play tee times 8-10:30 AM. Oshima: visitors any time from 8 AM until sunset.
FACILITIES Fuji: 18 holes, 6,701 yards par 72; Oshima, 5,711 yards par 70. No outdoor practice area. Underground electronic driving range. Putting green.
MAX HANDICAP 24
FOOD AND LEISURE The Kawana Hotel, built in the 1920s, has 100 rooms and was stayed in by honeymooners Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio. Not all rooms are nonsmoking, so reserve ahead. There are two grass tennis courts, swimming pools, and billiard and mahjong rooms. The restaurant serves sashimi and sushi.
CONTACT 1459 Kawana Ito-shi Shizuoka, 414-0044; tel 81 557 45 1111; princehotels.com
KASUMIGASEKI COUNTRY CLUB (KCC)
WHERE 25 miles north of Tokyo (35 minutes from Kan-Etsu/Ken-O expressway).
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Onwards and upwards
In an exclusive interview with Ian Fairservice for Business Traveller, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group, provides insight into the current and future state of travel and Emirates’ pivotal role in getting the industry back on track
Cleaning up the crisis
How hotels have risen to the challenge of keeping guests safe during the pandemic
The Great Vegas Meetings Magic Act
The city is working hard to conjure up events and make millions of visitors reappear
TAKES OFF
Corporations are seeking new travel solutions that put safety and convenience first
TEE TIME IN TOKYO
The Tokyo Olympics may be delayed, but the golf courses around Japan’s capital aren’t slowing down
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
New and upcoming hotels to check out when you next visit Saudi Arabia
QATAR CALLING
A swathe of hotels are opening in the Gulf State in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup
MEMPHIS CON BRIO
Music and history flood through the heart and soul of this quintessential American river town
Sofitel Mumbai BKC
BACKGROUND Sofitel Mumbai BKC is one of Accor’s most prominent addresses in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The French hospitality group’s other hotels in the city are operated under the Novotel and ibis brands.
Taking Scotland in Stride
A walk through the Highlands and Borders is the best way to touch this country’s history and nature
ROCK On
How OLYMPIC ROCK CLIMBER BROOKE RABOUTOU stays hydrated
PARALYMPIC & WOMEN The Power Of PERSEVERANCE
The word "POWER" can be used figurately or literally when applied to people. In the case of Paralympians, both are appropriate.
Spectacular Spring Reads
Why gather blooms when you can pick the best new books? Enter to win at girlslife.com/springreads
The MIRACLE GAMES
The Games of the XXXII Olympiad were historic even before tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the flame in the cauldron with her relay torch to commence them.
14 Tokyo Olympic 2020
Medalist talk about their secret of success in exclusive interviews with Women Fitness
More Than Just ‘Twisties'
An Olympic gymnast says she and her fellow athletes face a lot of challenges in the sport that men don’t
XI SHOW DOWN
AS BEIJING TIGHTENS ITS CONTROL, GLOBAL CEOS WEIGH THE RISKS OF DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA
Can Anyone Make China Play By The Rules?
The global economy depends on Tokyo and Washington coordinating their defense against cyber and trade threats, says Prime Minister Suga
INDUSTRY UPDATE
AUDIO NEWS & VIEWS
GAMES ON!
Maybe it’s the one-year delay. Maybe it’s the global pandemic that caused that delay and lends these Olympics more significance than any in recent memory. Or perhaps it’s the fresh energy of new events. Regardless, now—finally—is the time to learn about the athletes and sports the whole world will soon be watching.