7-3 Hirono Shijimi-cho,
Miki, Hyogo 673-0541
Office
+81 (0)794 85 0123Pro shop
+81 (0)794 85 0123Fax
+81 (0)794 85 9331Website
Visit websiteThe Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Woodland and residential.
Designer:
Original design and later modifications by Charles Hugh Alison (1931, 1948). Renovated by Martin Ebert (2018).
34.770284
135.021752
5 km SE of Miki city centre / 25 km NW of Kobe / 62 km W of Osaka.
Hirono
Hirono Golf Club is home to a much revered Hugh Alison design that has borne comparison with the likes of Pine Valley in the USA and Morfontaine in Europe. Regularly ranked as Japan's No.1 golf course, this testing and sublimely crafted layout is located near Miki in the Hyōgo Prefecture.
Laid out in two nine-hole loops, the first to the south of the clubhouse, the second to the west, a dominant feature here at Hirono is the copious bunkering and sandy waste areas. It's sand rather than water that lines many of the good-width fairways and surrounds several greens. This said, water does put in one or two telling appearances. The par-3 13th and 17th holes both require you to clear a large pond before reaching the safety of the green.
Private club - guests may only play if accompanied by a member.
Caddies available.
Excellent
Hirono Golf Club was established by four members of what was then the Maiko Country Club (now the Tarumi Golf Club). Maiko was a nine-hole layout, that had opened in 1920. Shosuke Itani, Seiichi Takahata, Iwazo Suzuki, and Chozo Ito set out to find a suitable parcel of land on which they could build an 18-hole course. While visiting a prospective site, which proved to be unsuitable, they fortuitously stumbled on much better terrain, which was to become the site for Hirono.
Again fortuitously, the founders heard that the renowned English designer, Charles Alison, was in Japan at that time, designing a new course for the Tokyo Golf Club. Alison was approached by the Hirono founders, and agreed to design their course. He shut himself away in the Oriental Hotel, emerging three days later with the completed design for Hirono.
Hirono has played host to many top level tournaments, not least the Japan Open, Japan Amateur and Japan PGA Championships.
Japan's No.1 golf course (Golf Digest, 2022).
World's 31st best course (GOLF Magazine, 2023/24).
The Sentry: known for many years as the Tournament of Champions, the PGA Tour’s 2025 season-opener gets underway on Kapalua’s Plantation course (Jan 2-5). Chris Kirk defends.
Tournament of Champions: the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season is launched at Lake Nona with the their Tournament of Champions (Jan 30-Feb 2). The 2024 edition gave Lydia Ko her 20th LPGA Tour title.
Attahya Thitikul: also known as “Jeeno”, the Thai golfer won the LPGA Tour’s 2024 CME Group Tour Championship … and an eye-watering $4 million, the richest first-prize in women’s golf.
Rory McIlroy: scooped the 2024 European (DP World) Tour season-long Order of Merit title, joining Seve Ballesteros as a six-time winner of this prestigious award.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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