Location: Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan | Ranking: #77
Designer: Charles Alison (1936) | Type: Clifftop Parkland | Access: Hotel guests priority
Editor’s Note: The Fuji Course at Kawana Hotel is Japan’s most accessible great course and one of Alison’s finest works anywhere in the world. Perched on the Izu Peninsula’s Pacific cliffs with Mount Fuji visible on clear mornings, eight of eighteen holes play along or above the ocean. The Kawana Hotel itself has welcomed royalty and heads of state since 1936 — the combination of clifftop drama, impeccable conditioning and historic Japanese resort atmosphere is entirely unique in world golf.
Travel & Logistics
- Airport: Tokyo Narita (NRT) — 2h 30m | Tokyo Haneda (HND) — 2h. Shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami then local train to Ito — 1h 30m total.
- Booking: princehotels.com/kawana | Hotel guests receive priority tee times.
Championship Scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 36 |
| Yards | 395 | 378 | 172 | 495 | 382 | 405 | 168 | 415 | 502 | 3,312 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Yards | 408 | 425 | 175 | 510 | 395 | 412 | 178 | 518 | 441 | 3,462 | 6,774 |
Par 4Par 3Par 5
Key Strategy Notes
- The Ocean Holes: Holes 12–16 run along the Pacific clifftops — the views south toward the Izu Peninsula and west toward Fuji on clear mornings are among the most spectacular in Japanese golf.
- Alison’s Bunkering: The deep cross-bunkers refined at Hirono are present here too — positional play from the tee determines approach angles throughout the round.
- Fuji: Mount Fuji is visible from the 1st, 7th and 17th tees on clear mornings — typically October through April after overnight rain.
The 19th Hole
- Kawana Hotel (Historic Resort): Japan’s most historically significant golf hotel — the clifftop dining room with Pacific views for kaiseki dinner is the perfect conclusion. Book via Expedia →