If you google the best places to stay in Tokyo you will be given a laundry list of suggestions. Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, and Roppongi will be some of the names that will pop up. They are all fabulous places but wading through all the content, trying to figure out the best option can be a difficult proposition. Therefore I have decided to make it easy.

Trees in, or close to fairways are a very popular design element in Japan. Since living in Japan I have played only a handful of courses where a tree did not influence a shot from the fairway or the tee. The Japanese designer’s predilection in using trees as a hazard is interesting, especially considering it flies in the face of what the most influential architects preferred.

What is the best mode of transport to get to golf courses in Japan? It's a question I spend a lot of time answering so I have decided to write a brief about each option. It’s an important question too because traveling is very much part of the adventure of playing in Japan.

Each season in Japan, especially Tokyo, provides a unique golfing experience. Golf is played all year in Japan and in the depths of winter it is not uncommon for booking sheets to be rather busy. If your trip is specifically golf then there are months which are preferable but really whatever month you decide on will be the right choice. Well, sort of …

Golf courses and the shower rooms are places where the skin is shown, especially during the warmer months. If you do have a tattoo you very simply need to cover it up at all times while on the club’s premises.

If you ask those who have played golf in Japan before to describe their experience, two things will likely occur. Firstly a smile will appear. As they delve into the stories of their golfing sojourn you will get a sense of how special their experience was. Endearing and memorable are words that aptly describe what most golfers feel when they recount playing golf in Japan.