Taiheiyo Club - Ichihara
Taiheiyo Ichihara. 17th hole. A short Par 4 that requires a precise tee shot to avoid the trouble.
The Tokyo Bay Aqua-line is a 4.4 kilometre bridge and 9.6 kilometre tunnel under Tokyo Bay, attaching wider Tokyo to the Chiba prefecture. The view as you drive out over Tokyo bay is amazing, especially as the bridge suddenly turns into a massive concrete structure which then disappears into the sea. The aqua-line opened in 1997 and took 9 years and 11.2 billion dollars to complete. The creation of the aqua-line was a blessing for golfers as it allowed fabulous access to courses located in the Chiba prefecture.
Opened in 1984, this Shunsuke Kato design is quite different from the typical golf courses scattered all over Japan. While golf courses around the world occupy prime pieces of real estate, golf courses in Japan were often built on small, unusual parcels of land or relatively flat terrain. Taiheiyo Clubs Ichihara course is a breath of fresh air as it is both undulating and open, creating a sense of freedom, especially from the tee. The courses on the Mornington Peninsula in Australia provide a similar feeling to playing at Ichihara, especially the last 4 or 5 holes. The rolling hills, the colours, the wind and firm bent greens makes me feel like I am home again.
Par 3 16th. My shocking photographic skills do not do this hole justice but its a beauty with a tricky green.
Ichihara held two tournaments on the mens Japanese tour in the late 1990s. It was a perfect venue to test the professionals and is a great place for spectators as surrounding land creates fantastic viewing platforms. The course is not long enough to hold a tournament these days as its only 6,850 yards from the tips and 5,500 yards from the ladies. The course is no pushover however as 70 bunkers pinch landing areas, protect the corners of doglegs and surround the sloping greens. The bunkers do flank the greens which provides an opportunity for the ball to be run onto the putting surfaces from the front which is a design element I like. The two nines are quite different with mostly doglegs on the front nine and straight holes around the back.
Ichihara 14th. Firm playing surfaces, wind and wide open spaces makes Ichihara a fun course to play.
There are two standout reasons which makes Ichihara really enjoyable. Firstly each hole is quite distinctive from the rest. The second reason is the finishing stretch are great fun. The 15th, 16th and 17th provide birdie opportunities while the 18th is easy to bogey but is treacherously difficult to par. Jumbo Ozaki said the 18th at Ichihara was one of his favourite finishing holes. The 17th hole is my favourite as its a well designed short straight par 4. There are two trees that sit in the centre of the fairway at about 220 yards which you need to negotiate if you lay up. If you hit the driver there are grassy bunkers that will swallow up your ball making a short pitch onto the sloping green very difficult. Play a fairway wood down the left which keeps you short of the trouble and leave a simple pitch to the green.
The 18th. Dogleg left. OOB left. The further you play away from OB makes the second shot terribly daunting
Ichihara is a traditional Japanese course in that there is a break after 9 holes for breakfast or lunch, depending on what time you teed off. The food in the clubhouse is amazing which always creates an opportunity to try something new. Taiheiyo management have recently included the Taiheiyo in house “Select the Club” pro shop and the range has been upgraded with new hitting nets. The whole experience from start to finish is a real treat and although Ichihara may not be as famous as some of the other Taiheiyo courses, I highly recommend playing it.
Getting there
About twice an hour the Sobu Line runs an express train from Tokyo Station to Goi station which takes about an hour. The Sobu Line is a subway line which is located in the bowels of Tokyo station, so give yourself plenty of time to find it. Rapid trains have regular carriages as well as others which are called “green cars”. Green cars have bigger, more luxurious seats which are organised like aeroplane seats. When you arrive at the platform you will see special ticket machines dotted along the platform (see below). If you prefer to ride in style then press the “English button” on the machine and follow the instructions. It will deduct about 800 Jpy from your train card but its worth every cent. There is plenty of space for clubs or luggage above your head and you will never have to fight for a seat. When you take a seat, tap your train card on the pad above your head and the red light will turn green to show you have paid for the upgrade.
Look for these on the platform to book yourself a fancy seat on the green cars. I do recommend it.
I suggest taking the 7.17am Sobu Line express from Tokyo station which arrives at Goi station at 8.14am. The Taiheiyo Club bus leaves the east exit at 8.25am each morning, arriving at the course at 8.55am. Always book a seat on the bus as the taxi ride from the station to the course will cost about 8,000 Jpy.
At 5pm the club bus will leave the clubhouse and arrive at Goi station at about 5.35pm. Its perfect timing as the same express train you took in the morning leaves Goi station at 6.02pm, arriving at Tokyo station at 6.59pm. It gives you enough time to buy a few drinks and snacks at the convenience store inside the station and organise a seat on the green car for the trip back.
Hiring a car for the day or taking private transport is a great way to experience the Aqua-line. I would only suggest playing Ichihara on weekdays as the Aqua-line can get a little jammed on weekends, not to mention weekdays being significantly cheaper and tee times more available.
Playing Taiheiyo Ichihara and experiencing the aqua-line or riding in the green cars does take effort. It creates a sense of how much effort Japanese golfers make to play.
If you are interested in in playing Ichihara please contact me on joegaughwin@thetokyogolfer.com
The second shot into the 18th hole @ Taiheiyo Ichihara. Water carry to a shallow green. Scary but fun.