No Japanese phone number?
Use the course’s visitor enquiry route or ask whether your hotel can help. Do not invent details to get past a form.
A round of golf
in Japan.
Visiting Japan and hoping to play? Work out how to book from overseas, whether you need a car, and what the day will cost before choosing a tee time.
Booking, getting there, choosing a month
Using Rakuten GORA in English
Read the offer, check the extra charges, and know what to do if the booking form will not accept your overseas details.
A golf day from Tokyo without a car
Follow the train route to Hanno and Musashigaoka’s club shuttle, with the booking and rental questions to settle first.
Which month suits your trip?
Compare monthly temperatures in Tokyo, Sapporo and Naha, then check the trade-offs for your travel dates.
Six things to settle before your first round
The awkward part may be a booking form, a shuttle timetable or a small-group charge. Check these details before committing to a course and tee time.
Will our pair be joined by others?
Check the twosome guarantee and surcharge separately. A four-player rate may not apply to two.
What will the whole day cost?
Include rentals, group surcharges, meal extras and return transport. The guide includes a worked example for two.
Can we go without a car?
Match both train and shuttle timetables to your round. Decide how your bags will travel before booking.
What if we do not speak Japanese?
Save the confirmation offline and ask about check-in, carts, restart time and payment. Use the enquiry template to settle details first.
Can we make dinner or a flight afterwards?
Allow for lunch, changing, payment and the journey back, as well as the round itself.
Before you choose a tee time
Making a booking
How to use GDO, Rakuten GORA and course websites, and what to check in a tee-time offer.
What a day costs
Add rentals, lunch extras, two-player charges and the journey to the course to your green fee.
Getting there
Work back from your tee time to your hotel departure. If you take a train, check the club bus too.
At the clubhouse
Dropping off your bag, checking in, using your locker card, lunch and settling the bill.
Where are you heading?
All coursesAround Tokyo
A round during a city stay. Compare the journey to Chiba, Saitama and other nearby areas.
Fuji & Hakone
Keep your course and overnight stay close together to cut down on mountain-road travel.
Hokkaido
Sapporo, New Chitose, Niseko or Furano: choose a base before you choose courses.
Okinawa
Plan the main island and outlying islands separately, with your hotel and rental car in mind.
Questions that come up before booking
A short line in a booking offer can change the cost of your round or how you plan the day.
Can two of us play together?
A guaranteed twosome and a booking with no two-player surcharge are different things. Check both.
Is a provisional booking confirmed?
Not necessarily. Check the reservation status, confirmation email and any request for a reply.
Can I rent clubs?
Ask the course about available sets, handedness and whether you need to reserve them ahead of time.
What if it rains?
Read your booking’s cancellation deadline and fees, then check the course’s operating notices.
Tools for the trip
Cost calculatorBooking dictionaryTrip checklistJapanese phrasebookYards to metresMulti-day itineraries
Plan a golf day from Tokyo
Compare suggested courses against your hotel area, transport and return time. Times are estimates; check the actual route before booking.
Work out your golf day
Enter your hotel area, transport and group size to compare courses and estimated travel times.
Check the details before booking.
- 1Choose your base
- 2Set a travel limit
- 3Plan transport and gear
- 4Check the full golf day
See three suggested courses with estimated travel times and links to check availability.
1Choose your baseChoose where you expect to stay.
2Set travel limitChoose your maximum one-way travel time.
Door-to-door time matters more than the prefecture name.
3Plan transport and gearTell us how the group will reach the course.
4Set the dayAdd the date and exact tee time when known. Ranges stay conservative when they are not.
5Compare course fitsEstimated travel times allow for transfers and delays. Check current routes and available tee times before booking.
Tokyo Station · 90 min max · Train + club bus · date not set · weekend / holiday buffer · 8:00–10:00 tee window · return 18:00
Check the route before departure. The range includes arrival, lunch/round variability, post-round time, and a traffic or connection buffer. Confirm the final route after the exact tee time is booked.
Best matchNarita Golf Club
Chiba · Tokyo eastNeeds a check80–115 min one way
The conservative return range can extend past 18:00. Keep more buffer or choose an earlier tee time.
- Convenient route from Tokyo Station
- 8:00–10:00 tee window still adds uncertainty
Leave
04:50–07:25Ready
13:15–16:30Hotel
14:35–18:25
04:50–07:25Ready
13:15–16:30Hotel
14:35–18:25
Alternative 1Musashigaoka Golf Course
Saitama · Shinjuku sideNeeds a check95–130 min one way
The conservative return range can extend past 18:00. Keep more buffer or choose an earlier tee time.
- 95–130 min planning range
- 8:00–10:00 tee window still adds uncertainty
Leave
04:35–07:10Ready
13:15–16:30Hotel
14:50–18:40
04:35–07:10Ready
13:15–16:30Hotel
14:50–18:40
Alternative 2Karuizawa 72 Golf West
Nagano · KaruizawaDoes not fit175–210 min one way
Even the quickest planning estimate is more than 15 minutes beyond your 90-minute limit.
- 175–210 min planning range
- 8:00–10:00 tee window still adds uncertainty
Leave
03:15–05:50Ready
13:00–16:15Hotel
15:55–19:45
03:15–05:50Ready
13:00–16:15Hotel
15:55–19:45
6Choose a booking routeYou chose Narita Golf Club. Check dates, prices, and group conditions on the booking website.
Bookings are made on the course or platform website. Check availability, the final price, and all conditions there before confirming.
Find the guide for your next question
Rakuten GORA English guide
Read Japanese offers, reservation status and twosome charges.
GDO vs Rakuten GORA
Compare booking routes and offer conditions.
Golf in Japan for two players
Check pairing guarantees and the price for your party.
Golf near Tokyo without a car
Plan trains, club shuttles and the return journey.
How much does golf in Japan cost?
Account for meals, rentals and transport as well as the round.
Renting golf clubs in Japan
Check handedness, sets, shoe sizes and rental charges.
Shipping golf clubs in Japan
Arrange bag delivery between hotels and courses.
Rakuten GORA cancellation and payment
Check deadlines, charges and changes to player numbers.
All guides and itineraries
Rakuten GORA cancellation and payment: what to checkRakuten GORA Temporary Reservation: What 仮予約 MeansRakuten GORA Twosome Booking: 2サム保証 and 2B割増Fuji and Hakone Golf Courses for Visitors: What to CheckChoosing Golf Courses for Summer in HokkaidoHong Kong to Osaka 4-Day Golf Itinerary: Two Rounds in KansaiWarming Up at Japanese Golf Courses: Range Fees and FacilitiesJapan Golf Rain and Cancellation Guide: Should You Still Play?Japan Golf Rental Car Guide: Tolls, ETC, Parking, and Course AccessJapan Golf Taxi and Club Bus Guide: Getting From Station to CourseKaruizawa Golf Courses for Visitors: How to ChooseChoosing Golf Courses for Winter in OkinawaShanghai to Osaka: Five Days of Golf in KansaiSingapore to Tokyo and Karuizawa 6-Day Golf ItineraryGolf Courses Near Tokyo for Overseas VisitorsTokyo Golf Courses Without a Rental Car: How to ChooseBeijing to Tokyo 5-Day Golf Itinerary: Two or Three RoundsHokkaido Summer 5-Day Golf Itinerary: Three Rounds in Cooler WeatherHong Kong to Tokyo 4-Day Golf Itinerary: Two Rounds or 27 HolesOkinawa Winter 5-Day Golf Itinerary: Resort Golf, Wind and Self-Drive PlanningSeoul to Osaka: A Four-Day Golf ItineraryShanghai to Tokyo 5-Day Golf Itinerary: Three Rounds Without RushingSingapore to Japan 6-Day Golf Itinerary: Three or Four RoundsTaipei to Tokyo 4-Day Golf Itinerary: Two Rounds Without OverpackingTokyo, Mt. Fuji and Hakone 5-Day Golf ItineraryGDO vs Rakuten GORA: Which Japan Golf Booking Site Should You Use?Do Japanese Golf Courses Accept Credit Cards?Japan Golf Booking Confirmation Emails: What to Check Before You TravelSummer Golf in Japan: Heat, Early Starts and Cool Cart PlansCan You Play 27 Holes in Japan? How to Plan an Extra NineEarly Morning Golf in Japan: When a 6:00 or 7:00 Tee Time Makes SenseHow to Use Self-Checkout Machines at Japanese Golf Courses4-Day Japan Golf Itinerary: Two Rounds or a Golf-Hotel Stay5-Day Japan Golf Itinerary: Two or Three Rounds Around One Golf Area6-Day Japan Golf Itinerary: Three or Four Rounds With a Resort BasePlanning Your First Golf Trip to JapanBest Time to Golf in Japan: A Month-by-Month GuideTokyo Golf Day Trip: A Train-and-Shuttle Route to MusashigaokaCool Carts in Japan: Equipment, Fees and BookingDo Japanese Golf Courses Have Caddies?Kariyoyaku Meaning: What 仮予約 Means on Japanese Golf Booking SitesStaying at a Golf Course Hotel Near TokyoTokyo Golf Transport Cost Guide: Train, Taxi, Rental Car or Course Bus?Tokyo Riverside Golf Courses: What 河川敷 MeansCashless Payments at Japanese Golf CoursesGolf Distances: Converting Yards to MetersHow to Book Golf on GDO in Japan: Step-by-StepJapan Golf Two-Player Surcharge: What 2B割増 MeansWhere to Stay in Tokyo for Golf: Shinjuku, Ginza or Outside the Center?Choosing a Tee Time in Japan: Early or Mid-Morning?GDO Golf Booking Guide for ForeignersGolf Near Tokyo Without a CarJapan Golf Cancellation Fees ExplainedWhat Does Lunch Included Mean at Japanese Golf Courses?Best Time to Play Golf in Japan: Months by RegionHow to Ship Golf Clubs in JapanGolf in Karuizawa: Courses, Cost and Trip Planning GuideGolf Near Mt. Fuji: Hakone, Gotemba and Izu GuideGolf Near Tokyo: Transport and Course Area GuideHokkaido Golf Trip Guide for Foreign VisitorsOkinawa Golf Resorts: Where to Stay and How to BookTwo-Player Golf in Japan: How Twosome Booking WorksCan Tourists Play Golf in Japan?Golf Club Rental in JapanHow Much Does Golf Cost in Japan?How to Book Golf in Japan Without Speaking JapaneseHow to Read Japanese Golf Course PricingHow to Use Japanese Golf Booking WebsitesJapan Golf Etiquette for ForeignersRakuten GORA in English: How to Book Golf in JapanWhat Does 2サム保証 Mean?What to Wear When Playing Golf in Japan