Why a round of golf in Japan takes SIX hours

A round of golf in Japan is probably very different to any you've experienced before.

A round of golf in Japan is probably very different to any you’ve experienced before.

Everyone has their own opinion on how long a round of golf should take. Some like to tee off before dawn to ensure they’re the first on the course, so they can whizz round and have 18 holes finished long before breakfast. And then there are golfers who prefer a more leisurely pace, perhaps taking north of four hours to finish their round.

But most people would agree that six hours is too long for a round of golf.  

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Apart from golfers in Japan, that is. Because whilst the average round of golf in most countries takes between three and four hours, golfers in Japan need to allow considerably more time than that.

“Playing a round of golf in Japan is typically an all-day event,” explains one of the country’s leading travel guide websites, Japan-guide.com.

How “all day” are we talking? Well, if you’re a fan of a quick round and having the rest of the day free, golf in Japan probably isn’t for you, because the time between your first tee shot and walking off the 18^th green typically sits at around six hours, while many golfers will be out of the house for about 12 hours just to play a single round. So how does it all add up?

Why golf in Japan takes six hours

The pre-round rituals

If you’re someone who pulls into the golf club car park two minutes before your tee time and is still tying your laces while your playing partners are hitting their opening shots, golf in Japan will be a rude awakener.

You’ll typically arrive at the club at least an hour before your tee time.

Upon arrival, your clubs will be taken off your hands and loaded onto your golf cart. Meanwhile, each golfer must visit reception to fill out a registration card with their name, address, and contact number. You will then be given a locker key, which lets you stash your belongings but is also so much more than a humble key.

Featuring a barcode, this locker key – which actually takes the form of a mini booklet – acts as a swipe pass and charge card for your round of golf and any additional expenses you incur while at the facility. It can be used at the pro shop, driving range, restaurant, and rest houses. Everything is charged to your locker number and paid in one lump sum at checkout.

Many golf clubhouses in Japan require men to wear a jacket, collared shirt, trousers, and smart shoes, which means you’ll want to allow time to change into your golf clobber. The on-course dress code is similar to most golf courses in other countries.

Most golfers will take time to warm up and make use of the practice facilities before heading to the first tee for their tee time.

The pace of play

Golf in Japan is to be savoured, not rushed. All the clues are there, from the shoe cleaners on every tee box, to the ultra-luxurious four-seater golf carts, and the discretely placed ashtrays next to every green.

Even deciding who has the honour on the first tee is an experience in itself. Most clubs have four sticks – almost like metal straws – located next to the first tee; each golfer in the group blindly draws a stick, with the number on the opposite end determining their position in the playing order.

Most courses feature rest houses dotted around the course, offering drinks and snacks. Don’t overdo it on the front-nine nibbles, though, because you won’t want to ruin your appetite…

The lunch break

Whether you’re a golfer who normally gets through 18 holes on nothing more than fresh air or one who relishes a stop at the halfway house for a bacon roll more than anything else, you’ve probably never experienced anything like the mid-round pitstop in Japan.

After nine holes, golfers clean their golf shoes and enter the dining room for a full, sit-down (often multiple-course) meal, featuring myriad Japanese delicacies. Most green fees will include this meal, although certain dishes may come at an additional cost – charged, you guessed it, to your locker key.

Lunch typically lasts around an hour. Before dining, golfers are given a tee time for their second nine holes, avoiding any tension if one player wants to get the on-course action back underway while another is ordering a third round of soba noodles.

Apres golf

Whether it’s a quick drink or a shoe change in the car park and straight back on the road, most golfers in the UK are heading home within half an hour of replacing the flag on the 18^th green. Not in Japan.

Upon completion of the round, a staff member will take your clubs and give you a bag tag to collect them later.

That’s because you’re headed back to the changing rooms before enjoying the bathing facilities, which are fit to match most spas, and then into the clubhouse for drinks and any further food you’ve got room for.

Travel time

Although there are thousands of golf courses in Japan, most are located a good distance from cities and typical tourist spots. It’s not uncommon to face a two-hour journey to and from the course. Put that together with an hour before the round, five hours of golf, an hour for lunch, and an hour for the post-golf activities, you can be looking at 12 hours in total.  

“In America, people try to play as fast as they can and get about their day,” says Malbon co-founder Stephen Malbon. “But, in Japan, this is your day.”