Today’s Japanese golf course market — like its counterpart in the U.S. — is significantly overbuilt, the result of a development boom contemporaneous with our own (1990-2005). Most experts predict that, in 20 years’ time, the country will perhaps have only 1,500-1,800 courses.
Full Answer
How popular is golf in Japan?
Japan Has Half Of Asia's Golf Courses, But The Game's Popularity There Is Flagging : Parallels In the 1980s, Japan built thousands of golf courses and the game became baked into its business culture. Those days are over. Golf participation in Japan has dropped by 40 percent since 1996.
Why don't more Japanese people play golf?
Because Japanese people are golfing less, many courses are trying to branch out to attract non-Japanese players — including tourists from other parts of the world. There's also a perception problem: It's seen as "your dad's" sport, leading to some trouble attracting younger golfers.
What percentage of golfers book tee times at Japanese courses?
Takashi Yanaoka, president of the Musashigaoka Golf Course outside Tokyo, says tee times are booked at about 90 percent here. But it bucks an industry-wide downward trend.
Why is Japan's Golf Industry flagging?
But in Japan, where you can find half of all the golf courses in Asia, the industry is flagging. America still has the largest golf industry in the world, by a long shot. But in Japan's economic heyday in the 1980s, it built up thousands of courses and the game became baked into its business culture.
Is golf popular in Japan?
Golf (ゴルフ) is a popular sport in Japan.
Does Japan have more golf courses than the US?
As a country, Japan is home to the second most golf courses in the world. With around 2,350 golf courses across the nation, they're only outnumbered by the Golf Mecca that is the U.S. In fact, half of the golf courses in the whole of Asia are in Japan. Japan is renowned for its dramatic geography and natural beauty.
Is golf a big deal in Japan?
Golf in Japan is as unique as the country itself. Across the more than 6,852 islands - including the four main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu - there are no less than 2,349 golf courses, varying from revered top-100 courses to riverside pitch and putts.
Does Japan care about golf?
Golf courses are nature's most beautiful manmade gift, peaceful and serene, a place where blood pressure goes down, not up. Not in Japan. The Japanese's love of golf is legendary, but even on the back nine, it seems, the regimentation that is par for Japanese culture takes its toll.
Does Japan love golf?
Japan Has Half Of Asia's Golf Courses, But The Game's Popularity There Is Flagging : Parallels In the 1980s, Japan built thousands of golf courses and the game became baked into its business culture. Those days are over. Golf participation in Japan has dropped by 40 percent since 1996.
Which country plays the most golf?
IrelandPopularity of Golf Around the WorldrankingCountryRegional Popularity *1Ireland1002Canada853United Kingdom804United States79118 more rows
Is golf gaining or losing popularity?
Golf is on the decline in America. That reality has finally smacked us in the face like a two-by-four. The number of core American golfers (those playing eight rounds or more per year) has fallen between three and 4.5 percent every year since 2006.
Is golf popular in Asia?
There are billions of golf tourist dollars up for grabs, and Asian golf is getting more popular every year.
How much does a round of golf cost in Tokyo?
Teeing off on such a course in the Tokyo area costs about 30,000 yen ($195) in green fees for one 18-hole round. In the U.S., by comparison, there are more than 13,000 golf courses, and memberships in even the most exclusive clubs are usually no more than $35,000.
How much does a golf membership cost in Japan?
Annual golf membership fees could reach about 3 million yen for the most exclusive Japanese golf clubs....Golf playing 'package'Japan Golf ClubGolf PackageTokyo Golf Club30,000 yenNaruo Golf Club23,000 yen to 25,000 yenSun Park Sapporo Golf6800 yen to 9600 yen2 more rows•Mar 15, 2021
How big is golf in Japan?
According to the National Golf Foundation, Japan has 2,227 golf facilities (seven percent of the world's supply) for its 127 million people – or 57,000 people per course. The comparable U.S. numbers are 14,640 facilities (45 percent of world supply) for 330 million – or 22,540 people per course.
When did golf come to Japan?
“In 1903 a group of British expatriates established the first golf club in Japan, at Kobe. In 1913 the Tokyo Golf club at Komazawa was established for and by native Japanese who had encountered golf in the United States.
How many tourists play golf in New Zealand?
Tourism New Zealand, for example, estimates that 2-3% of all incoming tourists play golf during their visits. My friend Bennett Galloway, who’s been living in Japan and working in its golf tourism sector for three decades, believes that only 1 out of every 2,000 North American tourists plays golf while visiting here.
Why are green fees coming down in Japan?
resorts) but Japanese resort green fees (and stay/play prices) are coming down because those facilities that will survive the contraction will do so on price. The 5th hole at Abiko Golf Club in Abiko, Japan.
Where is the 5th hole in Abiko Golf Club?
The 5th hole at Abiko Golf Club in Abiko, Japan. In part because the course stock is shrinking, there is a sort of arms race taking place to renovate, compete and survive. It’s most active at the top. Elite tracks like Tokyo GC, Kasumigaseki, Abiko, Hirono and Yokohama have all renovated recently or remain in the midst of construction.
What is the name of the golf course at Kawana?
And what a round to recount. The Fuji Course at Kawana, so named for its views to the northwest, across the Hakone Mountains to Mt. Fuji, is one of the great resort tracks on Earth, No. 68 on GOLF’s World Top 100.
Is Japan a golf destination?
While these are educated guesses ventured in place of hard data, this much is clear: Japan is a huge golf destination. Hundreds of thousands travel here each year for golf holiday-making, mainly from China, South Korea and Taiwan, but also from Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Do Japanese drive on the other side?
Yes, the Japanese drive on the other side, like the Brits. But the signage here is frankly better; rental prices compare favorably. I didn’t rent a car during this trip but should have: I could have gone off schedule and played some of the dozen courses I passed in Ben’s car, or the train.
Which country has the largest golf industry?
America still has the largest golf industry in the world, by a long shot. But in Japan's economic heyday in the 1980s, it built up thousands of courses and the game became baked into its business culture. President Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played golf in Florida in February. President Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ...
How many holes does Trump play with Japan?
and Japan lately, as diplomacy between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe often includes playing 18 holes together.
Is Musashigaoka a public course?
There's also a perception problem: It's seen as "your dad's" sport, leading to some trouble attracting younger golfers. The Musashigaoka Golf Course, about an hour outside Tokyo, has managed to stay successful in part because it's a public course instead of a membership-only private club.
When did the Japanese economy go bust?
The deposit was supposed to be returned after a decade. But when the Japanese economy went bust after 1989, many private golf courses were unable to honor their commitment. Since then, dozens of courses have been bought out; others have been redeveloped, and some have closed down entirely.
Is golf an Olympic sport?
Golf is now back as an Olympic sport for the second time in the past 100 years — just in time for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Japanese golf courses are trying various tactics to keep from closing.
Is golf in Japan going away?
Those days are over. Golf participation in Japan — a measure of the number of people nationwide who play golf — has dropped by 40 percent since 1996, according to the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper. Private courses — which make up about 90 percent of Japan's courses — are starting to disappear. They require hefty membership and initiation fees.
Do you have to wear long socks to play in Japan?
Rules for timely play and behavior are tight. "There was a time in Japan when you had to have long socks to play. Men and women had to have long socks when they were playing on the course, if they were playing in shorts," says Takashi Yanaoka, president of the Musashigaoka course.
