Gotemba Golf Club, Shizuoka, Japan

80 minutes separate the busy capital of Japan, Tokyo, from this spectacular golf course located in the quiet Japanese countryside at the base of the Mt. Fuji, in Shizuoka prefecture.
I left Shinjuku Station at 6.45 am and after a quiet and pleasant ride on the Odakyu Romance Car Train I reached Gotemba JR Station at 8,08 where I met Mr. Bennet Galloway, the canadian local teaching Pro, and long time resident in Japan.
A quick drive from the station and at 9am we where ready to tee off on a twosome.
The course, designed in 1971 by Shiro Akaboshi, is a 6345 yds par 72. The layout is a sequence of challenging hillside holes, elevation changes and large tricky greens. A short but demanding course.
Unfortunately the day I played Gotemba GC, weather conditions were not so good and I missed the magnificent view of the Fuji.
A typhoon just left the area the day before, and a smaller one was in its way to Japan.
Despite that, Gotemba Golf Club is a must play for everybody traveling to Tokyo or just visiting the Shizuoka Prefecture (you'll find more than 90 golf courses in the area) or the Hakone Valley.
And Mr. Galloway, with who I had a great golfing day, is available to organize a perfect "japanese golfing experience " for every one that is interested ( Links http://www.golf-in-japan.com/prefcourses/profile.php?ID=178  or www.golf-hakone.com email Ben-galloway@gotembagolf.com )

Magnificent view of the Fuji from the putting green on a clear day

Putting green

375 yds Par 4 Hole #2

155 yds Par 3 Hole #3...from the tee boxes

The huge two-tiered green on the 375 yds Par 4 Hole #5 

 #5 hole and clubhouse

OB on the Par 5 #6 fairway....love it!!

360 yds Par 4 Hole #9

410 yds Par 4 Hole #10

620 yds Par 5 Hole #11

155 yds Par 3 Hole #12

310 yds Par 4 Hole #14

Not only foggy on the 18th green...

...but also rainy!!

A present from Typhoon Guchol

The twosome in front of us having a little problem with the slippery cart path