The Course Report
June 13th 2012
The weather has been fantastic - almost too good as the courses are probably in need of some rain but the greenkeepers have been working hard to keep everything in shape.
Last Friday was the first locals stableford comp. Results as follows;
Toshiko Makabe 45 (Free Pizza from Niseko Pizza)
Ross from Niseko Wine Supply 40
Papa Makabe 38
Mak 37
Perrin 34
Ian and John B 31
Jay from Jay Build 31
Ash 30
Russ 22
200,000 yen hole-in-one prize still up for grabs and the dash for the Hirafu season pass has begun!
Mak also took both long drive competitions for 2000 yen each. Here is a photo of his 320yd effort on the Par 6 10th hole.
Latest Course News from Yasuda san @ Niseko Village;
Niseko Golf Course: 6/11- 6/14 Sanding fairways
Niseko Village Golf Course: 6/11 Sanding teeing grounds, 6/14 – 6/18 vertical cutting and sanding fairways
*from 6/14 for 4 holes a day, carts can not enter the fairways due to vertical cutting.
Local competitions with the Japanese are always Double Peria. This system based in certain part on luck - allows a "handicap allowance" to be determined and then applied to each golfer's score.
First prize at the Makkari Village Address Kai competition - 60KG of Rankoshii's finest 7 star rice.......for the second year running..
And finally, if you haven't seen it, TW's chip at Memorial. Tiger is wearing red also, Maybe Mak is onto something....
Email me at [email protected] for this weeks comp on Friday morning - 1000 yen to take part - 200,000 yen and a season pass!
The Course Report
Back after two weeks away caddying in Korea . Very enjoyable Sunday afternoon at SK Telecom Open with K J Choi and his caddy Andy Prodger...
Since being back, have had a few rounds at Niseko Golf Course and two at Niseko Village Golf Course. Conditions have been great but the greens have been a little slow.
Driving range and practice holes now open at Niseko Village...
Also had one round at Niseko Tokyu Golf Course with Makabe san and Toshi ( local golfing icons) and had a good (slow) Sunday. Mak drove to Sapporo directly to buy a new driver. he bought the Taylormade Burner - white of course....
I have been trying the same driver this week with a Fukikura Speeder shaft..Going good so far but still within the first two weeks...
The new BoomStick......
Apologies to all for the lack of scores and pics. Will get the camera out this week and get some good video onto the blog...
The Course Report
April 30th - Nidom - The longest round of golf in the world - ever!
Sato Akira san from the Kutchan driving range had a competition to celebrate his hole in one at Lake Toya Hills last season. As he was insured, he was able to spend up to onemillion yen on comps, goodies and much more. we started at 1030 but actually did not finish until 7pm! Very busyt on the course. Frustration all round but not bad scores.
Nidom classic is made up of Ashiri, Nisupa, Pirika and is one of the obvious box tickers for people visiting Hokkaido to golf. Worth a visit if you have not been but plenty of better value experiences on the island.
May 1st at Niseko Golf Course.
Two groups with Ben once again taking the money despite some questionable scoring on the first after he forgot his putter on the practice green..
Course in good condition but greens especially good for this time of year.
Next stop...Off to Korea for the Maekyung Open and SK Telecom Open on the Oneasia Tour caddying for AT.
From Niseko Village
20 May - please inquire more details to Noriko Sasaki ([email protected])
"You talkin' to me?"
The Course Report April 29th- Niseko Golf Course Pre -Open.....
Wanted!
For Crimes against handicaps!
Great day had by all. Two groups. Greens in great condition considering the snow this year and as usual, 95% took the cash. Net 70 wins the day so Ben H kept the hat until next time.
All played of the regular tees and the course condition was suprisingly good. Still recommend playing preferred lies to give the fairways a chance to grow in.
Niseko Golf Course was designed by Arnold Palmer and he was on his game when he designed this course. Well worth a visit....
95%/Bandit watching Wheels...
This wedge was not so lucky......
Date: April 20th, 2012
Course: Toya Lake Hills - Shinzan Course and Toya Course - Par 72/6,304 Yds
Weather: Sunny
Players: Wheels, Chris H, Ian Mac, Ben H, John S, Perrin, Ash, Kent, Big John, Shacho Rob and Mak.
The Course Report
Rob getting ready to smash it down the middle......
The ninth on the Toya Course. Dogleg left Par 4 with short iron down onto the green.
Not the shot we had on the day but shows this course in it's full summer splendour...
Scores/Leaderboard
(Some still to come in)
Ian - Gross 83 Net 76
Wheels - Gross 96 Net 82
Ben H - Gross 87 Net 70
Chris H - Gross 121 Net 83
Kent - Gross 81 Net ??
Big John - Gross 86 Net 80
Shacho Rob - Gross - 87
Mak - Gross 90 Net 74
Ash - ??
Perrin - ??
John Simon - ??
Ben H- Bandit...
We played the Shinzan and Toya Course. Kent insisted we play off the back tees and proceeded to rattle an 8 off the Par 4 first. Still managed a 'Best Gross' 81. Great play. The views were awesome, especially off the 5th, with Lake Toya below. Toya course greens still a little snow burnt and bumpy in places. Niseko Golf Course opens on April 30th.
Photo: Ash
Date: April 20th, 2012
Course: Toya Lake Hills - Shinzan Course only open (played twice)
Weather: Overcast to start and changed to sunny but cool.
Players: Brian Findlay, Chris Holmes, Ian MacKenzie and Ben Harding
Started a little cold on the opening day of Toya Hills, located about 15minutes from the lake. Local journalist took some snapshots of us teeing off.
Only saw two other groups and had the place to ourselves. Still lots of snow in the bunkers but we managed to stay out of them most of the time.
Lake Toya Hills has four 9 hole courses, all of which have superb layouts. The first requires a wood of the tee or if you can thread a driver through the 30 yard gap past the OB on the left and the drop down on the right, go for it. I used a 5 wood and laid up before the snow filled bunkers on the left.
Great course and no one around. Only 5400 yen for 18 holes, friendly staff, fairways in reasonably good condition for this time of year.
They don't use ash on this course to melt the snow so no nasty debris to contend with. Courses closer to Niseko are having to use the 'yusetsuzai' to get the courses open on time.
Two groups booked already for next Wednesday.
Scores
Ian - Gross 80 Net 73
Brian - Gross 96 Net 82
Ben H - Gross 95 Net 78
Chris Holmes - Gross 127 Net 89
The Course Report
The Course Report
Date: April 16th, 2012
Course: Tarumae Country Club
Weather: Overcast and minus several degrees......
Players: Brian Findlay, John Barton, Ian MacKenzie and Ben Harding
Scores
Ian - Gross 86 Net 79
Brian - Gross 92 Net 80
Ben H - Gross 99 Net 82
Big John - Gross 92 Net 86
All players struggled to find feeling in their fingers for most of the round.
BRASS MONKeys!!
We were all duped by the cascading sunshine of Shamrock and thought that Spring had arrived so headed to Tarumae. Host of the Women's open in '07, the course layout is fantastic, bunkers brutal and fairways were firm. Greens still need a little time to grow in but well worth the trip. Ben took his birdie tally to 2 for the season.
The Course Report
Date: April 12th, 2012
Course: Shamrock Country Club in Chitose
Weather: 12 degrees and sunshine.
Players: Brian Findlay, Makoto Begley, John Barton, Ian MacKenzie, Rob Holmes and Ben Harding
Right next to New Chitose airport, this course wasn't the closest to Niseko, but JB had a day pass from the wife who was in Sapporo. 5000 yen per person self play.
The course was built in 1984 and has held numerous amateur championships and has only a staggering 6 metre difference between the lowest and highest points.
Shibuya San in the photo on the left managed 2000 visits to the course since it opened. That gets him a photo in the clubhouse......
Shamrock is 6,872 yards of the back tees. We played an early season mixture of regular and front tees as that was all that was available. Pin positions were easy, greens running slow but true, and rough only a couple of milimetres longer than the fairways which were well cut. Water hazards were all full of snow but was too busy concentrating on playing to take pictures...
Scores
Brian - Gross 79 Net 65 (!!!!!!)
Ben H - Gross 88 Net 70
Big John - Gross 80 Net 74
Me - Gross 81 Net 74
Shacho Rob - Gross 91 Net 77
Mak - Gross 91 Net 77
Brian wins and everyone got rid of their 1 yen coins!
Back Next
Magazine Posts
Table of Contents