Golden Valley Golf Club

The Golden Valley Golf Club is located in Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. The location is the calm valley of the hilly area, 10 km from Takinoyashiro IC of the Chugoku Expressway. This course was designed by world-renowned master, Robert Trent Jones Jr. and he uses creeks flowing in three directions from the clubhouse skillfully. In the 18 holes, 16 holes have creeks and ponds, and these are beautiful but difficult. The green is large and the difficulty is depending on the pin placement. In 2014, the 82nd Japan Golf Championship was held.

The 1st hole is a par-5 downhill with dogleg to the left. It is the difficult hole because there is a creek on the left side of the fairway. As it is the long hole, you should better keep the right side to get a par. The 2nd par-4 hole has a creek on the left side and the fairway is greatly undulating. This hole also keeping the right side is important. The 3rd hole par-3 is quite difficult because there is a large pond continue to the side of the green. You should better keep the right side also in this hole. The 5th hole par-4 has a creek flowing on the left side and it crosses the fairway in front of the green. You should be careful because the fairway has bumps and dents and it is easy to make mistakes. The 11th par-5 hole has a creek on the right side and it is flows across the fairway from the second shot point to the green. As the course is bent to the left from in front 30 yards of the green, you should better aim the green with the big club. The 13th par-4 hole has a distance of 469 yards. The distance and the direction is important because the fairway bent toward the creek on the left side. The 18th hole is a beautiful par-5 hole that has ponds at both of the first shot point and the second shot point. Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s philosophy “Danger and Reward” is expressed in this hole and he said that this hole is more tough than the 18th hole of Pebble Beach.