Date: 15/11/2011    Reviewed by: ChrisJP

Date played: Sunday, November 13th 2011

Kitsuregawa CC is a rather large "facility" (3 x 9 holes), that offers a good alternative to the "cozy" atmosphere that I've enjoyed in the 4 different courses I've so far had a chance to play.
Metallic's cabinets are doubling as dividers into the windowless unique llocker room. No real "clubhouse" downstairs, but a cafeteria looking like any shopping mall food-court, offering limited food and beverage, with single view on the cart parking. At least you won't miss your tee-time. There's a large dinning room upstairs, and several party room.
Add to this portrait a rather nice Rotenburo (outside bath) and you can now picture Kitsuregawa CCas a Japanese Ryokan with a golf course.

Fairways are large and rather flat, green were slow, rather flat as well and dirty (sand, lot of impediments), probably from the heavy rain 2 days before. Nothing to rave about the holes (playedSouth & East), few water hazards but also few OB area.
We were authorized to drive the cart on the fairway starting 10:00 AM which I can enjoy more than just pushing a button. Thought we had the usual hole description available, the extra info with the pin position on the green was missing for both 9.

Staffs were not as pleasant as you could hope in Japan, which is quite a surprise.
Make sure that you speak some Japanese because you can't get any English help. When I call the clubhouse to let them know that I had lost not 1 but 3 (!!) clubs, nobody could speak English. When you're done, you pay at the automated machine, which I don't find very customer friendly.

Believe me; I had a wonderful time, partially because this was a completely new experience, but mainly thanks to the people I was playing with. This event was a friendly competition organized by my colleagues (we were 18) and we had a lot of fun!
This being said, I would not return on my own, because for 11.000 JPY (Sunday), there are several nicer courses with friendly staff & cozy atmosphere surrounding Tokyo, that are best at meeting my expectations.

PS: didn't go to the practice but HAD to give a rating for some reasons, so gave an average score.