Japan's northern island is one of the world's great undiscovered golf regions, with cool summers, vast birch and conifer forests, volcanic backdrops and championship courses by Jack Nicklaus and Robert Trent Jones Jr. These are the seven best courses in Hokkaido, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play them.
Photograph: Hokkaido Classic Golf Club, via Google.
Hokkaido golf is different from the rest of Japan. The summers are cool and clear, the land is wide open, and the courses run through forest, across volcanic plateaus and under big northern skies, with the conditioning and service that make Japanese golf such a pleasure. We judged these courses on the quality of the design, the conditioning, the playing experience and the setting, and we leaned toward the layouts a visiting golfer can realistically get on as part of a trip.
Every fact here, from designers to opening years and tournament history, was checked at the time of writing. The order is our editors' view, so reasonable golfers will reshuffle the top few, and the gap between the leaders is small. Most of these courses cluster within reach of New Chitose airport and the Tomakomai, Chitose and Niseko areas, which makes a multi course Hokkaido trip straightforward to build. If you want these arranged into a costed Japan golf itinerary, that is exactly what our concierge does.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts verified at publication. How we research and review.
Our top pick and the island's flagship. A Jack Nicklaus Signature design opened in 1991, which Nicklaus said he shaped in the image of his own Muirfield Village, carved through birch and conifer forest with broad, strategic fairways and beautifully contoured greens. It is the most complete championship test in Hokkaido and a genuinely memorable round in a serene northern setting.
An exceptional forest course carved from conifer woodland and native lakes near Tomakomai, the Nispa is a par 72 of around 7,029 yards and the pick of Nidom's 45 holes. It has hosted the Japan PGA Match Play, the Japan Senior Open and a Japan LPGA championship, and the combination of tournament pedigree, bent grass greens and total seclusion makes it a standout.
An elegant Robert Trent Jones Jr design near Chitose that opened in 1993 and regularly hosts Japan LPGA events such as the Nitori Ladies. Strategic, well bunkered and immaculately presented, it is a polished, big match course that pairs naturally with Hokkaido Classic and Nidom on a Tomakomai and Chitose golf trip.
Hokkaido Golf Club offers two contrasting eighteens, and the Lion Course is the one to seek out, drawing on Scottish links ideas with undulating rough and mounding that play firm and fast in summer. Its sister Eagle Course is a more classic American parkland, so the club is a fine two round stop for a group that wants variety in a single visit.
Set in the famous Niseko resort area beneath Mount Yotei, this Arnold Palmer design trades on one of the great golf backdrops in Japan, with the volcano filling the view from holes across the property. It is a scenic, enjoyable mountain round and a natural golf addition to a Niseko stay built around food, hot springs and the outdoors.
A long, well regarded championship course in the Chitose area that has hosted Japan LPGA tour events, with generous landing areas, strong par 4s and the cool, clear Hokkaido air that makes summer golf here such a pleasure. A solid, satisfying big course test that slots easily into a Chitose based itinerary.
The summer face of the well known ski resort, Rusutsu spreads multiple courses across rolling, forested mountain terrain with wide views and a full resort behind them. The golf is fun and scenic rather than fierce, and the hotel, spa and family facilities make it the most turnkey golf stay on the list for a relaxed few days.
Designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized golf databases. Hokkaido Classic is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design; Katsura is by Robert Trent Jones Jr; Niseko is an Arnold Palmer design. Access and rates change by season, so always confirm directly before booking. Looking for tee times? Check availability and book a round.
| Course | Setting | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Classic | Forest, near Tomakomai | The marquee Nicklaus round |
| Nidom Classic | Conifer forest and lakes | Tournament pedigree and seclusion |
| Katsura | Parkland, near Chitose | An LPGA venue in fine condition |
| Niseko | Beneath Mount Yotei | The scenery and a resort stay |
| Rusutsu | Mountain resort | A relaxed, turnkey golf break |
A shorthand only; tell us your dates and group and we will match the courses to you.
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and which courses you have your heart set on, and a concierge will secure the tee times, build the itinerary around the food and hot springs and cost it to the head, with no obligation.
Hokkaido Classic Golf Club is our top pick, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design opened in 1991 that Nicklaus shaped in the image of his own Muirfield Village. The forest course at Nidom Classic and the Robert Trent Jones Jr design at Katsura lead the chasing group.
Yes. Most of the leading Hokkaido courses welcome visiting golfers with advance booking, and many are attached to resorts that make access straightforward. A local agent or golf operator can secure tee times and arrange transfers, which is the easy way to play several courses on one trip.
The Hokkaido golf season runs roughly from May to October, with the cool, clear summer from June to September the prime window. Winter is deep ski season when courses close, so plan golf for the warmer months and pair it with Hokkaido's food, hot springs and scenery.
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years and tournament history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.