6 Day Hokkaido Golf Itinerary
Hokkaido is Japan's great summer golf secret, an island of cool, clean air, birch and oak forests and volcano framed fairways where the courses sit empty by the standards of the crowded mainland. This six day plan runs from the Chitose and Sapporo heartland out to the Niseko ski country, pairing a Jack Nicklaus championship layout and an Isao Aoki design with historic Otaru and the spectacular golf below Mount Yotei. Here is the week, with indicative 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: Hokkaido Classic Golf Club, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the trip for the golfer who has done the obvious Japan rounds and wants something cooler, quieter and more scenic, or for the group pairing golf with the food, the onsen and the wide open landscapes of the north. It suits players of every standard, since Hokkaido's courses are generous and walkable, and it works beautifully as a summer escape from the heat and crowds of Tokyo and Honshu. Add a couple of nongolf days for Sapporo, the Niseko hot springs and the seafood, and six days here feel like a genuine adventure rather than a course crawl.
The two things that shape the trip are the season and the car. Hokkaido golf runs only through the snow free summer half of the year, so time the trip for the warm, settled months, and hire a car at New Chitose Airport, because the courses are spread across the southwest of the island and driving is the easy way to link them. Get those right and the week flows naturally from the Chitose forests to the volcano country in the west.
The 6 day plan
Hokkaido Classic Golf Club
Open with the island's signature championship course, a Jack Nicklaus design from 1991 inspired by his own Muirfield Village, a par 72 of about 7,059 yards carved through oak forest on gently rolling land. Polished, strategic and consistently rated among Japan's best, it is forty five minutes from the airport, which makes it the perfect first round at an indicative 18,000 to 28,000 yen. Base near Chitose or Sapporo for the first half of the week.
The North Country Golf Club
Stay in the Chitose area for the course designed by Japanese great Isao Aoki, a long, handsome parkland layout that has hosted professional tournament golf and offers a real test from the back tees. Wide and welcoming yet rewarding good ball striking, it is an ideal second day at an indicative 12,000 to 22,000 yen, a short drive from your Chitose base and close to the airport corridor.
Otaru Country Club
Move toward the coast for one of Hokkaido's most historic and prestigious clubs, founded in the late 1920s on rolling ground above the sea near Otaru, with views over Ishikari Bay and a classic, traditional feel. Access at the private members clubs can need an introduction, which we arrange, or we substitute a fine Sapporo course. A memorable round at an indicative 18,000 to 30,000 yen, about an hour from Sapporo.
Katsura Golf Club
Spend the day on a refined Sapporo area parkland, an expansive, immaculately kept course set in native forest with bent grass from tee to green and the kind of conditioning Hokkaido is quietly famous for. A relaxed, beautiful round and a chance to enjoy the city in the evening, at an indicative 12,000 to 20,000 yen. Shift your base west tonight or in the morning for the final leg.
Niseko Village Golf
Drive southwest to the Niseko ski region for golf with a view, an Arnold Palmer course threaded through white birch with the perfect cone of Mount Yotei filling the skyline. The summer side of a famous winter resort, it pairs scenic, enjoyable golf with hot springs and mountain air, at an indicative 10,000 to 18,000 yen, around two hours from Sapporo. Stay in Niseko for the last two nights.
Rusutsu Resort Golf
Finish at Hokkaido's largest golf resort, where multiple courses ramble over rolling terrain framed by Mount Yotei and the surrounding peaks, a fun, scenic close to the trip with plenty of variety across the holes. Relaxed and good value at an indicative 9,000 to 16,000 yen, it is about thirty minutes from Niseko and the perfect final round before the run back to New Chitose Airport.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Classic | Around 18,000 to 28,000 yen | About 45 minutes from New Chitose Airport |
| The North Country | Around 12,000 to 22,000 yen | Chitose; short drive from Hokkaido Classic |
| Otaru Country Club | Around 18,000 to 30,000 yen | About 1 hour from Sapporo; introduction may be needed |
| Katsura (Sapporo area) | Around 12,000 to 20,000 yen | Greater Sapporo; relocate west after |
| Niseko Village | Around 10,000 to 18,000 yen | About 2 hours southwest; Mount Yotei views |
| Rusutsu Resort | Around 9,000 to 16,000 yen | About 30 minutes from Niseko |
Green fees and drive times verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and golf travel listings; they vary by date and season and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a Hokkaido base.
When to go and where to stay
Play Hokkaido between late spring and mid autumn, with July to September the warmest and most settled window and the rounds famously cool compared with the heat of mainland Japan, and late September into October bringing spectacular autumn color. The courses close under snow through the long ski winter, so this is strictly a summer trip. Base near Chitose or Sapporo for the first half, then move to Niseko for the final two nights, and hire a car at the airport, since the roads are excellent and quiet and a car is the easiest way to link the courses. A driver guide is a simple upgrade for a group. Always confirm rates, opening dates and availability before booking.
Plan your 6 day Hokkaido golf trip
We book the Hokkaido Classic and North Country tee times, arrange access to the historic clubs, sequence the move out to Niseko and Rusutsu, and sort the car, the ryokan stays and the onsen so the week runs itself. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Hokkaido itinerary questions
What is the best 6 day golf itinerary in Hokkaido?
A six day trip runs from the Chitose and Sapporo area out to the Niseko ski country. Open at the Jack Nicklaus Hokkaido Classic, play Isao Aoki's North Country at Chitose, the historic Otaru Country Club and a polished Sapporo parkland, then finish with the volcano framed golf at Niseko and Rusutsu. The cool summer climate and forested, mountain backed courses make Hokkaido one of Asia's most rewarding golf trips. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
When can you play golf in Hokkaido?
Hokkaido golf is a summer pursuit. The season runs roughly from late April or May to October, with courses closed under snow through the long ski winter. July to September gives the warmest, most settled weather and famously cool, comfortable rounds compared with the heat of mainland Japan, while the autumn color in late September and October is spectacular. Always confirm current opening dates and tee times before booking.
How much does golf cost in Hokkaido?
Green fees in Hokkaido are good value by international standards, with most resort and daily fee courses falling roughly in the 10,000 to 28,000 yen range per round in peak 2026, often including a cart, and a sit down lunch is a customary part of the day. Marquee courses such as the Hokkaido Classic sit at the upper end and the prestigious private clubs more again. These are indicative figures that vary by date, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
How do you get around Hokkaido for golf?
Fly into New Chitose Airport near Sapporo and hire a car, since the courses are spread across the southwest of the island and a car is by far the easiest way to link them. Roads are excellent and quiet, the Chitose and Sapporo courses are close together, and Niseko and Rusutsu are around two hours southwest. A driver guide is an easy upgrade for a group. Always confirm rates and availability before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.