Golf day in Saitama
A social post from a player at Saitama’s Kingdom Golf Club described a fun round with friends, a personal-best score and sampling local grape wine after play — the post included course photos and earned 51 likes. (x.com)
A golfer’s post about a round at Kingdom Golf Club points to a course in Chichibu, western Saitama, where Tokyo-area players drive out for a full day trip. (kingdomgc.jimdofree.com) Kingdom Golf Club lists its address as 607 Onohara, Arakawa, Chichibu, Saitama, and Rakuten GORA describes it as an 18-hole, par-72 hilly course measuring 6,746 yards. (kingdomgc.jimdofree.com) (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) Rakuten GORA says the layout is built on rolling terrain, with water hazards shaping the 8th and 18th holes and a rock formation looming behind the 7th green. (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) The club opened on April 1, 1999, according to golf-course directories, and it sits more than 31 kilometers from Hanazono Interchange on the Kan-Etsu Expressway. (golf-homepage.com) (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) That helps explain why rounds there often read like small excursions rather than quick city golf. Rakuten GORA says players commonly approach via National Route 299, with the drive from Hanno taking just under 70 minutes. (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) The post’s mention of local grape wine also fits the area. Chichibu Wine, a long-running winery in Saitama, sells wines made from grapes it grows itself and operates a shop in nearby Ogano. (japantravel.navitime.com) Kingdom Golf Club markets more than golf alone. Its official site lists a restaurant, party plans, rentals and a gallery, while Rakuten GORA says the course also offers cart play with Global Positioning System navigation, rental clubs and rental shoes. (kingdomgc.jimdofree.com) (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) The club’s house rules show the pace of play it expects: check in 30 minutes before the start, keep each nine holes to 2 hours and 15 minutes, and do not send beginners out alone. (kingdomgc.jimdofree.com) (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) In that setting, a personal-best score, course photos and a stop for local wine land as a familiar Chichibu formula: one round, one mountain course, and one easy add-on after the 18th hole. (booking.gora.golf.rakuten.co.jp) (japantravel.navitime.com)
