Kasumigaseki, north-west of Tokyo, will host the world's best players on its Tom Fazio re-designed East Course
Tokyo Olympic Golf Course – Kasumigaseki Country Club
Golf makes its return to the Olympics this year in Tokyo, with the sport taking part in the Games for only the second time since 1904.
Last time out, Rio de Janeiro’s Campo Olimpico de Golfe was specially built for the Games and was designed by renowned architect Gil Hanse.
This year, the host venue is a much older course that dates back to 1929.
Kasumigaseki Country Club, situated to the north-west of Tokyo, is no stranger to hosting the best players in the world.
The club has hosted four Japan Opens, a Japan Women’s Open, two Japan Amateurs, three Japan Women’s Amateurs, the Canada Cup (now known as the World Cup of Golf) and the Asian Amateur.
The 2010 Asian Amateur was won by Hideki Matsuyama, which helped him qualify for the 2011 Masters – where he won the Silver Cup.
Hideki Matsuyama won the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship at Kasumigaseki Country Club. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Hideki is set to be the home favourite and would become even more of a hero in Japan if he could add a Gold Medal to his Green Jacket.
The club is extremely private and was initially a controversial choice for the Olympics as it did not award full membership and playing rights to female members.
However, this policy was changed in 2017 after pressure from the International Olympic Committee.
Kasumigaseki is located 45km from Tokyo city centre and 49km from the Olympic Village.
It has two courses, the West and the East, and it is the East that will host the Games.
The East was opened in 1929 and was designed by Englishman Hugh Alison, who was Harry Colt’s design partner.
It was re-designed in 2016 by Tom and Logan Fazio to bring the course more up to date with the modern game.
The course previously had two greens on many holes but Fazio was tasked with turning them into single greens, resulting in large, undulating putting surfaces.
It measures 7,466 from the back tees with a par of 71.
Watch: Drone tours of Kasumigaseki Country Club’s East Course
As you can see, the East is treelines with large, undulating greens, heavy bunkering and plenty of water.
It is set to test players’ ball striking and especially iron play.
The club’s other course, the West Course, measures 7,117 from the back tees.
The par 73 is not the longest but its challenge comes from treelined holes and lakes and creeks on the back nine.
The course was designed by the renowned Seiichi Inoue, who designed many of Japan’s greatest courses.
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