2025 Japan Golf Tour
9 Golf Games (With Option to Play Less Games)
17 days/16 nights – 12 to 28 October 2025
AUD 16,500 pp twin share – golfer (AUD 11,000 pp twin share – non golfer)
AUD 33,000 per golfing couple (AUD 27,500 golfer/non golfer couple)
AUD 22,500 for Single Golfer (Own Room)
Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours invites you to join its much-anticipated 2025 Japan Golf Tour. Japan, with over 3,100 golf courses, has significantly more golf courses than any other country excepting the USA. We hope this tour will interest you.
In selecting where to stay and play, our journey concentrates on 4 key golf/tourist regions in central Japan to minimise travelling time and maximise your Japan experience, with ample time for both golf and sightseeing. Our tour begins in the exciting metropolis of Tokyo (4 nights – 2 golf games), then travels to beautiful Hakone where views of Fuji are ever-present (4 nights – 2 golf games). After Hakone, we travel to the Izu Peninsula proper, home of the famous Kawana Golf Resort (3 nights – 2 golf games) to finally conclude with Lake Biwa, 30 minutes from downtown Kyoto (5 nights – 3 golf games).
In between golf, we have 3 days of dedicated guided touring 3 leisurely travelling days. All 4 hotels are 4/5 star and in each, we have selected upgraded room categories to ensure an acceptable room size of 35-40 sqm (large in Japan).
While daily breakfast, 4 lunches and 2 dinners are included, we have left plenty of opportunities for you to enjoy evenings out at the many restaurants available in each area. Much of the fun of Japan is exploring the local areas in the evening and picking out your preferred restaurants – tourists are significantly assisted by accurate window displays of the cuisine and menu options. You will be encouraged to join your hosts in finding interesting dining options near your hotel. Outside of hotels, dining out in Japan is not expensive and offers good value.
Autumn is stunning in Japan, and we have selected an attractive collection of beautiful golf courses – among the best in the 4 regions where we will stay – to increase your enjoyment. Each is generally located within one hour of our hotel or in the case of Kawana, a short walk from the hotel. The two Seta courses are only 15 minutes from our base at Lake Biwa. Most are either private members golf courses with specially negotiated access rights or in the case of Kawana and Lake Biwa, usually only playable in conjunction with a stay at the onsite/associated hotel. You can expect high-end golf on immaculately conditioned courses with excellent club house facilities.
Golf in Japan is generally quite a unique experience when compared with golf in Australia. It is usually with caddies, mostly with a compulsory break for lunch after 9 holes (about 1 hour) and the possibility of a relaxing soak in the onsite onsen after play. On most courses, we have been able to secure 2 tee starts so a typical day will start with the first tee off at 9.45, 60 minutes stop for lunch after 9 holes, play the final 9 holes and then time for a shower or bath, and drinks.
Unless you prefer to walk, we have hired motorised carts at all golf courses. Motorised carts differ from what you are used to as they take all 4 x golfers plus golf clubs and your caddie, i.e. one caddy per 4 players. Your caddie will provide advice on distances and course management. On some courses, the carts must stay on the cart paths, and she will select, collect, deliver and return your golf clubs between you and the cart. With one cart between 4 golfers, you will walk further than if travelling in the more familiar 2 golfer cart.
Trendsetter has included the cost for all caddies, motorised carts, lunches and all drinks. Gratuities are not customary and are not expected.
As with all Trendsetter Travel golf tours, the primary focus is on golf. However, we do offer you the flexibility to elect to play fewer than the scheduled 9 games (in advance of final payment), with an equitable pricing adjustment.
In three of the four locations, we have included a break from golf with a scheduled day of guided sightseeing to include key local attractions. Each of these touring days (9 am to 4 pm) will be broken up with an included lunch and beverages, typically at a local Japanese restaurant. All our included group lunches and dinners will generally be Japanese cuisine (we will check menu preferences prior). There is plenty of choice in Japan, and on the nights when dinner is independent of the tour, the hotel and/or Adrienne will recommend local restaurants. An alternative is to dine out with your two hosts as they explore and locate interesting Japanese restaurants.
All travel will be by coach with our luggage/golf clubs transferred by a luggage van between hotels.
We believe our Japanese tour differs from those offered by other Australian golf operators in that it concentrates on high end Japanese golf, provides accommodation in large rooms at some of the best available hotels and offers a fine balance of golfing and sightseeing time. Importantly, as Adrienne has lived in Japan and speaks very acceptable Japanese, you have 24/7 assistance on tap (except when she is asleep).
Including your 2 hosts, the tour is strictly limited to a maximum of 36 golfers (unlimited non-golfing partners are welcome) and is guaranteed to operate, there being no minimum number of guests.
Your tour leaders are Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper, both Directors and Co-Owners of Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours. Both are enthusiastic golfers and longstanding members of one of Sydney’s most prestigious golf clubs. They have golfed extensively throughout the world (including 3 golfing visits to Japan) and have jointly hosted over 40 international golf tours arranged by Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours.
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
We know that many of our guests prefer to holiday for 4-5 weeks and include a cruise as part of their journey. To that end, we have purposely designed our Trendsetter Travel Golf Tour of Japan to fit neatly between 2 luxury cruise ship options.
Immediately prior to our golf tour, Silverseas’ Silver Moon (up to 600 guests) will be cruising Tokyo to Tokyo 02/12 October 2025 on an itinerary that incorporates sailing via central Japan, through the beautiful Inland Sea to the southern regions of Japan. See: https://www.silversea.com/destinations/asia-cruise/tokyo-to-tokyo-mo251002010.html
Alternatively, following the golf tour, we recommend you consider Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Regent Explorer (up to 750 guests) also cruising Tokyo to Tokyo 28 October/08 November. See: https://www.rssc.com/cruises/EXP251028/summary.
Both cruises are luxury focused, inclusive of one shore excursion per day (Silversea) or unlimited as the cruise allows (Regent), as well as all meals (Regent) and 6 of 8 restaurants (Silversea), all beverages, barista coffee, wi-fi and more. Staterooms are beautifully appointed with walk in robes, bath and freestanding showers and luxe amenities. Regent offers complimentary laundry to all guests, while Silversea extends that privilege to Venetian Society guests with a minimum of 100 days cruising on its ships. First time guests on Silversea can qualify for an AUD 650/room discount and repeat Silversea guests receive a 5% discount. In addition, as a benefit of our group booking, all Silversea guests receive a USD 300/stateroom onboard credit. Regent guests receive a USD 400/stateroom ship board credit as a benefit of being part of our group allocation.
Should you wish to decide to do either of these cruises, Trendsetter Travel will be pleased to offer AUD 500 pp discount on your total package. Please ask for pricing details which include various promotional incentives offered by Silversea and Regent.
Itinerary
Sunday 12 October 2025 – Tokyo – Prince Park Tower Hotel
Make your own way to Prince Park Tower Hotel in Tokyo. This 5-star high rise hotel spread over 33 floors, takes its name from the nearby iconic Tokyo Tower. It is the flagship hotel of the Prince Hotels chain and a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
Your stay will be in either a Panoramic King (38 sqm) or Panoramic Corner King Room (37 sqm), the leading room categories within this hotel.
Tonight, you will meet your fellow tour companions over drinks and welcome tour dinner.
Accommodation: Prince Park Tower Hotel (4 nights) including breakfast daily
Monday 13 October 2025 – Tokyo – Prince Park Tower Hotel - Golf at Gary Player Course – Manna Country Club
For our 1st golf game, we travel a little over 60 minutes east of our hotel, with much of the drive around Tokyo Bay, to play the Gary Player Course at the Manna Country Club (1996). The course is described as offering thrilling features for visiting golfers, such as a downhill par-4 hole that overlooks Kujukuri seashore and a par-3 hole with red sand waste areas on both sides (refer image right). Importantly, the course is so well drained that passenger golf carts are allowed on the fairways all year round. We think this is a great course to start our tour with Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours having played many memorable Gary Player designed courses throughout the world, most recently in South Africa.
Tuesday 14 October 2025 – Tokyo – Day of Touring
Today, we have a dedicated guided tour of Tokyo (9 am to 4 pm) including a cruise on Tokyo Bay. Your included lunch (including drinks) will be on the cruise. Tokyo City has a population of circa 15 million but the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area has over 40 million, the largest populated area in the world. Tokyo, and its port city of Yokohama have been built around Tokyo Bay.
Wednesday 15 October 2025 – Tokyo – Prince Park Tower Hotel – Golf – The Country Club, Japan
Our drive to The Country Club, Japan (1988) includes a scenic 2 km drive over the Rainbow Suspension Bridge, across Tokyo Bay. Today we visit one of Tokyo’s most prestigious golf clubs, famous for its impressive club rooms, immaculately presented golf course and extensive practice facilities. Caddies are compulsory.
Thursday 16 October 2025 – Tokyo/Hakone – Indigo Hotel
We have a late morning 90-to-120-minute transfer (92 km) to Hotel Indigo in Hakone, our base for the next 4 nights. Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park which is famous for its hot springs, natural beauty and views of Mount Fuji. It is also famous for its many fine golf courses of which we will play two of those courses.Hotel Indigo is a 4 ½ star property, a member of the Intercontinental Hotels group and one of the leading hotels in the Hakone region. Our tour will be accommodated in Deluxe King Riverside rooms (38 sqm) with private open-air bath and separate shower.
Accommodation: Indigo Hotel (4 nights) including breakfast daily
Friday 17 October 2025 – Hakone – Indigo Hotel – Golf - Fuji Kagosaka Golf Club
Today, we play Fuji Kagosaka Golf Club (1961), a semi-private club featuring 36 holes across two courses: the Fuji and the Kagosaka courses. Both golf courses were fully renovated in 2021.
We will play the Fuji Course (not to be confused with the Fuji Course at Kawana), known for its strategic layout and well-maintained greens. Located at 850 metres above sea level, it is also one of the closest courses to Mt Fuji with breath taking views.
Saturday 18 October 2025 – Hakone – Indigo Hotel – Guided Tour
Today we have a full day guided tour of the Hakone region, with included lunch and drinks.
Sunday 19 October 2025 – Hakone – Indigo Hotel – Golf – Dai-Hakone Golf Club
Today we enjoy a short 15-minute coach transfer to Dai-Hakone Golf Club (1954), annual host of the Japanese LPGA event sponsored by Caterpillar. With a layout offering beautifully landscaped fairways and strategic bunkering, this is nevertheless a very challenging course.
Monday 20 October 2025 – Hakone – Kawana – Kawana Hotel
Late this morning, we will transfer south to the Izu Peninsula and our home for 3 nights, the iconic Prince Kawana Hotel (63 km – 90 minutes), the hotel located adjacent to the famous Fuji Golf Course. While we have requested king bedrooms (of which there are only a few), we have booked the large 40.5 sqm Ocean View Superior Twin (refer image of both room and floor plan). With floor plan, note that the shower is beside the bath, it is not shown as a unique cubicle. This is standard for most Japanese hotels.
While built in 1936, the Kawana Hotel has been modernized many times since. Fast fact: in 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio spent two nights at Kawana Hotel during their honeymoon.
This is perhaps the most famous Japanese golf resort and staying at the hotel is the only way we can play the Fuji Course, consistently ranked in the world’s top 100 golf courses and one of the top 2 golf courses in all Japan. The resort offers a second course, the Oshima Course, which while less famous, is an enjoyable counterpoint to the Fuji Course. Both courses offer stunning ocean views.
The Fuji course was designed by Hugh Alison and opened in 1936. It follows an undulating path along the coast with one magnificent view after another – the course is built above the cliffs overlooking the coast – and on a clear day you will be able to sight Mount Fuji, as you might expect from its name.
Hugh Alison was one of the three partners of Colt, Alison & Morrison Ltd, the British golf course architecture firm formed in 1928, and a prolific player in golf design throughout the 1930s until the start of the Second World War. With his partners Harry Colt and John Morrision, this firm was then arguably the most famous of all architectural firms and designed over 300 golf courses in every continent where golf is played.
Alison visited Japan in the early 1930s and was responsible for the design and build of a number of golf courses in this country, and is still viewed as the father of golf in Japan. Two of his designs, Hirono and Fuji, continue to be ranked as the two top courses in Japan and consistently rank in the top 100 golf courses in the world. To highlight the significance of the Colt/Alison/Morrison partnership, the firm designed the world’s # 1 golf course in Pine Valley and is responsible for designing 2 of the top 3 ranked European golf courses.
Dining is independent on all 3 nights at Kawana with the resort offering a number of dining options. There is also an Italian restaurant a short walking distance of the hotel.
Accommodation: Kawana Hotel (3 nights) including breakfast daily
Tuesday 21 October 2025 – Kawana Hotel - Golf
Today we play the Oshima Golf Course (1928), the 12th oldest golf course in Japan and a course which pre-dates the Fuji course. This is a fine opportunity for you to hone your golf game in preparation for the Fuji Course tomorrow. This course allows self-drive, through play golf i.e. with no compulsory lunch stop or caddy. You should be able to drive on most fairways. We have been accorded a 2-tee mid-morning start for this course.
Wednesday 22 October 2025 – Kawana Hotel - Golf
Today, assisted by compulsory caddies, we will experience the Fuji Course. While you are encouraged to walk with the caddy, we have arranged golf carts for those who are unable, or prefer not, to walk the course. When last we played here there was a halfway house where we enjoyed a short stop for lunch and refreshments (similar to what you would experience in Australia) but this is essentially also a through-play golf course. For those with carts, the carts can only be driven by your caddie, and we assume the carts can drive on the fairways. We have been accorded a 2-tee mid-morning start for this course. After golf, the hotel offers an excellent club style main bar lobby area which is an excellent area to rest up after your golf games.
Thursday 23 October 2025 – Kawana – Otsu - Lake Biwa Hotel
Today is our only long coach transfer which will take around 5 hours depending upon traffic conditions. We will break our drive with lunch (included) approximately midway to Lake Biwa in Otsu. Due to congestion issues within Kyoto and a desire to minimise driving distances to golf, we are staying at Prince Lake Biwa Hotel, 30 mins from downtown Kyoto. Our accommodation is in Sky View Double rooms (36 sqm), located on level 32 to provide stunning views of Lake Biwa, and beyond. Staying at this hotel has provided us access to the two Seta golf courses.
Accommodation: Prince Lake Biwa (5 nights) including breakfast daily
Friday 24 October 2025 – Otsu – Lake Biwa Hotel - Golf
Today we play the Seta Golf Club, comprising three 18-hole golf courses and part of the Prince Group, owners of the Lake Biwa Hotel. Our game today is on the North Course, home to the annual USLPGA event played in Japan. Our 15-minute transfer to the North Course will be provided by Lake Biwa Hotel with our golf clubs transferred the prior evening. We have a two tee start from 9.38 am with an hour for lunch after 9 holes. We will all play with motorised carts assisted by a caddie. Provided weather conditions are acceptable, golf carts are allowed on fairways.
Saturday 25 October 2025 – Otsu – Lake Biwa Hotel – Guided Tour
Today enjoy a guided Highlights of Kyoto with included Japanese lunch with beverages.
Sunday 26 October 2025 – Otsu - Lake Biwa Hotel – Golf (Optional) – Kansai Country Club
Today’s golf is at the Kansai Country Club, a course which has previously hosted the Japan Golf Open. Highlighted holes include the challenging par-5 12th, known for its strategic bunkering and water hazards, and the scenic par-3 16th, requiring precise shot-making over water to a well-guarded green.
While this game (as with all 9 games on the tour) is included in the tour price, those, who wish to have extra sightseeing time in Kyoto, could consider opting out of this game.
Monday 27 October 2025 – Kyoto – Lake Biwa Hotel – Golf – East Course – Seta Golf Club
Today we return to Seta Golf Club and play the East Course, again with transfers provided by the hotel. We play with carts but without caddies and the buggies must remain on the cart paths.
Tonight we have our final group drinks and farewell dinner. We plan to book a private room at the Lake Biwa Hotel.
Tuesday 28 October 2025 - Kyoto – Tour Conclusion
Today, after breakfast, we say sayonara as our Japan Golf Tour concludes. From Kyoto, there are a range of transfer options involving flights or bullet train back to Tokyo or elsewhere for onward travel.
PRICING, TERMS & CONDITIONS
Inclusions
- Meals as specified to include breakfast daily and welcome/farewell dinners and substantial lunches on our 3 days of guided tours and one long coach transfer;
- 9 games of golf as specified with green fees, lunches/drinks (where lunch stops are compulsory), carts, post golf drinks and prize money and caddies where available;
- Coach transfers to and from golf courses, between hotels and otherwise where specified;
Cost of Tour
- The full cost of the tour is AUD 16,500 per golfer and AUD 11,000 for a non-golfer on a twin share basis (AUD 33,000 per golfing couple/pair – AUD 27,500 per golfer/non golfer couple/pair).
- For single golfers, the full tour cost is AUD 22,500.
- If you elect to miss any of the 9 golf games, you must advise us before final payment is due to receive an equitable adjustment in the tour price. After that date, refunds are not possible as our golf games will have been pre-paid.
- A non-refundable deposit of AUD 10,000 per couple/pair or AUD 7,000 for single guests is required at the time of booking. If for whatever reason you elect to cancel from the tour, we will refund 80% of your deposit payment subject to a replacement guest/s being found.
- The non-refundable balance of payment will be due in full by 10 June 2025. If the AUD/YEN rate falls below 100 at that date, Trendsetter Travel will make an upwards pricing adjustment to the tour price (but only in relation to the final tour payment). Conversely, if the AUD/YEN rate exceeds 110 on this date, an equitable reduction in the final tranche of the tour price will result.
- Payment may be made as follows:
Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre Pty Ltd
ANZ Bank – Client Account
BSB – 012 003
Account – 8334 12763
or by credit card using the following link: http://pay.travelpay.com.au/trendset
Insurance
- Comprehensive insurance is strongly recommended – and is recommended at the time of deposit to fully protect your payments in the unfortunate event of cancellation. Please ensure you are covered for any pre-existing illnesses.
Special Conditions
- Tee times have been booked at all golf courses. In the unlikely event that a golf course subsequently advises that play is no longer possible, we expect to book a replacement course of a similar standard.
- In paying your deposit, you are deemed to have accepted the above terms and conditions.
For further information, please contact either David Cooper by email david@trendsettertravel.com.au, on mobile 0413 010 638, or Adrienne Witteman adrienne@trendsettertravel.com.au, or 0413 010 639.
