This is a big course by Japanese standards. The average hole is around 90 yards, with 2 or three well over 100 yards in length. If that is not long enough for you, especially on the back nine there are many holes where you can just decide a tee position further back. In general, the front nine holes are tighter and more technical than the back, with both 8 and 9 being short shots over water to a pin on the right--good holes for forehand players, tough for backhand only shooters. The location of this course is awesome: in a huge national park in the middle of the ocean off Fukuoka; the park has many amenities like bathrooms, restaurants, a big ferris wheel, etc. The course is located in the "big grass area" in the middle of the park past the ferris wheel--next to number one tee is a small snack bar that sells food, drinks, and also rents frisbees for a few bucks per round.

There is zero awareness of disc golf in Japan, and the visitors to this park have no idea when they are walking or picnicking in the middle of a hole--the fact that the course features no warning signs of any kind makes the situation worse. So, you have to really watch out for people--this situation is even more severe on weekends, especially during spring and fall, when the park is busy. The only other major negative feature--one shared by almost every course in Japan--is that there are no cement tee pads. What you will find near the excellent course signs at each tee area are simulated logs bolted into the grass--maybe only 2 or 3 feet long. Players here throw from behind or to the side of these markers, but since they really don't do much, as I mentioned above you can easily just move back 10 or 20 yards to make the holes longer as you like. Most of the park is nicely mowed lawn, so you can get a decent run up for your shot most of the time.

Most American players I know are only aware of the Japan Open played outside of Tokyo, but there are many cool places to visit in Japan, and Fukuoka is one of the best. Think of a coastal city about the size of Seattle with great beaches and much lower prices than Tokyo. While this course is probably only of average quality when compared to many american courses, in Japan it is a four star course, and many say it is the best in the country. In fact, I am moving to Fukuoka this April just so I can play it regularly!