Hokkaido River Hill Golf Club

Overview: Hokkaido River Hill Golf Club is a forest course in Uenae, roughly 15 minutes from New Chitose Airport. Its current scorecard is listed at 6,452 yards and par 72, with white birch and larch separating the holes. The official course guide shows a 36-hole par split across the two nines and a layout that uses the existing woodland to frame the landing areas. It is close to the airport, but the playing experience is defined by the trees, not by the nearby runway.

History: Current course information dates River Hill to 1975 and attributes the design to Naoto Sugaya. The club describes more than 50 years of operation and positions the course as one of the long-running airport-area options for both Hokkaido and visiting golfers. The official site also records a continuing emphasis on maintained putting surfaces and a 2026 season, giving the profile a current operating anchor without inventing renovation dates.

Did You Know? The Pankenai River gives the course its name and appears as more than a naming reference. The official hole guide highlights the fourth hole beside the river, where the line includes a dramatic ravine crossing, and notes that salmon still spawn naturally in the river in autumn. That combination of golf hazard and living ecology is a particularly specific part of River Hill's identity.