Kitanomori Country Club

Overview: Kitanomori Country Club sits at about 750 metres on the Yatsugatake foothills, where the relatively flat ground is surrounded by views of Yatsugatake, the Southern Alps, Mount Fuji and the Chichibu range. Its 18 holes measure 7,152 yards at par 72, making it one of the longer options in this Yamanashi wave.

History: Kitanomori's published milestones point to a 2006 renewal opening. The club's published milestone is the 2006 renewal opening, when the fairways, greens and tees were re-turfed and the course was refreshed under Yukitada Nakamura's design credit. The present layout combines a 50-metre elevation difference with a large property and a single round that remains more open than steep.

Did You Know? The club advertises a 360-degree mountain panorama. Few course facts do more work than that phrase here, because the surrounding ranges can be read from different parts of the property rather than appearing only behind one signature hole. The 2006 renewal is important because it marks the present version of the course: the same highland setting was refreshed rather than replaced.