Naruo Golf Club

Overview: Naruo Golf Club sits in the rolling hills of Hyogo Prefecture, where C.H. Alison's work is expressed through deep bunkers, narrow playing corridors, natural ravines and small elevated greens. The course rewards accurate positioning and a controlled approach, with the grain and texture of its korai turf adding another layer to putting and short-game decisions. Its parkland appearance can be deceptive: the scale of the targets keeps the design exacting even when the holes are not long by modern standards.

History: Naruo's story reaches back to the Yokoya Golf Association, founded in 1904, and the Naruo Golf Association formed in 1914. Naruo Golf Club was established in 1920, and the club expanded its course history through a move from the Naruo waterfront to the Inagawa site in 1930. In 1931, Alison recommended changes to the new course, adding the deep bunkering and strategic character associated with his work in Japan. The club has preserved that connection through generations of play.

Did You Know? Naruo was a participant in the early organisation of Japanese golf, helping establish the Japan Golf Association in 1924 and the Kansai Golf Union in 1926. The course therefore carries two kinds of heritage at once: Alison's architectural influence on the present hills layout and the club's role in building the institutions of Japanese golf.