Gotemba, Japan: A picturesque hillside venue at the foot of Mount Fuji, Taiheiyo Club Gotemba is the flagship course among the Taiheiyo Club’s stable of 18 and will play host to the 15th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
The region’s premier championship is returning to Japan this week for the first time since 2010, when Hideki Matsuyama triumphed on home soil at Kasumigaseki Golf Club near Tokyo.
Gotemba is situated 100 kilometres to the southwest of Japan’s capital and has previously hosted showpiece events, perhaps most notably the 2001 World Cup of Golf, which saw South African duo Ernie Els and Retief Goosen come out on top.
That competition is also remembered for a moment of Tiger Woods magic that stands out even amid his remarkable collection.
The 15-time Major champion was playing alongside David Duval and the pair needed an eagle at the par-five 18th to force a play-off, which was achieved when Woods expertly chipped in from off the green to the delight and amazement of those watching on.
Gotemba underwent renovations in 2018, overseen by Rees Jones, with Matsuyama among those to take on a consultancy role – the first course design project the 2021 Masters champion and two-time AAC winner has been involved in.
The course, originally designed in 1977, was developed to make it more challenging – the 2016 and 2017 Taiheiyo Masters having been won by a combined score of 41-under-par, including Matsuyama shooting 23-under on his way to lifting the trophy for a second time eight years ago.
Length was not increased significantly but bunkers were altered, new ones added, greenside ponds reconfigured, and a selection of trees removed, opening up the picture-postcard views of Fuji – particularly prevalent when walking up the fifth fairway – and increasing the greens’ exposure to sunlight.
Winning scores in the Taiheiyo Masters, an event previously won by the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, have reduced in recent years, while members are also said to be enjoying the fresh challenge offered by the redesign.
As Woods showed in 2001, there is potential for dramatic late twists at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, with a par-three 17th followed by a par-five to conclude a round on a course where level par sits at 72.
The penultimate hole is one of the highlights. Measuring 228 yards from the championship tees, with the wind drifting down the hill from the Fuji summit, the green is surrounded by a signature pond and several precariously placed bunkers.
The 18th then offers tantalising eagle opportunities which not only Woods has made the most of. The 2020 Taiheiyo Masters saw Jinichiro Kozuma nail an approach from 230 yards that settled inches away from the cup and set up a routine putt for eagle, enough for him to come out on top by one shot in a congested leaderboard.
Bubba Watson is among those to have been enchanted by Gotemba’s magical fairways. The American, a two-time Masters champion who is a member at the club, said: “Whenever I visit Japan, I head straight for Taiheiyo Club Gotemba and tee up. It’s my course away from home.”
Jones, meanwhile, who has been involved in designing or redesigning more than 225 courses, is pleased with the way the venue now plays following the renovations.
“The bunkers are properly placed, playable and pleasing to the eye,” he said.
“Golfers of all standards can find an appropriate tee to play from. Greens hold a well-executed shot and the various challenges around the greens are intriguing. The tree-lined fairways at Gotemba give the holes definition, and each hole has its own unique challenge.
“The real reward for a golf course architect after completion of a major remodelling project is universal acceptance of the work from once-sceptical members. That has occurred at Gotemba – I am now an honorary member of the Taiheiyo Club. For me that is quite a tribute.”
Whoever masters the layout and conditions between October 3-6 will add their name to an illustrious list of champions, while also securing an invite to the 2025 Masters and The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.
*This article first appeared at www.aacgolf.com
