Opening in 1930, the Abiko Golf Club was designed by Rokuro Akaboshi who was an eager student of golf design and followed Charles H. Alison closely on his travels through Japan that very year. Like Kasumigaseki East, the course was originally conceived with single greens and had a distinctly British feel, the bunkering being classically shaped, rugged and grassed faced and not unlike those built by Harry Colt who was the mentor and partner of Akaboshi’s teacher, Charles Alison.

Starting superbly, the course opens with a series of attractive and well built golf holes routed across the most interesting undulation on the site, the first seven holes among the most enjoyable anywhere in Japan. After two strategically bunkered par fours, the 3rd hole is a fantastic par three across a valley and deep frontal trap. The 5th is also very good, your drive needing to be played up the tighter right side of its falling fairway in order to avoid an awkward stance and horrible angle into the dangerously shallow target. This is followed by a reachable par five with an awesome second shot across a picturesque valley and through tall central trees to an excellent raised green site.

The 7th is then a wonderful long par three but from here, with the exception of the short 13th, the course loses its way a little. Most of the back nine was flattened and used as rice fields after the Second World War and although some minor undulation was rebuilt it is not used as well within the design nor is the fairway movement or hole construction quite as effective as the terrific opening stretch.