Kawana (Fuji)

Great courses do not automatically emerge from great sites, because routing a design — making all 18 holes connect while simultaneously complementing one another — is enormously difficult. It is a true gift to be able to do so, and it is the primary differentiator between being a good architect and an elite one. In the case of the Kawana Resort, its owner, Baron Okura, did not think that a routing done by a Japanese architect took full advantage of the site’s wonders, which range from jaw-dropping views of snow-capped Mt. Fuji to cliff-top panoramas of the Pacific. So, he organized for C.H. Alison to assess the property while he was working at Tokyo GC. Alison developed a different routing and several years later, the course was built under the expert guidance of Koymo Ohtani and Kinya Fujita. The result is what some people consider to be their favorite course along the Pacific Ocean — California and Oregon’s offerings included! There isn’t a single weak hole, and golfers eventually run out of superlatives when describing how well this undulating land was utilized. Recent tree-clearing along the perimeter has enhanced the site’s stunning coastal setting. (Photo: Courtesy Kawana)