ABC Golf Club

ABC Golf Club is located in Kato City, Hyogo Prefecture, 4 km from Hyogo Higashi-jo IC. It was built with the aim of being the most TV-friendly golf course in Japan and opened in 1985. The course was designed by the master designer Shoichi Suzuki, who has designed over 150 golf courses, and Ken Sato, who is known for his meticulous design from a player’s perspective. The extremely flat and tough hilly course with a height difference of 17 meters was designed to be enjoyed by women as well. The course is full of attention to detail, such as the “sculptural beauty” that can be seen not only when attacking the green from the tee ground but also when looking back, and the “good view” that spreads wide when standing on the starting hole. Tournaments were held in the following year (1986) and three years later (1988) for the “Japan Women’s Professional Golf Championship”. Since then, it has hosted the largest men’s tournament in Japan, “Lark Cup Golf”, PGA TOUR “Philip Morris Championship”, “ABC Championship”, etc. every year, attracting many golf fans through TV broadcasts. Currently, it hosts the “My Navi ABC Championship” and the “Sky Ladies ABC Cup”, serving as a stage for the birth of new stars.

The 18 holes of ABC Golf Club are a course where strategy and scenic beauty are exquisitely balanced. For example, the last three holes are themed on “seasons”. The 16th hole, with its beautiful autumn leaves, is “autumn”. The 17th hole, where various cherry blossoms bloom, is “spring”. The 18th hole, with its vivid crepe myrtle, is “summer”. The subtle feeling of “elegance” and “beauty” during the round is also one of the pleasures of ABC Golf Club.

The 16th hole is a beautiful par 3 hole over a pond. There is a pond on the right front and the green is surrounded by four bunkers. Since it is a downhill shot, it is easily affected by the wind, so be careful when choosing your club. If you enter the bunker on the left side, your second shot will be a difficult downhill shot, so it is better to aim for the center or right side of the green.

The 17th hole is a par 4 hole with OB on the left and a pond on the right. Since the left side is OB, it is safer to aim slightly to the right. The green slopes down from the center to the front and is fast, with a small step in the back left. It doesn’t look like there’s much slope, but it’s surprisingly fast so be careful.

The 18th hole is a beautiful par 5 hole over a pond. There are cross bunkers on both sides and the fairway is narrow, so an accurate shot is required on the tee shot. If you can clear the bunker and keep it on the fairway, you can aim for a two-on. The green has three tiers with the middle being high and the sides being low. The putt from the lower tier has a large slope, so it’s better to hit it harder.

The entrance has a high ceiling and is full of openness, and the starting hole can be seen from the lobby. At the driving range, you can use all clubs from driver to approach and bunker.