Golf Near Naoshima: Where to Play
Naoshima itself doesn’t have a golf course — the island is small, and every flat patch of land tends to already have a museum, a pumpkin, or a ryokan sitting on it. But if you’re the kind of traveler who wants a round of golf and a day with Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkins, you’re not out of luck. Both gateway towns to the island — Uno on the Okayama side, and Takamatsu on the Shikoku side — have proper courses within easy reach of the ferry terminal.
This guide covers the two closest options, plus how to actually book a tee time in English without navigating a Japanese-only phone reservation system.
Why Combine Golf with a Naoshima Trip?
Most visitors treat Naoshima as a one-or-two-day art pilgrimage and don’t think beyond the ferry schedule. But the mainland side of your trip — the night in Okayama or Takamatsu before or after the island — is dead time for a lot of travelers. If you golf, that’s a natural window to fill: play a morning round on the mainland, then catch an afternoon ferry over to the island for Chichu Art Museum or the Benesse House, or do it in reverse on your way out.
The courses below aren’t resort courses built for tourists — they’re regular Japanese golf clubs, which means the etiquette and payment norms are the real, local version rather than an English-friendly resort simplification. That’s part of the appeal if you want an authentic round, but it also means a little preparation goes a long way (more on that below).
Tamano Golf Club: The Course Closest to the Naoshima Ferry
If minimizing travel time is your priority, Tamano Golf Club (玉野ゴルフ倶楽部) is the one to know about. It sits in Uno, Okayama — the same town as Uno Port, where most Okayama-side ferries to Naoshima depart.
- Access: About 7 minutes by taxi from JR Uno Station, which is also the station most travelers use to reach the Uno Port ferry terminal.
- Course: An 18-hole hilly, strategic layout opened in 1961, designed by Giichi Sato, with views over the Seto Inland Sea toward Shodoshima.
- Closed: Tuesdays (except public holidays), plus Dec 31–Jan 1 — worth double-checking against your travel dates before you plan a golf-then-ferry morning.
- Contact: 0863-31-3636 / tgc@isis.ocn.ne.jp
Pricing varies by plan and season — self-play rounds carry a small per-person surcharge (roughly ¥550 on weekdays, ¥2,200 on weekends/holidays, on top of the base green fee), and discounted plans pop up periodically on the club’s booking site. Rather than guess at a total, the simplest path is to book through an English-language service (see below) and let them confirm current pricing and availability directly with the course.
Takamatsu-Side Options: A Round Before or After Your Ferry
If you’re routing through Takamatsu Port instead, there are two courses worth knowing about, at very different price points and comfort levels for non-Japanese speakers.
| Course | Type | Weekday Fee | Weekend/Holiday Fee | Access from Takamatsu Station | English Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Takamatsu Country Club (香川県綾歌郡綾川町) | Members’-style club, full service | From ¥10,500 (¥12,600 w/ caddie) | From ¥15,700 (¥17,800 w/ caddie) | ~35 min by car/taxi; a club shuttle bus is also available (confirm at booking) | Not confirmed — book via an English service |
| Takamatsu Public Golf Course (高松市北町) | Municipal/public, walk-and-carry | ¥5,500 | ¥8,800 | Tram: Kawaramachi Station → Kotoden Shido Line → Kasugagawa Station (right by the course) | Minimal — plan to book through a translator or English service |
Both distances above are measured from Takamatsu Station, not the ferry pier itself — the two are close together in central Takamatsu, so treat this as a good approximation rather than an exact port-to-course time, and build in some buffer if you’re heading straight from the ferry.
Finding Naoshima Note: If your Japanese is limited, Royal Takamatsu is the more comfortable pick of the two — caddie service and rental clubs mean less you have to figure out on your own. Takamatsu Public is genuinely cheap, but go in expecting to manage the round (and the payment counter) with more independence.
How to Book: English-Language Tee Times with Golf Caddie Japan
None of the courses above run English booking desks of their own, which is normally where inbound golfers get stuck. The workaround we point our own guests to is Golf Caddie Japan, an English-language tee-time request service built specifically for overseas visitors — no Japanese required, no club membership, and no phone call to a clubhouse that won’t understand you.
You tell them your dates, budget, and where you’re staying, and they typically come back with real availability within 24 hours. Their course directory doesn’t list Shikoku/Setouchi courses yet, but they’ve said they can pursue almost any course in Japan on request — including Tamano Golf Club or either Takamatsu course above — so it’s worth reaching out even if you don’t see the exact club listed.
Golf Etiquette Notes for First-Timers in Japan
A few things that catch first-time golfers in Japan off guard, regardless of which course you book:
- Cash matters. Many Japanese golf clubs, especially smaller ones like these, are cash-only or take cards only at the main counter — don’t assume you can pay for everything on card.
- Dress code is real. Collared shirts and no denim are standard expectations, even at public courses.
- Soft spikes only. Metal spikes are banned at most Japanese courses; check your shoes before you fly.
- Book ahead for weekends. Spring and autumn weekends fill up fast, and a 24-hour response from a booking service doesn’t guarantee same-week availability at the course itself.
Sample Itineraries
- Golf-first, art-second: Morning round at Tamano Golf Club → taxi back to Uno Station → afternoon ferry to Naoshima from Uno Port → check in and explore Miyanoura before dinner.
- Art-first, golf-second: Finish your Naoshima stay → morning ferry back to Takamatsu Port → afternoon round at Royal Takamatsu Country Club → overnight in Takamatsu before heading onward.
Either way, check the ferry timetable in our Essential Guide to Naoshima before you lock in a tee time — a slow round can eat into your last ferry window faster than you’d expect.
FAQ
- Is there a golf course on Naoshima itself?
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No. The nearest courses are on the mainland — Tamano Golf Club near Uno Port on the Okayama side, and Royal Takamatsu Country Club or Takamatsu Public Golf Course near Takamatsu Port on the Shikoku side.
- Can I book a tee time without speaking Japanese?
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Yes, via an English-language request service like Golf Caddie Japan, which handles the booking on your behalf and typically confirms availability within 24 hours.
- Which course is easiest for a Naoshima day trip?
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Tamano Golf Club, since it’s about 7 minutes by taxi from Uno Station — the same station most Okayama-side ferries to Naoshima depart from.
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