Higo Sun Valley Country Club

Higo Sun Valley Country Club opened in 1975 as a semi-private woodland course in Nishihara village, joining Aso Green Hill and Grand Champion as one of three separate clubs sharing the same small municipality on the western edge of the Aso caldera. The layout measures 6,558 yards from the back tees with regular and ladies' options at 6,124 and 4,976 yards, and the wooded setting keeps most holes shaded and sheltered compared with the more open resort courses higher up the mountain. Facilities include golf carts and caddie service, a driving range, and a putting green for warming up, along with a clubhouse restaurant, lounge, and banquet space suited to member events or a golf society outing. The club operates year-round and accepts a broad range of credit cards, including JCB, Visa, American Express, UC, and DC, and walking is permitted for golfers who prefer to take in the wooded scenery at a slower pace. The name Sun Valley reflects the sheltered, sunlit character of the fairways as they wind between stands of Kyushu pine and cedar, a contrast to the more exposed volcanic terrain found on courses closer to the crater rim. Being one of three Nishihara courses, Higo Sun Valley is easy to combine with a multi-day stay in the village. Golfers arranging a Nishihara golf trip through CoGolfers can compare this course with its two village neighbors before deciding which order to play them in.