Question for you: what’s the earliest time you’ve ever eaten lunch?
I’m sure most of you would answer 11.30am or midday but if you ever play golf in Japan, there’s a good chance you’ll be tucking into a half-time curry rice at 10 or sometimes 9 in the morning and washing it down with an ice cold jockey of beer. It’s golf Tiger, but not as we know it.
This is one of the most talked about and controversial aspects of playing golf in Japan in that you usually have to stop for lunch halfway through your round. Even if you tee off at 7am and finish the first nine holes by 9am, you usually still have the lunch (?!) break. Most golfers I’ve met dislike the system since it disrupts their rhythm and they often play worse in the second half of the round when they’d normally expect to play better. Personally, I’m in two minds over it. If I’m playing like a donkey then the respite almost always helps. And if you can live with the guilt of drinking before midday, sometimes the customary half time beer can do wonders for your game. Then again opting for one of the heartier options on the lunch menu can leave you feeling pretty bloated and in no fit state to swing a golf club! The golf industry in Japan has experienced something of an upheaval in the last few years and some courses are trying to do away with the obligatory lunch break, but for now it’s mostly still part and parcel of golf in this country.
And if you’re going to venture out onto the links in Japan, another thing you’ll need to get accustomed to is that the chances of you getting in 18 holes in the morning and being home for lunch are slim at best; tell your loved ones you’ll be home for dinner – golf takes a lot longer here! Of course, this partly due to the lunch break but add to that the fact the pace of play tends to be slower here, courses are further away from urban areas, a lot of courses here have these ridiculous remote controlled carts that go 1MPH and last but certainly not least, all golf courses have their own onsen-style baths to soak away your aches from the day. If the enforced lunch break is the least popular aspect of golf in Japan then without a doubt the most popular one is the onsen afterwards – very civilized indeed!
Spring’s the perfect time for golf here so if you’d like to play then please check out our group to see what outings are being planned. Golfers of all nationalities and abilities are welcome.
