Mount Fuji Golf – East Side (Gotemba Highlands):Why This Is the Most Reliable Starting Point from Tokyo

Taiheiyo Club Gotemba West Course with Mount Fuji View

When people talk about playing golf around Mount Fuji, the first question is almost always the same: “Can you see Mount Fuji from the course?”

In reality, across the east, south, west, and north sides of Mount Fuji, well over ninety percent of golf courses offer at least partial views of the mountain when weather conditions allow. Visibility alone is rarely the real deciding factor.

What truly separates one area from another is how consistently a course fits into an actual itinerary, especially when departing from Tokyo. From that perspective, the Gotemba Highlands on the east side of Mount Fuji stand out as the most reliable and flexible section of the entire region.

This article focuses on why the east side—particularly the Gotemba area—functions so well in real-world golf travel planning, and how its courses differ in terms of accessibility, reservation conditions, and playing characteristics.

Taiheiyo Club Gotemba: Clearing Up the Most Common Misunderstanding

When discussing the east side, the name most frequently mentioned is Taiheiyo Club. This is also where confusion often begins, so it is important to be precise.

Taiheiyo Club Gotemba West Course is open to the general public. Reservations can be made through official channels, and it is widely used in international and group itineraries.

By contrast, Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course (the main course) operates under strict membership-based conditions. On weekdays, play typically requires member introduction, while weekends are often limited to members or subject to tighter restrictions. For overseas visitors and tour groups, this creates uncertainty and should not be treated as a guaranteed core booking.

In practice, Gotemba West serves as a stable, high-quality foundation, while the main course is best viewed as an optional upgrade—worth attempting only when timing, access, and connections align.

Course Characteristics: Why Gotemba West Works So Well Early in a Trip

From a layout perspective, Gotemba West is a hilly course that uses the natural undulation of the Fuji foothills. Tree-lined fairways provide visual separation, while streams and water hazards are placed strategically to force decision-making rather than decoration.

The defining feature lies in the greens. Official descriptions and player reviews consistently point to subtle slopes and relatively quick speeds, where imprecise approach shots can quickly turn a seemingly safe two-putt into three.

This makes Gotemba West an excellent first or second round in a Mount Fuji itinerary. It quickly introduces players to a common Japanese course principle: fairways may appear generous, but success depends on approach accuracy and landing position rather than raw distance.

PGM Gotemba Country Club: A Course with a Clear Personality Shift

Also located in the Gotemba area, PGM Gotemba Country Club is another classic hilly course, but with a noticeable contrast between its two nines.

Public course information highlights that the outer holes tend to be straighter, allowing players to swing more freely. The inner holes introduce more gentle doglegs, requiring thoughtful positioning based on individual carry distance and shot shape.

This progression makes the course particularly effective within a single round, guiding players from comfort into more deliberate course management—an experience that aligns well with multi-day itineraries.

Fuji Country Club: Subtle Pressure, Not Length

For players looking for a refined but demanding option, Fuji Country Club offers a different challenge. Situated along the outer ridges of the Hakone area at approximately 470 meters above sea level, it preserves natural contours and applies pressure through angled fairways, slope direction, and OB positioning rather than sheer length.

Depending on hole orientation, both fade and draw players encounter meaningful risk. The difficulty here lies not in intimidation, but in consistency—each shot requires attention to stance, alignment, and wind.

Fuji Golf Course and Fuji Heigen Golf Club: Balanced, Repeatable Choices

Two courses often chosen for cost-to-experience balance are Fuji Golf Course and Fuji Heigen Golf Club.

Fuji Golf Course is an 18-hole hilly course with cart usage available, offering solid course conditioning and a traditional layout suitable for a wide range of players. Fuji Heigen Golf Club, located around 750 meters in elevation, features gentler elevation changes while maintaining classic hilly-course characteristics.

These courses are rarely selected for prestige alone. Their value lies in consistency—stable conditions, reliable pacing, and suitability for repeated use without inflating the overall trip budget or player fatigue.

Gatsby Golf Club and Sankyo Golf Club Fuji Course: Operationally Flexible Options

Gatsby Golf Club, located on the eastern foothills at approximately 400 meters elevation, incorporates moderate undulation and several technically demanding holes that reward controlled ball flight.

Sankyo Golf Club Fuji Course, a forest-style hilly layout with 36 holes, is well suited for group operations or same-area consecutive play. Its design allows players of varying skill levels to share the same itinerary while experiencing appropriate challenge.

These courses excel not by spectacle, but by making itineraries easier to manage, especially when balancing mixed groups or multiple playing days.

GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF: A Deliberate Finale

Finally, GORA KADAN FUJI GOLF deserves separate mention. Operated by the renowned Gora Kadan luxury ryokan group, this course is positioned at roughly 850–900 meters elevation and emphasizes refined design rather than volume play.

With undulating greens, occasional blind shots, and layouts shaped by natural slopes and forest lines, it demands careful shot planning and green reading. This is not a course to rush into at the beginning of a trip.

Instead, it works best as a closing round, where players are already acclimated to Japanese course design and can fully appreciate its nuances.

Why the East Side Works

For practical planning, the Gotemba Highlands represent the most usable segment of the Mount Fuji golf region. Not because every hole is dramatic, but because the area allows itineraries to be built logically.

Publicly reservable, well-maintained courses form the foundation. Higher-restriction or premium venues can then be layered on later, turning uncertainty into optional enhancement rather than risk.

In the next article, the focus will shift south—examining how courses in the Fuji–Mishima–Izu corridor differ in terrain, accessibility, and ideal placement within a Mount Fuji golf route.