Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu: Round Review and Facility Guide

This time I’m covering Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu in Chichibu, Saitama, with a course designed by Tom Watson.

The hilly course he designed is full of strategic challenges, letting you play elegantly while soaking in Chichibu’s natural scenery.

I’ve gotten really into golf these past few years, so after actually playing a round myself, I’m sharing a tour of the facilities at Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu along with my honest impressions from the round!

If you’re looking for a golf course about 2 hours from Tokyo, want to golf but don’t have a car, or are just curious what Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu is like, I think you’ll find this genuinely useful — hope you’ll read through to the end!

A free shuttle bus runs from Seibu-Chichibu Station!

Getting to Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu

Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu is located in Chichibu, Saitama, and is operated by Accordia Golf Co., Ltd.

Being a course designed by Tom Watson, it’s known for a lot of highly strategic holes. Surrounded by the mountains of Chichibu, the terrain itself has little undulation, but the placement of valleys, ponds, bunkers, and trees is masterfully done instead.

There are two ways to get to Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu: by car, or by train plus the club shuttle bus.

Access by Car

Here’s the route if you’re driving from Shinjuku Station. The whole trip takes about 1 hour 40 minutes — with traffic, plan for around 2 hours.

If your tee time is 9:40 AM, you should plan to arrive about an hour early, meaning a 7:00 AM departure.

The main route runs from the Shuto Expressway Route 4 through the Gaikan Expressway, exiting at Kan-etsu Hanazono IC, then about 25km on local roads. Since a good stretch of the drive is on local roads, you’ll need to plan your arrival time carefully.

The Kan-etsu Hanazono IC inbound direction is also notorious for weekend traffic jams, so personally, I wouldn’t recommend driving, especially thinking about the trip home!

Access by Train

Here’s the train route from Shinjuku Station.

By train, take the JR Yamanote or Saikyo Line from Shinjuku to Ikebukuro. From Ikebukuro, board the Seibu Ikebukuro Line’s Laview limited express bound for Seibu-Chichibu Station.

From Seibu-Chichibu Station, exit the ticket gate and take the free club shuttle bus waiting in the roundabout directly in front. The shuttle takes just under 20 minutes to reach the golf course.

From Shinjuku Station to Seibu-Chichibu Station costs 943 yen, plus 710 yen for the Laview limited express, for a total of 1,653 yen — a pretty affordable way to get there!

Taking the train also means you won’t be late barring something like a train accident, so you don’t need to plan quite as carefully.

Reference Timetable (as of March 2022, Saturday schedule)

• 1. Depart Shinjuku 6:38 → Arrive Ikebukuro 6:50
• 2. Depart Ikebukuro 6:50 → Arrive Seibu-Chichibu 8:14 (Laview limited express)
• 3. Depart Seibu-Chichibu 8:20 → Arrive Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu 8:45

A Few Things to Note

• The shuttle bus requires a reservation — call ahead at 0494-62-1811.
• Morning pickup times are 8:15 and 9:05 on weekdays, and 8:20 and 9:00 on weekends and holidays only.
• When you call to reserve, let them know your play date and tee time so they can confirm which pickup time to take.

Facilities at Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu

From here, let’s take a tour of the facilities at Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu.

I’ll go through everything in detail so your first round here goes smoothly — hopefully this gives you a good picture before you go.

Clubhouse

This is the main entrance of the clubhouse. Whether you arrive by car or by shuttle bus, this is where you’ll first step off.

Front Desk

Once inside the clubhouse, fill out your name and address on the guest card at the counter facing you, then hand it to the front desk.

At that point they’ll ask if you’d like to use a locker (300 yen). If you have luggage, it’s worth using — you’ll be given a locker key!

Once you’ve checked in, head to the locker room.

There’s a large art piece in the center of the clubhouse, giving the whole space a bright, lively, well-kept feel.

Locker Room

The locker room is down the stairs.

Humidifiers are set up throughout, filling the air with negative ions — it feels fresh!

The lockers are wide enough to fit even fairly large bags with room to spare. They’re also noticeably nicer and cheaper than the 300-yen pay lockers you’d find in the city.

Check the temperature, change into your golf wear, swap into your shoes, and head outside through the entrance on the same floor.

Don’t forget sunscreen if it’s a bright day.

Caddie Master Room

Once outside, the caddie master room is on your left. Pick up your scorecard here, and a ball marker if you don’t already have one.

If you have more than 30 minutes before your tee time and want to practice, write your name and locker number in the register at the caddie master room and you’ll get a practice coin. You settle up afterward.

Driving Range

Exit the clubhouse on the course side, head right about 200 meters, and you’ll find the driving range. Being a bit of a walk is its one downside.

Trade in your coin at the range for 30 balls.

Members pay 300 yen for 30 balls, visitors 400 yen. Only worth it if you have time to spare!

Carts

The carts are self-driven (manual), with no remote-control option.

You’ll be steering along the cart path, so if you’re not confident driving, let your playing partner take the wheel!

There’s a tablet mounted at the front showing the cart’s current position, course strategy info, and letting you enter your score.

After entering your score, there’s even a feature to sync it to your phone via QR code.

When carts are allowed onto the fairway, you can check the tablet for a marker showing where entry is permitted!

When fairway driving is allowed, it’s incredibly convenient — you can drive right up to your ball even if your group’s shots are scattered left and right.

On the day I played, since it had just rained, fairway access was closed everywhere.

Practice Putting Green

After changing in the locker room and using the restroom, head to the practice green to check your putter’s feel and the condition of the grass for the day.

A lot of courses don’t maintain their practice greens well, making them not very useful as a reference, but Sainomori’s practice green was relatively well kept!

Approach Practice Green

You can practice putting almost anywhere, but it’s rare to find a course where you can also practice bunker shots — Sainomori has a dedicated area for approach and bunker practice.

Normally you’d pay 500–1,000 yen for 30 minutes at a nearby driving range for this, so it’s a great chance to work on your bunker technique.

Restaurant

The restaurant is straight ahead from the main entrance.

A break after the front nine! Turnaround times seemed packed on weekends — my break ran about 1 hour 15 minutes, longer than the average 50-minute lunch break.

I was in the mood for something fried, like tonkatsu!

The tables had acrylic partitions as part of infection-prevention measures common at golf courses around that time.

The tables themselves are a good size — comfortable even for a group of four.

I ordered the fried horse mackerel set meal. Adding a meal plan to your locker charge costs an extra 250 yen.

It was fried nice and crisp, with the mackerel coming out fluffy and delicious. Rice refills, including the large size, are free.

Grab a window seat and you can eat while looking out over the large pond that crosses the 1st tee ground and the 8th and 9th holes on the Out course.

Bath

Since there’s an attached hotel, the changing area and large communal bath are both quite spacious.

Both face and bath towels are provided, so you can come empty-handed.

You could also consider relaxing afterward at Matsuri no Yu, a super sento right in front of Seibu-Chichibu Station.

Play Pricing

The play fee came to 16,400 yen for a group of 3 (meal included), plus a bit more. I played on a Saturday in April, and my total bill came to about 19,000 yen.

Item	Amount
Visitor play fee	16,400 yen
Fried horse mackerel set upgrade	250 yen
Locker fee	300 yen
Practice balls	400 yen
Usage tax	500 yen
Consumption tax	1,685 yen
Total	19,035 yen

Even taking the Laview limited express from Tokyo, it’s just over 1,500 yen one way, so transportation costs stayed nice and low.

Chichibu has 8 golf courses total, including Union Ace and Chichibu International, and compared to those, this course runs a bit on the pricier side.

Full Course Overview at Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu

Here’s a look at the course layout at Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu.

First, let’s look at the full 18-hole layout.

Holes with a pond: 3 on the Out course and 1 on the In course, for 4 total. Holes with a valley crossing: 1 on the Out course and 1 on the In course, for 2 total. It’s quite a challenging layout.

Here’s the Out course from the L.G tees, which were in use in April. From the regular tees it plays 3,009 yards total — a fairly average length.

The toughest hole, HDCP 1, is the 3rd hole with its valley crossing. Focus on your swing through the front nine.

The In course runs a bit longer at 3,179 yards total, and the par-3 16th hole is a brutal introduction for beginners at over 200 yards.

I’m including some real photos taken from the tee box during my actual round!

A few holes are missing photos along the way — thanks for understanding!

Hole 1

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	379	9

The first hole on the Out course, with the clubhouse and driving range net visible to the right of the tee box.

The right side is relatively safe even with a bit of a slice, but watch out — the left side doesn’t give you much room.

Hole 2

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
5	484	5

Both sides are fairly tight, so avoid a deep hook or slice. It’s tempting to swing hard on this long hole, but a safe 200-yard shot is the smarter play.

Hole 3

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	394	1

A mid-length hole with a pond and valley crossing. I didn’t realize the 3rd tee box was right next to the 2nd hole and ended up crossing the bridge without hitting my shot first — had to hurry back to tee off.

From the regular tees it’s about 170 yards to the fairway, so you’ll want to clear the valley if you can.

Hole 4

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
3	162	13

Another valley-crossing hole after the 3rd, but a short one — better to swing without too much pressure. From the L.G green, there’s almost no risk of dropping into the valley.

Just be careful not to get so focused on the valley that you end up in the bunker short of the green.

Hole 5

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	358	17

A mid-length hole with open space on both sides and no bunkers, so a bit of a curve is forgivable. That said, the 6th hole runs right alongside on the right, so if you slice it big, make sure to call out “Fore!”

Hole 6

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
5	479	7

Pull it left and you’re almost certainly out of bounds, so be careful. The right side is open, so if you tend to hook, aim slightly right and plan to play your second shot to a safe spot.

Hole 7

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	387	3

(No photo for this one, sorry!)

Grass bunkers wait on the right side, so if bunkers aren’t your strength, consider a fairway wood or hybrid off the tee instead.

Hole 8

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
3	184	15

A downhill short hole where a pond covers more than 70% of the hole, stretching almost up to the green.

Into the wind, it gets even tougher, so choose your club carefully.

Even your second shot carries risk — a thin approach from the right could still find the water.

Hole 9

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	330	11

(Missed the photo on this one too!)

The left side borders the pond from the 8th hole, so avoid pulling it left.

Even big hitters need to watch out — there’s a pond around 240 yards out, right where a longer second shot might land.

Hole 10

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	384	6

A mid-length hole with a left dogleg. The bunker visible straight ahead sits about 250 yards from the regular tees — being a downhill shot, there’s a decent chance of landing right in it.

A straight 200-yard shot is about the right play here.

Hole 11

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
3	131	18

A short hole with a valley crossing. Anything under 100 yards falls into the valley, so avoid topping or chunking your shot from the up-and-down swing.

From the L.G tees, the woods on the left are shallower than they look — worth keeping in mind.

Hole 12

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	327	12

The fairway is a bit narrow, but there’s enough room to recover with your second shot even if you miss slightly left or right. Visibility is great, so feel free to let it rip.

Hole 13

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
5	491	2

Hard to tell from the photo, but there’s a pond on the left about 250 yards from the regular tees on this long hole. Unless you’re a big hitter, you’re unlikely to reach it, but stay focused all the same.

Hole 14

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	291	16

There’s a bunker on the left about 200 yards out with a shallow landing area, so it’s safer to aim right. Even if you end up on the right, the slope there can luckily funnel your ball back to a safe spot.

Hole 15

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	368	14

Narrow on the left, wide on the right — but drive it too far right and your second shot into the green gets much harder, so where you land really matters. Try to keep it down the center of the fairway as much as possible.

Hole 16

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
3	195	8

From the L.G tees, it plays over 200 yards, making it nearly impossible for most players to reach the green with an iron — this is where your fairway wood or hybrid comes in.

From the R.G tees it’s a bit shorter, but still a short hole with a valley crossing. You’ll need at least 150 yards to clear it, which makes it tough for beginners who aren’t confident with mid-irons.

Hole 17

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
4	328	10

Reaching the fairway past the long bunker straight ahead requires a drive of 200 yards or more.

The right side is fairly wide, so a bit of a slice won’t cause problems.

Hole 18

Par	Reg. Yardage	HDCP
5	541	4

A fitting final hole at about 540 yards, with a pond waiting past both your first and second shots. The pond starts around 220 yards out on the left side off the tee, and even the fairway on the right side of the pond only stretches partway — a tricky closing hole.

My Honest Impressions of the Round

I played on April 16, 2022 — cloudy with occasional rain clearing to sun, and strong wind.

After playing all 18 holes, my honest take is it’s simply a tough course.

There isn’t much undulation, so club selection isn’t too stressful, but bunkers surround the greens from every direction, and get caught in one with a high lip and you’ll easily take 3 strokes to get out.

Short holes are usually where you can rack up good scores, but Sainomori’s short holes all involve crossing a valley or a pond, so none of them are easy.

The greens are fairly wide, but a lot of them are two-tiered, so even hitting the green sometimes meant three-putting — making it hard to put together a good score.

The range balls were pretty worn — I’d love to see newer ones. It was also a letdown that we were told to wipe down our own clubs after the round, with no service to help.

The food was great, though, and the large communal bath was spacious for a golf course, which helped wash away the fatigue after the round.

Wrap-Up

So, what did you think of this tour of Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu and my honest impressions from the round?

Whether you’ve never golfed before or just haven’t played Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu yet, I hope this gave you a decent sense of what to expect.

Chichibu has 8 golf courses, and Sainomori Country Club Hotel Chichibu has long been a solidly popular choice, which tends to come with a higher play fee.

During peak season it can run over 20,000 yen. On the other hand, being just about 2 hours from Tokyo by train is a real plus — you can get there easily even without a car.

Here’s to a good score today — let’s enjoy some golf!

—

About the author

Joe

I love hotels, hot springs, and saunas across the whole country!!
I’ve made it to 40 prefectures so far.
Around 100 hotel stays and 50+ saunas visited, and the count keeps climbing.
My hobbies are travel, golf, snowboarding, saunas, and the gym.

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