The vast majority of golfers would no doubt agree that Mark Twain’s famous suggestion that golf is a good walk spoiled is a little harsh to say the least, but rather strangely, the Showa-no-mori Golf Course in Akishima, western Tokyo, appears to have taken the denunciation to heart. As, while for obvious reasons the pummelling of the ball hasn’t been eradicated from proceedings, the hindrance of hauling one’s bag around has.
Meaning that, for the fairly efficient at least, a good walk now need only be spoiled by some seventy or so swishes of a club.
(click images for gargantuan golfing gadgetry)
Makito says
Haha that’s nice, if a bit unwieldly… the Windsor Golf and Country club in Tomobe has a nicer setup. They use carts about the same size but with traditional wheels. The cart picks up these radio tags buried in the ground and follow that as you walk around the course with a corresponding “beeper-like” device.
In any case, golfing in Japan is definitely a luxury.
Honor says
Now that brings a whole new meaning to the word ‘caddy’. Only in Japan : )
John F. says
I’ve been away for a few years, but my theory is that Japan’s big push into robots is in part a way to manage population decline without resorting to large-scale immigration.
Makito says
Hehe I can totally believe that… especially with all the developments on “home-care” robotics….
I did hear that a bill to open up Japanese citizenship is being presented to the diet… though we all know that’s going…
AS says
Haha, awesome. I know lots of people who would like that little feature on the golf course :P. Do you golf Lee?
Lee says
I’ve played a half a dozen times or so in Japan AS, and it’s quite a different experience. Lunch has to be taken after 9 holes, there’s the option of hiring a middle-aged lady as a ‘caddie-san’, and afterwards everyone piles into the bath for a good communal soak.
Still, it was good fun, and I’ve played a few lovely courses too, with this one in particular being fantastic. The only trouble is it can be very expensive, although mid-week the prices are more on the reasonable side.
Americajin says
I don’t get the whole monorail golf cart… I normally cart myself around and I find that:
1) Carting yourself minimizes the distance you have to walk – I park a yard from the ball.
2) Carting yourself around is fun! You can do runs with your friends, cut them off and swerve as if you were in GTA Vice City 🙂
JAPUNDIT says
Don’t mean to be critical, but that kind of monorail golf bag thingy has been around in Japan for a long time. I first saw it here around 30 years ago.
Makito says
Out of curiosity, is anyone here going to the Daimler Cup in September?
al in devon says
played a course around kumamoto (kyushu somewhere)and had a great caddie-san running the cart on the monorail, wish i could remember the club name.