#12

Golf and Hot Springs - The Perfect Holiday Kota Chiba
Professional Golfer / Chairman of PGA Hokkaido Professional Golf Association

On September 10th, my wife and I departed Sapporo by car. As we drove under the crystal-clear sky, watching distant clouds drift by, I found myself thinking, "I hope summer doesn't end just yet."
Asahikawa holds special meaning for me—it's where I grew up and first picked up a golf club. Today, we were heading to play our first round at Asahikawa International Country Club in nearby Aibetsu town.

The club had hosted their championship just three days prior, and the greens were in absolutely pristine condition. They were fast too, drawing an involuntary "wow..." from my lips. The fairways were like carpets of Western grass, and when I struck my irons, thick divots would fly through the air. The sensation was so satisfying that I felt genuine gratitude for the rich soil nurturing this beautiful turf.

Standing on the first tee, with my hometown's mountain ranges as a backdrop and that expansive sense of freedom in the air, I couldn't help but take a deep breath. My opening drive sailed straight down the center of the fairway, and watching that white ball roll across the distant grass brought a natural smile to my face. My steps felt light as I walked toward my second shot, filled with the same fresh excitement I'd felt as a student. On the 7th hole, I found trouble in the rough but managed to get up and down for par with a well-executed approach shot—reminding me once again of golf's pure joy.

On one of the longer holes, I unleashed my 3-wood for my second shot, watching the satisfying trajectory arc across the blue sky. The ball settled 8 meters short of the pin. Though my eagle putt just missed, I secured a birdie with two putts after reaching the green in two. The moment my wife and I exchanged that triumphant fist bump, I felt less like a professional golfer and more like a young boy rediscovering his pure love for the game. At one point, a magnificent Ezo deer with impressive antlers appeared and gracefully crossed the fairway in front of us.

The wind picked up in the back nine, making reads more challenging, but this only added to the strategic intrigue of attacking the greens. The fast greens demanded delicate touch and intense concentration, but the sweet sound of the ball dropping into the cup was music to my ears, leaving me with that familiar thought: "Golf really is wonderful." It had been quite a while since my wife and I had played together. While I certainly didn't want to lose to her, I was able to relax and truly enjoy our round together.

After golf, we indulged in the local specialty: "Aibetsu Special Maitake Mushroom Miso Ramen." The bowl was absolutely loaded with sautéed maitake mushrooms—so much so that it felt less like ramen and more like a "mushroom festival." And of course, it was absolutely delicious.

With some time before check-in, we visited the "Ginga and Ryusei Falls". The temperature there was a full 8 degrees cooler than at the golf course, and since I'd come straight from the round in my golf attire, I felt chilly the entire time. I had hoped to visit the Twin Falls Observatory, but a knee injury forced me to skip it this time. Instead, I was captivated by the beautiful blue flowers of aconite. "So beautiful, yet so deadly..." I found myself musing about nature's contradictions.