Japanese golf resorts look to foreigners to support growth

"Koreans are fanatic when it comes to golf," said Panch Ratnavale, the director of Niseko Village, a ski and golf resort 30 minutes northwest of Rusutsu by car. “They can make 36 holes every day. Their priorities are different. If you want to talk about maniacs, I've never seen anyone more passionate than Koreans.

Niseko Village, owned by YTL Hotels of Malaysia, has two golf courses, one of which was designed by Arnold Palmer. Between the two, YTL is building a Ritz-Carlton reserve with 50 rooms on the slopes of the ski hill of Niseko Village.

The Ritz brings total beds to Niseko Village, which also has other accommodations, including ski-in, ski-out chalets, up to around 1500. While YTL manages beach resorts and hotels in Europe, East Asia and Australia, Niseko is the only golf resort and plans to use the Ritz to focus on the growing Asian golf trade.

On the other side of Mount Niseko -Annupuri, one of Japan's most popular ski destinations, the operator of the 18-hole Hanazono Golf has renovated the clubhouse and added a Mediterranean-style restaurant. The operator, Nihon Harmony Resorts, hopes to attract foreign players, including those staying at the affiliated Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono, an eight-storey hotel with 600 beds and apartment complex scheduled for completion this winter. The Park Hyatt is located at the foot of the Hanazono Niseko ski hill, near Hanazono Golf.

"Niseko is known as a winter resort, but we are also trying to increase the appeal of the summer," said the general manager, Yasuo Kato.

Course operators in Hokkaido do not only look abroad: in recent years, industry groups and government agencies have started organizing golf tourism seminars.

"Golf tourism is still in its infancy in Japan, despite the huge influx of tourists," said Mr. Varcoe. "The time will come when golf courses in Japan have to tap into this market and then you may see a major change in attitude. "