Japanese Golf Etiquette
The two-part round, the dress code, and how the day at the club works
The two-part round, the dress code, and how the day at the club works
Quick answer
A Japanese round is usually played in two halves with a sit-down lunch after the first nine. Arrive early to check in and change, wear a collared golf shirt and golf shoes, keep pace with the group ahead, and settle the bill at the front desk after the round. Most players finish with the clubhouse bath. Tipping is not customary.
Last updated: 2026-10-05
| Arrival | Check in at the front desk, receive a locker key or card, change, and drop your bag at the bag drop. |
| Before the tee time | Warm up at the range or putting green if the course has one. Be at the first tee a few minutes early. |
| Front nine | Play the first nine holes, usually with a cart, and with a caddie where the course provides one. |
| Lunch | A sit-down lunch in the clubhouse restaurant between the nines. Your start time for the back nine is fixed. |
| Back nine | Play the second nine. |
| After the round | Bathe in the clubhouse bath, change, and settle the bill at the front desk. |
With the lunch break and the bath, a round fills most of the day. Book one course per day.
After the front nine, groups come into the clubhouse for lunch, then start the back nine at a set time. The lunch is part of the culture of Japanese golf, and it is charged on your bill at the end.
Playing 18 holes without the break, sometimes called through-play, depends on the course and the plan you book. Some courses sell it as a separate plan, and it is more common in some regions such as Hokkaido and Okinawa. At Ibusuki Golf Club, the club confirmed it is possible depending on tee availability at the turn, and you may have to wait. Ask us if you prefer it.
A collared golf shirt and golf trousers or shorts are standard, with soft-spike or spikeless golf shoes. Denim, T-shirts, tank tops and sandals are generally not accepted. Ibusuki Golf Club, for example, asks players to avoid denim, wide-neck T-shirts, tank tops and sweatpants, and requires a hat or cap while playing.
Some established clubs keep a stricter, traditional code. Check the course page or ask us before you go.
Keep pace. Tee times are spaced closely and the lunch break has a fixed restart, so keep up with the group ahead.
Carts and caddies. Many courses use carts that follow a set path. Some courses provide caddies, a few require one, and some are self-play only; each course page shows which. English-speaking caddies are uncommon, so we confirm the details in English beforehand.
Care for the course. Repair pitch marks, rake bunkers and replace divots, as you would anywhere.
Charges during the day, such as lunch and drinks, are recorded against your locker key or card. After the round you settle the green fee and those charges at the front desk. If you booked through us, our booking fee is separate and has already been paid.
Most clubhouses have a large shared bath. See golf and onsen in Japan for how to use it and the rules on tattoos.
Most Japanese courses play 18 holes in two halves with a sit-down lunch in the clubhouse after the first nine. Whether you can play 18 holes straight through depends on the course and the plan booked; some courses sell it as a separate plan, and it is more common in some regions such as Hokkaido and Okinawa.
A collared golf shirt and golf trousers or shorts are the norm, with soft-spike or spikeless golf shoes. Avoid denim, T-shirts and sandals. Some clubs keep a stricter, traditional code, so check the course page or ask us.
Plan to arrive well before your tee time — around an hour is common — to check in at the front desk, change in the locker room and warm up. Your first tee time is set, and the group behind follows closely.
Tipping is not customary in Japan, and caddie fees are charged by the course as part of your bill.
At check-in you receive a locker key or card, and charges such as lunch and drinks are recorded against it during the day. You settle the green fee and everything else at the front desk after the round.
Send your dates and preferred course or area. We reply within 12 business hours (JST 9:00–18:00).
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