After an eclectic showing in Las Vegas, the PGA Tour will make a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. The annual event, the ZOZO Championship, will start on October 24th with the top 78 players heading for the event. But where will it take place?

Since the event was inaugurated in 2019, it has been played at the historic Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club. The club was opened in 1965 and before making its debut on the PGA Tour; it had long held many iconic tournaments, the 1968 Japan PGA Championship was one of them.

For many years, the Japan Open was held at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, and between 1974-1997, the club also hosted the Suntory Open, where top PGA Tour and Japanese golfers played. Even Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros emerged victorious in Narashino at the Japan Airlines Open and Japan Open, respectively.

The event became a huge showdown when Tiger Woods won his 82nd victory in 2019 and equaled Sam Snead’s record. The Narashino has always been a unique course in Japan and there is one thing that you could still find at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club.

The one unique feature of ZOZO Championship’s venue

The Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club was designed by renowned course architect Kinya Fujita. He studied at the University of Chicago and Columbia University and was inspired by the golf courses in the USA and Britain, more so by C.H. Alison of Colt and Alison’s designs. He designed many courses across Japan and Narashino was one of his last works before he passed away in 1969 at the age of 80.

The one unique feature of Accordia Gold Narashino Country Club is that all 18 holes of the course have two greens. You’d be wondering why. The reason is that in the history of golf, it could be seen that many golf courses had two greens for two seasons, winter and summer. However, as time passed, the course removed the system of two greens but many courses in Japan, including Narashino, still follow that feature.

Thus, even at the ZOZO Championship, following the tradition, the event always has a second green open. Even this year, one hole with two greens will be open. The hole is usually smaller than other PGA Tour courses, with 70 par expanded over 7,041 yards with ten par-4s, four par-3s, and four par-3s. As the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club gears up for the ZOZO Championship, it would be intriguing to see who will tackle the course and take away the trophy!