Golf Course Scouting Report: ACCORDIA GOLF Narashino Country Club

ACCORDIA GOLF Narashino Country Club is a very interesting and unique layout featuring two greens on every hole, a characteristic that appears relatively frequently in Japan. This feature was more common many decades ago as multiple greens were employed using different types of grass to make the course more playable during different seasons and weather conditions. The PGA TOUR typically chooses one hole for the utilization of both greens during the ZOZO Championship.

Another interesting aspect of this tournament -- which I will discuss on my podcast, Linksworms -- is that holes are taken from both the Queen and King Courses at Narashino CC; the front nine uses a hand-picked assortment of holes from the former, and the back nine takes holes from the latter.

Overall: ACCORDIA GOLF Narashino Country Club isn't necessarily top tier in world golf, but the course presented for this PGA TOUR event has good variety with interesting bunkering and elevation changes.

Memorable Holes: 7.5

The ZOZO Championship's version of Narashino CC keeps golfers on their toes with a wide array of doglegs, water hazards, bunkers, and elevation changes. The 587-yard sixth is a great example: it doglegs hard to the right around a beautiful pond with bunkers on the far side of the fairway. Players will choose how aggressive to be in carrying the pond off the tee to set up a shorter second shot to this par five. Other holes, such as the par-four 12th, feature a dramatic hill that dips down into a valley before rising back up to an elevated green.

Interest: 7.5

Many of the characteristics mentioned above result in numerous intriguing shots at this Kinya-Fujita design. Some par fours leave a little to be desired, but there are enough holes featuring undulations and/or water hazards to keep golfers engaged. The 608-yard 14th is one of the more exciting holes on the property: The greens are guarded by a deep valley and an intimidating bunker, and a grassy hollow acts as a hazard between the greens. Hitting the green in two will require an extremely precise shot with a three or five wood.

Par Threes: 6.5

There are five par threes at Narashino CC, three of which are taken from the Queen Course and appear on this week's front nine. For the most part, these are fun holes that offer scoring opportunities but punish poor shots. The 180-yard third plays to an elevated green guarded by deep bunkers. In the past, the PGA TOUR has used both greens at the 205-yard fifth; the greens frame the pretty lake which snuggles tightly to the front and inside edges of both. The 167-yard seventh plays uphill to another elevated green with a large bunker short and left. The two back-nine par threes are from the King course. The 141-yard 13th is arguably the least interesting par three; the green is relatively large and though guarded by bunkers, it doesn't pose many threats for such a short hole. Finally, the 183-yard 16th is a solid hole where the angled green is guarded short and left by another pond.

Difficulty: 7.0

The toughness of Narashino CC is difficult to judge. Due to the number of shorter par fours and the lack of overly difficult par threes, it seems like a layout that should be there for the taking for elite players. The results tell a different story: Tiger Woods won this tournament in 2019 with a winning score of 19-under par, three shots clear of second place. Since then, nobody has been able to beat 15 under at the conclusion of play. These scores indicate that the course does present a reasonable test for PGA TOUR players, likely due to several longer par fours between 480 and 505 yards, a number of which play as par fives for the general public.

Finish: 5.0

The finishing holes used for the tournament are the final three holes on the King Course, and they are just okay. The aforementioned 16th is a solid par three, and the 491 seventeenth is a very difficult par four due to its length and narrowness as it plays through a dense corridor of huge pine trees (a trait that is prevalent throughout the layout).

The par-five 18th is, to be frank, quite lame. At 562 yards, it is easy to reach in two for virtually every player in the field, and there are no significant hazards aside from a few fairway and greenside bunkers. Par-five finishing holes have the potential to be great or to fall flat; unfortunately, this 18th is a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise fun and creative golf course.

For the criteria used to determine these ratings, please click here.