Golf Tournament Day

What Is Golf Day?

May 28th is "Golf Day" (ゴルフ記念日, Gorufu Kinenbi) in Japan. On May 28, 1927, the first Japan Open Golf Championship — a national tournament open to both professionals and amateurs — began at the Hodogaya Country Club (程ヶ谷カントリー倶楽部) in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The day was established in 1994 by Esport Mizuno, a directly operated store of the sporting goods maker Mizuno. (See also May 24th for the opening of Japan's first golf course, the Kobe Golf Club, in 1903.)

The First Japan Open

The first Japan Open was held over two days, May 28 and 29, 1927, with 17 players — 12 amateurs and 5 professionals. The winner was an amateur, Rokuro Akaboshi, and he remains the only amateur ever to win the Japan Open. Today the championship, organized by the Japan Golf Association, is one of the most prestigious tournaments in Japanese golf, alongside the Japan PGA Championship.

Japan's Golf Tour Today

Japan's professional golf tours — both men's (JGTO) and women's (JLPGA) — are among Asia's leading professional circuits and draw large television audiences. Japanese women golfers in particular have raised the country's international profile: Hinako Shibuno (渋野日向子) won the 2019 AIG Women's British Open in her very first major championship.

Fun Facts

• A popular myth: The story that "golf" stands for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden" is a baseless myth; the true origin of the word is uncertain.
• Golf on the Moon: In 1971, Apollo 14 commander Alan Shepard famously hit golf balls on the surface of the Moon.
• Golf range culture: Japan is known for its multi-story driving ranges (ゴルフ練習場, gorufu renshūjō) in urban areas, where players can practice their swings without going to a full course.