Author: iLIKEit JAPAN

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Japan Golf Course – A Culinary Adventure

“If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved this course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.”
— Jack Nicklaus

I love Pebble Beach best in the world for all I am Japanese. Whoever especially has played there even once would get an memorable experience as a golfer.

Pebble Beach not only is a great golf course but has great restaurants and bars. So this time let’s explore the distinctive features of golf course restaurants in Japan and compare them to their American counterparts.　

Clubhouse Restaurants

Japanese Golf Course Restaurants: A Culinary Adventure

Unlike specialized restaurants, golf course restaurants offer a unique advantage: they are not bound by a specific cuisine genre. While other restaurants often focus on specific types of dishes (such as sushi, ramen, or French cuisine), golf course restaurants have the freedom to provide a diverse range of menus. From Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes to ramen and curry, these restaurants cater to various tastes without being pigeonholed into one specialty. This versatility allows chefs to create new dishes based on customer requests, fostering a creative and dynamic culinary environment.

KAISEKI
TERIYAKI Steak Salad
Gomoku Ankake Yakisoba
Panini style Sandwich
Tenzaru
Eel Hitsumabushi
à la carte

1. The Price Point: Highs and Lows

Japanese golfers often find themselves pondering the same question: “Why are golf course meals so expensive?” While these restaurants indeed offer luxurious and delicious fare, lunch prices can be quite steep (ranging from ¥1500 to ¥2000). Even the most basic menu items start at around ¥1200 to ¥1300, with ramen, curry, and set meals like Japanese ginger pork (Shogayaki) hovering around ¥1700. Specialty dishes featuring local ingredients can even exceed ¥2000.

Ginger grilled Pork

The reason behind these elevated prices lies in the relatively low customer volume. Despite appearances, most golf courses operate with only around 50 groups (approximately 200 people) per day on an 18-hole course. Consequently, staffing the kitchen and serving staff for each dish drives up the per-item cost. While it might seem logical to reevaluate expenses based on the fixed customer count, many Japanese golf courses cater to members who willingly accept the higher prices, leaving visitors (non-members) with little choice but to follow suit.

Restaurant
Power Lunch
Tonkotsu Ramen
Buffet

2. Innovations and Challenges

During the golf course management transition period from 2000 to 2005, some courses experimented with cost-effective solutions. One popular trend was the introduction of lunch buffets. These buffets allowed efficient preparation of a variety of dishes, satisfying golfers’ appetites while maintaining reasonable prices. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has made buffet-style dining less feasible due to hygiene concerns; however, that has now resumed as local governments around Japan have lifted COVID-19 restrictions. Enjoy the buffet style service, why don’t you?

Additionally, some courses now offer lunch plans that include items priced below ¥1500. By clearly indicating that dishes beyond this price point incur an additional charge (usually around ¥200), golfers can enjoy higher-priced options without hesitation. This approach remains in practice at several golf courses today.

TONKATSU (Pork Loin Cutlet)
Mentaiko Cream Pasta
Steak Curry

3. Japan vs. America: A Contrast in Dining Styles

In Japan, it’s customary to enjoy a meal during the break between the front and back nine holes. The clubhouse restaurant experience is integral to Japanese golf culture. However, overseas, particularly in the United States, the focus is on continuous play. Golfers often bring their own snacks or purchase light refreshments from mobile food carts on the course. Post-game dining is optional, and there’s no strict requirement to use the clubhouse restaurant.

Japanese golf courses do not offer food cart services; instead, they have food and drinks concession stands called Chamise located halfway through a front and back 9.

Service Matters: Speed is crucial in Japan golf course dining. Staff must promptly serve meals within limited time frames—typically around 40 minutes to an hour—between the front and back nine holes, simultaneous delivery of meals to all members at a table is essential. Engaging with customers through friendly conversations—asking about their game or recommending menu items—enhances the overall dining experience.

CHAMISE

4. Beer & Drinks Equality, Please!

One peculiar observation: the price of non-alcoholic beer is often the same as regular beer. Perhaps it’s time for golf courses to consider offering soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages at more accessible prices, allowing golfers to quench their thirst without breaking the bank.

In summary, Japanese golf course restaurants offer a unique blend of luxury, flavor, and tradition. While the cost may raise eyebrows, the experience is undeniably memorable. So, whether you’re savoring a bowl of ramen or indulging in a local delicacy, remember that golf course dining is about more than just food—it’s an essential part of the game.

Morning Menue
Lunch Menu
Lunch Menu
Pine Valley GC Restaurant

I hope this blog post provides valuable insights into the captivating world of Japanese golf course dining. If you have any further questions or need additional information, feel free to ask! 🏌️‍♂️🍽️

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You can get Japanese-forged Irons – Comparison of all models of HONMA TW757 Iron

Tour World TW757 series from Honma Golf

This time we are introducing Japanese made HONMA Iron.

Honma made a significant move into the North American market in 2019 by signing golfer Justin Rose to an equipment deal, which resulted in him winning with Honma clubs. Despite the agreement being voided a few months later, this was a notable achievement for Honma. However, the company has since faced challenges in gaining more popularity among golfers outside of Japan.

Originally, Honma is a Japanese golf club manufacturer that produces high-end golf equipment, including golf clubs, balls, bags, and accessories. The company was founded in 1959 and has since become renowned for its craftsmanship and attention to detail in creating premium golf clubs for professionals and amateurs alike.

Honma’s golf clubs are known for their high-quality materials and unique designs, with many models featuring handcrafted components and custom fittings to suit individual golfers’ needs. The company also offers custom fitting services to ensure that golfers are using clubs that fit their swing style and body type.

Physical Energy – No longer get tired during & after a round of golf

Line-up of TW757 iron models

TW757 irons have 3 models of P, Vx, and B models.　

TW757 irons feature cast iron P with a pocket cavity, Vx with a slightly cavity back made of soft iron forging, and forged iron B with a muscle back.

While there is a trend among intermediate to advanced players toward hollow structures and tungsten weighting, there is also a trend toward muscle-back irons, exemplified by PING’s Blueprint.

Sole of TW757 Irons differs

This is a side-by-side image of three modals’ toes of P, Vx, and B from left to right.

The P iron has the widest sole and is the highest-lofted model of the three. It has a low center of gravity that makes it easy for the ball to launch higher and a deep center of gravity that makes it strong against variations in hitting points.

On the other hand, the B iron is a muscle-back iron preferred by advanced players, with a thin sole and a shape that allows for crisp turf interaction.

Offset of TW757 Irons also differs

All of the three models are almost non- offset , but the P iron has a slightly gooseneck shape.

The B iron has a fine, straight hosel that gives the impression of easy ball travel in the direction the face is pointed.

None of the irons have a gooseneck, making them suitable for those who can make solid contact with the ball themselves

Differences in Clubface of TW757 models

There are no significant variations in the clubface shape of the three models. However, the P iron’s face appears larger, so those who are uncomfortable with a compact face may prefer the P iron among the three models.

Differences in Loft Angle of TW757 models

TW757 PTW757 VxTW757 B
#521.5°24°25°
#728.5°30°33°
#938°38°41°

The P model is nearly a distance iron, so it is likely to be favored by intermediate and advanced players who want to achieve more distance with club performance and specs.

The B model has 33 degrees of loft and is an iron that launches the ball. In other words, it is suitable for those who want to control the distance and trajectory instead of being automatically corrected.

If You don’t have to be that strict about it, but are looking for a club that can lunch the ball be controlled, and also want to rely on the club’s performance for a little bit of distance, the Vx model is suitable.

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Great Golf Quotes

“Resolve never to quit, never to give up, no matter what the situation.”

“If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. I’ve loved this course from the first time I saw it. It’s possibly the best in the world.”

— Jack Nicklaus

“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.”

“The value of life is not determined by how much wealth you have acquired, but by how many golfing companies you have gained.”

— Bobby Jones
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Boost the immune system to build a disease-resistant body – What can be Japanese resistant to COVID-19?

immune system

Japanese AOJIRU is recommended

AOJIRU’s Good Effects are;

  • Immunity improvement
  • Anti-Aging
  • Skin enhancing
  • Healthy bones
  • Prevention of hypertension
  • Prevention of arteriosclerosis
  • Elimination of swelling

Immunity is a mechanism to maintain the health of the body by the two functions of “eliminating foreign substances and unnecessary substances in the body” and “repairing wounds”.

Do you think that the intestine is the organ of work that makes poops? In fact, researchers around the world are paying a lot of attention to the “intestines,” which are only conscious of when you break your stomach. The intestine, which digests and absorbs food, has the hidden important role of “controlling the immunity of the whole body.” It has become clear that Gut microbiota affect dementia, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, various “allergies” and “autoimmune diseases” in which immune cells attack their own cells. The hot topic “intestinal bacteria” controls the “immune power” that protects our whole body from various diseases while exchanging mysterious conversations with the “immune cells” that gather in the intestines. The amazing reality of intestines is revealing itself.

Autoimmune Disease Basics 

Autoimmune disease happens when the body’s natural defense system can’t tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune diseases that affect a wide range of body parts.

The most common autoimmune diseases in women are:

Rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis that attacks the joints

Psoriasis, a condition marked by thick, scaly patches of skin

Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis affecting some people with psoriasis

Lupus, a disease that damages areas of the body that include joints, skin and organs

Thyroid diseases, including Graves’ disease, where the body makes too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, where it doesn’t make enough (hypothyroidism) of the hormone

70% of immune cells are located in the gut
Gut is exactly the “whole body immune headquarters”

Immune cells are born in the bone marrow from the stem cells and circulate throughout the body through blood and lymph, and about 70% of the immune cells are found in the intestine.

The intestine is a place where there is a danger that not only food but also pathogens and viruses can always enter . It can be said that it is the organ that comes into close contact with the “outside world” in the body. That is why the intestines are filled with reliable warriors “immune cells” that repel foreign enemies such as pathogens and viruses. That number is around 70% of the immune cells in the body! So many immune cells are densely packed just inside the wall of the intestine that absorbs nutrients and water, preparing for the invasion of foreign enemies.

And the immune cells in the intestine are strengthened by good quality “intestinal bacteria”. If the intestinal bacteria are balanced and the immune cells are activated as a result, the immune system will improve.

Japanese have the potential to create “impregnable immunity”

In a recent study, Masahira Hattori, a world authority on gut microbiota research, compared the gut bacteria of healthy people in Japan with those in 11 countries around the world, including Europe and the United States, and found out something surprising. The Japanese gut microbiota had a much higher ability to eat dietary fiber and produce “butyric acid” and other “substances that control immunity” than the gut microbiota of people in other countries. In other words, it is thought that the intestines of Japanese have the potential to create “impregnable immunity”.

Clostridium, an intestinal bacterium that is important for controlling immunity, feeds on seaweed and root vegetables, which have often been served on the dinner table in Japan. Thanks to this, it is thought that many intestinal bacteria such as Clostridium, which prefers dietary fiber as feed, have become inhabited.
*Gut bacteria that can decompose seaweed are known to be peculiar to the Japanese intestine.

Chikuzen-ni
Chikuzen-ni: traditional Japanese home cooking,
Simmered Root Vegetables with Chicken
（image: AJINOMOTO PARK）
Burdock Root Tempura
Burdock Root Tempura
This would go great with some beer!
（image: Kurashiru）

However, especially after the war, with the growth of Western dietary habits and the use of pesticides in Japan, the intake of dietary fiber is also decreasing. Therefore, many Japanese seniors regularly use supplement green juice ‟AOJIRU”.

Therefore, we recommend「青汁のめぐり」 “Aojiru Meguri,” which allows you to take in oligosaccharide and dietary fiber at the same time. Manufactured by the famous Japanese company Yakult, you can drink with confidence.
Click here to buy or more info!

"Clostridium" captured with an electron microscope
“Clostridium” captured with an electron microscope
(Image: NITTO PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.)
Treg cells
Naive T cells differentiate into Tregs (regulatory T cells)
by butyric acid produced by intestinal bacteria

The surprising role of “Clostridium”

In this interview, it was found that there was an intestinal bacterium that was commonly reduced in two different diseases, severe allergies and multiple sclerosis. That is a member of the intestinal bacterium called “Clostridium”.

What is the gut bacterium Clostridium, which has been reduced in the patient’s intestine, doing in the intestine? The key to solving the mystery was the “special immune cells” discovered by Shimon Sakaguchi, a specially appointed professor at Osaka University, a world authority on immune research. Until now, when it comes to immune cells, it was thought that the role was to attack foreign enemies, but the immune cells newly discovered by Mr. Sakaguchi are the opposite. Rather, it was found to have a role in suppressing the excessive attack of fellow immune cells. The immune cells are named “Tregs (regulatory T cells)”. Among the immune cells, there was not only an “attacker” but also a so-called “brake”. It has become clear that this T-leg works to soothe immune cells that are overactive and runaway in various parts of the body, and suppress allergies and autoimmune diseases.

The latest research has revealed that such an important T-leg is produced in our intestines by the action of Clostridium, which is a type of intestinal bacterium. Clostridium eats “dietary fiber” in our intestines as food and releases a substance called “butyric acid” actively. This substance, in fact, plays a role in conveying the message “calm down!” To the immune cells that gather in the intestines. Butyric acid produced by Clostridium passes through the wall of the intestine and is received by the immune cells inside it, transforming into a T-leg.

NHK Special “Human Body” Repels All Diseases! The “intestine” was the key to immunity / broadcast on January 14, 2018

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Physical Energy – No longer get tired during & after a round of golf

image of stamina

Can you have stamina enough to play 18 holes without a cart?

If you can, you might be strong also at night. Anyway …

Have you ever felt out of stamina in the second half of a golf round?

Fatigue may be the cause of the score collapse on the back nine especially on the last 3 holes. To put it simply, there is a lack of stamina. If fatigue accumulates, you would not be able to stand firm, and it will be difficult to send a ball flying with a proper shoulder turn, resulting in many missed shots.

It might be lack of stamina that the score collapses on the last 3 holes

If you lose your score on the 3rd hole, not that it may be a problem with your golf skills, but that you may have run out of stamina. Especially when the lower half of your body is no longer held and the swing axis isn’t kept, then you may have run out of stamina.

We recommend

1. During a round or a break, “amino VITAL pro” popular in Japan

Carbohydrates and lipids are the primary energy sources for daily activities. However, During vigorous physical activities like sports, carbohydrates and lipids stored in the body are unable to sufficiently compensate for the energy needs. The amino acids broken down from proteins in muscles are, therefore, utilized as fuels. In addition, sweating, which helps to control the body temperature, leads to water evaporation from the skin surface. Therefore, the frequent charge of both water and amino acids is essential to enjoy any sport.

Amino acids are the basis of sports
The key to comfortably performing at sports is to charge BCAAs, glutamine and arginine.

“aminoVITAL®” is formulated with well-balanced amino acids including BCAAs, which are important to smoothly perform in sports. You want to stay active more comfortably for longer periods and “aminoVITAL®” supports your body and helps it to stay energetic for longer.

Amino Acids are The Source of Life
3800 mg of amino acids (9 essential amino acids containing BCAAs that cannot be made with the body plus cystine and glutamine) and 8 vitamins that are important during sports can be easily ingested in the form of granules that melt in the mouth. Based on the latest sports science research, amino acids are absorbed quickly, making it ideal for conditioning the entire body of those who want to continue playing sports on a daily basis.

Futher details
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Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine are particularly called branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) of twenty kinds of amino acids that make up human body proteins and are important to maintain favorable body condition for comfortable sporting. Since BCAAs cannot be synthesized by the body in humans, which are parts of 9 essential amino acids, it is essential to charge them in the diet. Glutamine and arginine also play an important role in maintaining the healthy life.

What are Amino Acids?

Amino acids, which are the constituents of proteins, are essential nutrients that form the basis of important tissues of the body such as skin, muscles, bones, blood, and organs . It occupies about 20% of the body.

There are 20 types of amino acids that make proteins. It also contains essential amino acids (EAA) that cannot be synthesized within the body and can only be supplemented from the diet.

Insufficient amino acids can lead to mental disorders due to decreased metabolism and immunity, as well as physical disorders such as rough skin and decreased muscle mass .

Let’s take amino acids positively to prevent physical troubles.

2. Vital Suppliment “ULBO Maca” For those who feel strength & vitality slipping

ULBO Maca

ULBO Maca Charge JAPAN for Golf Performance & Health Citrulline Arginine Zinc Maca 90ta
This product is developed for customers who want to “get tired recently”, “do not feel refreshed in the morning”, and “want another step”. Highly blended citrulline / arginine / zinc, which is good for men! In addition, “Maca“, which has the nickname of “Queen of the Andes”, is also included! It is a must-have for those who want to replenish their nutrition more easily. If you want to be more active and want to enrich your work and life, please give it a try.

Futher details
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Thank you for reading. Hope this can help you.

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