The Restoration Of Charles Hugh Alison's Hirono

The Restoration Of Charles Hugh Alison’s 

Hirono

The Restoration Of Charles Hugh Alison’s Hirono 

Reimagined By Mackenzie & Ebert 

“Beautiful lakes and pretty ponds, natural valleys and ravines, 

good and gentle undulations all around, rivulets, mountains, 

hillocks and woodlands, a real setting for an ideal golf course, 

all arranged by nature.” 

C.H.Alison

Biography Of Charles Hugh Alison 

Charles Hugh Alison was born on the 5th of March 1883 in Preston, Lancashire. 

He was educated at Malvern College in Worcestershire. He then attended New College, Oxford for two years, 

achieving two blues for playing for Oxford University against Cambridge University in the 1903 and 1904 

University Golf Matches. 

It is believed that Alison began to assist Harry Colt from 1906 in his course design business. In 1908, Alison 

was appointed secretary of Stoke Poges Golf Club (now called Stoke Park), a course which Colt designed and 

opened in 1909. 

After the war in 1918, Alison was assigned to a committee (in place of Colt) tasked with designing the four 

remaining holes to be designed at Pine Valley following the death of George Crump. Alison produced a five 

page report which led to significant changes to the course, including the rebuilding of five greens. 

Over the following nine years in the US, Alison designed more than twenty new courses including the Country 

Club of Detroit. However, it appears his experience at Pine Valley was perhaps most important in shaping his 

beliefs for future design work. 

In 1929, Colt was approached by Komo Otani from Tokyo GC. 

Otani studied in England and, like many other Japanese golfers 

who studied in Britain, he admired the courses outside London, 

many of which had been designed by Colt. This led to Colt 

agreeing to the commission and he demanded a fee of £1,500 

plus expenses. However, concerned by the long voyage, Colt 

sent Alison in his place. 

Alison arrived in Japan on the 1st December 1930 on a boat from 

California with George Penglase, an American greenkeeper who 

would stay on as construction foreman after Alison returned to 

the US. His first project was Tokyo Golf Club located on relatively 

flat terrain north of Tokyo which was opened in 1932. He then 

designed Hirono, which had a much more interesting terrain 

and was regarded as possibly the best golf course in Japan. 

He also designed the Fuji course at Kawana, though this was not completed until 1936, remodelled 

five holes on the (now) East Course at Kasumigaseki GC, originally created by amateur architect Kinya 

Fujita, and almost completely redesigned the Naruo course near Osaka. 

Throughout the 1930s, Alison continued to travel the world, working on the Royal Selangor course in 

Kuala Lumpur. He then worked in countries such as Morocco, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

After the Second World War, in which Alison worked in ciphers, he moved to South Africa, completing 

minor works at some other courses. He died, aged 70, in Johannesburg on the 20th of October 1952.

The 5th hole shortly 

after opening

Introduction & Heritage 

If Mackenzie & Ebert was fortunate to be commissioned, there was a belief that this would be 

a project to relish when contact was first made with the committee at Hirono. The committee 

was named ‘The Restoration Committee’. Nothing could be closer to our hearts, especially 

when we saw the plans which C.H. Alison had drawn up and also the incredible archive of 

photographs which the Club held from the 1930s, shortly after the course opened on the 19th 

of June 1932. Alison had been asked to design Tokyo Golf Club but, during his 3 months in 

Japan, he was asked to look at numerous other sites for courses and Hirono turned out to be 

the most famous of them. 

The opportunity to view the course revealed a wonderful layout with no weak holes at all. The 

topography could be described as ideal for golf, containing enough movement throughout 

without it producing a tough walk. There are many distinct ravines and softer valleys which 

feature on so many of the holes. As was usual for Colt & Alison’s courses, the four par 3s really 

stand out as inspired although, interestingly, they are all odd numbered so surely Alison must 

have asked if there was much likelihood of foursomes golf being played on the course! The par 

5 15th is regarded by the members as perhaps the best hole but this could be partly as a result 

of Jack Nicklaus being the first man to hit the green in two shots in the 1960s! 

Following two visits to work up proposals and discuss the project with the Restoration 

Committee, Mackenzie & Ebert was commissioned. The strong brief was to restore the great 

work which Alison left although, at this point, reference should be made to the significant input 

of Seiichi Takahata, who found the site and was also one of Club’s founders, and Chozo Itoh, 

the first Course Superintendent. They were the key figures who had the task of implementing 

Alison’s design as he spent less than a week in Kobe to study the land and draw up his design. 

The wonderful character of the bunkering shown in the early photos had led to the comparison 

with Pine Valley although Hirono is not blessed with Pine Valley’s sandy soil. That shows what 

an amazing job was done by the construction team in those early days and the photograph at 

the top right, showing the workers in action creating the huge and beautifully shaped carry 

bunker at the 18th hole, illustrates the level of creation and artistry which was employed. 

The 18th hole under construction 

We added to the archive by tracking down old aerial photography of the course from the 

1940s and 1960s. Along with Alison’s plans and the Club’s photographs, these showed that 

the greens had become smaller, the fairways had become much narrower, the bunkers had 

lost their shape, character and roughness and the trees had grown significantly although 

the original course was cut through pine woodland. Only one hole had been significantly 

extended and, in fact, that had happened twice with new greens being pushed back on both 

occasions. That was the par 5 12th and the second extension had led to the par 3 13th hole 

being played from a new tee at right angles to Alison’s hole. The original playing line of the 

par 3 was something the Committee was very keen to restore back to its original playing line. 

We also studied the results of the most recent elite events at the course including the Japan 

Open of 2005 and the Japan Amateur in 2012. It was interesting to see how the holes played 

in those two tournaments. 

The 18th hole shortly after opening

The course soon after opening 

Note the extent of the tree cover 

Planning the course


Original layout and card of the course

The view from the tee on the 2nd hole 

The entrance to the 6th green guarded by huge bunkers 

Incredible bunkering evident at the 7th hole 

The 17th lake & green


Having completed all of the research, one of our main recommendations was to restore the layout and 

character of the bunkering although we warned that this would increase the maintenance demands. 

The members of the Committee were in complete agreement. 

The Club was also keen to rebuild the greens. Alison had drawn up green plans but the greens had 

been rebuilt in the 1980s when they were converted to bent grass. Our belief was that the contours 

were probably changed in that process. It was not the easiest task to interpret Alison’s plans but he 

defined the general elevations of the greens and the key features, often including quite high mounds 

to the rear of the greens. Our knowledge of Colt & Alison courses led us to conclude that Alison would 

have wanted more artfully shaped green surfaces. We invited members of the Committee to the British 

Isles to see and play some Colt & Alison courses and others where their input was not so significant but 

where the greens were good models for Hirono. We took them to St. George’s Hill, Swinley Forest, Royal 

Cinque Ports, Royal St. George’s, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush and that was very helpful to 

debate the shaping of the greens. 

We also recommended that the greens should be restored closer to their original sizes and to the 

plan shapes which Alison had drawn although his drawings showed greens meeting with bunkers as 

was the style at the time. Hence, we were constrained to some extent on this but the greens we have 

designed are much larger than those found on our initial visit. 

The same applied to the fairways. They had become almost ridiculously narrow over the years. We 

scaled Alison’s plans and overlaid them. They were enormously wide. The 1963 aerial photograph also 

showed much wider fairways although not as wide as Alison had drawn. Following consultation with 

the Committee, we settled on significant widening of the fairways although there was concern that 

this would make the course too easy. We have countered that by adding fairway bunkers to tighten the 

landing areas for the better players. While this falls out of the ‘restoration’ concept, we feel that this is 

what Alison would recommend if he had the opportunity to revisit the course today with a knowledge 

of how the game is now played. That same principle was applied to recommend the removal of some 

bunkers which were really no longer relevant, although less so than on most projects of this nature as 

the bunkering landscape which Alison imagined is so much a part of the character of Hirono. 

The trees are an interesting subject. There is no doubt that we found too many when we made our 

initial visit and that significant clearance was required but the site Alison found did have a significant 

amount of woodland and the original course was tree lined to a large degree. Also, some of the trees 

which have grown or been planted have added to the beauty of the course. 

Golf courses in Japan have a wonderful diversity of character throughout the year. The spring sees the 

flowering trees, most notably the cherry trees, come to the fore. The summer heat and high rainfall 

results in a very green and vibrant course. In the autumn, the incredible colours and hues of the maple 

trees, which are interspersed amongst the pines, are a marvellous spectacle. Finally, winter takes hold 

but, in some ways, the playing conditions are the best and could be described as almost links like. The 

korai (zoysia) fairways turn brown but are so tight and firm running, the noshiba grass rough turns 

white and the bent grass greens remain green, providing a very attractive contrast of tones. 

Alison’s hole plan for the 18th hole 

Alison’s green plan for the 18th hole

Photograph courtesy of Taku Miyamoto © 

Spring 


Summer

Autumn 


Winter

The 7th hole shortly 

after opening


The policy with the trees was to remove evergreen species such as leylandii, all of the imported 

American pines which were straight and lacking in character and to open up old vistas which 

had disappeared by thinning stands of woodland which had become more dense over the 

years. As a result, the Japanese pine trees, so many of which have wonderful shapes, have been 

given more freedom to be admired, some cherry trees, but not all, have been removed and the 

maples, in general, have been retained as their colours in the autumn produce a most amazing 

spectacle. Over 2,000 trees were removed during the project. 

The design process we followed was to make a thorough historical study to form a basis for 

our proposals. A Draft Masterplan was drawn up which was discussed with the Committee 

before a final set of proposals was agreed. These were illustrated with visualisations based on 

drone photographs and presented to the membership which accepted the recommendations 

without any complaint or concern over the nature of the proposals or losing their course while 

the work was carried out. We then embarked upon the detailed design, producing green plans 

defining the levels of the green surfaces at 6.25cm intervals and the rest of the areas at 25cm. 

Existing vegetation, top soil stripping, earth movement, drainage, irrigation and proposed 

vegetation plans were drawn up to define the works along with a detailed specification and 

bill of quantities with the assistance of the Club’s General Manager, Katsuhisa Takatsuka, the 

Club’s Course Manager Hiroya Kitatani and the agronomist for the project, Noriaki Aoki. 

The large Japanese contractor Takenaka was awarded the contract aided by Nihon Turf 

Management working as a sub-contractor. The Club understood the need for specialist shaping 

skills and our feeling was that a shaper solely focusing on the bunkers would be critical for this 

project as well as utilising the skills of a green shaper. 

Quinn Thompson from Chicago, who has a lot of experience working in Japan, carried out all 

of the detailed bunker shaping and Raf Oczkowski, from Poland but based in Scotland, shaped 

up the greens and carried out the rough shaping of the bunkers before Quinn got to work. 

We also enlisted the input of a specialist greens finisher, Andy Bennett, to ensure that the final 

touches to the green contours maximised the potential of the surface shapes. 

The greens were built with a stone carpet and an intermediate layer and the shapes were 

finalised with the stone layers rather than exactly at the base stage. That worked really well 

with the contractor being very diligent in setting out the levels according to the detailed 

plans and approvals were given based on a visit schedule every three weeks. Construction 

commenced in early January of 2019, all of the greens were seeded before the end of May 

and the course reopened on 1st October 2019. The programme was very demanding but the 

project was completed right on schedule. That was a remarkable achievement from every 

member of the team given the periods of wet weather during the construction period. 


Captain Morimoto, Hayashi-san, Andy Bennett, Martin Ebert & Quinn Thompson

The 13th hole shortly after opening 

viewed from Alison’s original playing line


Working in Japan for the first time has been a tremendous experience. The beautiful landscape 

has been a joy to see. The respectful nature of everyone we have met made it very easy to 

operate and the efficiency and hard work of the whole project team was remarkable. The 

Club was excellent to deal with throughout and the General Manager, Katsuhisa Takatsuka 

coordinated all of the meetings in an extremely organised way. The Committee was led by 

the Club Captain, Yasunobu Morimoto and the Club’s Chairman, Kazunobu Suzuki and the 

President, Hidefumi Inui, have been fully supportive of the proposals. 

The Committee was fully engaged in the process and took a real interest in the progress of 

construction which is not always the case with projects like these. 

We hope that the golfers of Hirono will be delighted with the results of the project having been 

so understanding of losing their course for the best part of a year. We will have succeeded in our 

task if there is a sense that we have done justice to the original masterpiece of Alison, Takahata 

and Itoh and that we have also retained the distinctly Japanese character of the course. 


The Restoration Committee with President Suzuki, Martin Ebert & Chris Huggett on the Reopening Day of the Course

Charles Hugh Alison’s Original Layout

The 1932, 1948, 1963, 1976 & 2015 Aerial Photographs 

Historic aerial photographs almost always provide a fascinating insight into the earlier 

character and evolution of golf courses. These photographs provide information regarding the 

green shapes and sizes, the bunker numbers, locations, sizes and shapes, the fairway widths, 

the extent and nature of the rough vegetation, the tree cover and the general landscape. 

The best photos are ones which are taken from directly overhead and can be scaled for an 

accurate comparison with the current day course. At Hirono, the earliest aerial photo directly 

overhead is from 1948. The 1932 photograph was very interesting but was taken at an oblique 

angle. The 1948 photograph is not very clear so the earliest photograph which provides really 

interesting information is from 1963 followed by the one taken in 1976. These are wonderfully 

sharp photographs and really show up the greens, bunkers and fairway shapes well. These old 

aerial photos illustrate how the course had evolved over the years by our comparison of them 

with the most recent aerial photograph of the course available. 

The main change to the course routing at Hirono had been the movement of the 12th green. 

This had been pushed further back twice since 1948 and had led to the par 3 13th hole being 

completely changed in playing line. 

One relatively frequent conclusion of these studies is that green sizes in particular have 

become smaller over the years due to a need to reduce the maintenance input as a result of 

lower manpower resources during the Second World War. In many cases, their former size was 

never recovered. There was definite evidence of this at Hirono. 

In general, the bunkering layout of the course had remained fairly faithful to Alison’s original 

design. A few more had been added and some of the bunkers had seen a significant reduction 

in size but this was much less evident at Hirono than it is at other courses. Where the bunkers 

had changed was in relation to their character, with the roughness and detail being softened 

and smoothed out over the years. Examining the great collection of early ground photos of the 

course highlighted this. 

Another major conclusion at Hirono was that the fairways were so much wider in 1963. This is 

a common change to courses over the years but perhaps not to the extent that had occurred 

at Hirono. There was evidence of the fairways becoming narrower between 1963 and 1976 

and narrower still after that. As far as the landscape was concerned, the majority of the holes 

were tree lined in 1948 but those tree corridors had narrowed considerably over the years. 

The distant views shown in the early ground photos had certainly diminished as a feature of 

the course with the growth of the trees. The overall historical review of the course, of which 

the aerial photography comparison study was a significant part, proved extremely useful for 

the preparation of the Masterplan and as an aid during the construction works. It has also 

provided a fascinating historical record for the Club. 

1963 Aerial Photograph

Oblique View Of The Course In 1932

Aerial Photograph Of 23rd May 1963

Evolution Of The 2nd Hole 

Alison’s Plan 

20th February 1948 

23rd May 1963 

23rd August 1976 

2015 - Before Restoration 

2019 - After Restoration

Overall Summary Of Recommendations 

Restoration & Improvement 

It was decided that the project should combine both restoration and improvement of the course. For instance, 

it was agreed that the old 13th hole should be restored, along with many of the wonderful old bunker features 

shown in the historic photographs. The greens were to be restored as far as possible to Alison’s original concepts. 

Fairway widths were to be restored (widened) but some new bunkers added to improve the challenge of the 

course for the elite players. 

Overall Course Length 

There was an opportunity to add 123 yards to the overall length of the course resulting in a total of 7,292 yards. 

However, the White and Red course lengths have been reduced slightly. 

A set of short course tees was added, giving a length of just over 4,900 yards. 

The 13th hole 

after restoration Photograph courtesy of Taku Miyamoto ©

Tees 

It was determined that the tees would be reconstructed to perfect levels. Some tees needed to 

be enlarged, some back tees added and a set of short course tees were to be included. 

The Carry Areas 

For certain holes, the grasses in the carry areas were to be allowed to grow long and wispy 

and it was also decided to create bare sand areas with islands of vegetation in them for some 

of the holes. 


The 3rd hole before (inset) 

& after restoration


Fairways 

The fairways widths were to be restored back towards Alison’s original concepts but additional 

bunkers were also proposed to maintain the challenge of the course for the elite players. 

Bunkers 

It was unanimously agreed that the bunkers were to be restored closer to Alison’s original 

concept in terms of their roughness and natural looking beauty. It was felt that this would 

make an extremely strong visual impact for the course and a real impression in the world of 

golf. The success of the bunker shaping was considered to be one of the most important aspects 

of the project. However, it was accepted that the restoration of the bunkers to their former style 

would probably result in a requirement for additional maintenance and that wash outs could 

be an issue when heavy rain is experienced. 

The 2nd hole before (inset) 

& after restoration Photograph courtesy of Taku Miyamoto ©

The Green & Bunker Restoration At The 5th Hole 

Shortly After Opening 

Before Restoration 

Visualisation 

The Completed 5th Hole

The Green & Bunker Restoration At The 7th Hole 



Visualisation 


The Sandy Carry & Bunker Restoration At The 18th Hole 



Visualisation 




Greens 

In general, the plan shapes of the greens were to be 

restored towards the original concepts of Alison. The 

historic research conducted led to the conclusion that 

the greens were much larger in size. Enlargement of the 

majority of the greens towards the original sizes was 

recommended. It was also believed that the contours 

of the greens were changed from the original shapes, 

probably when the greens were converted to bent grass 

in the 1980s. It was recommended that the greens were 

given more interesting shapes in the style which Alison 

would have designed. 

Alison’s sketch of the 3rd green 

The 3rd green before (inset) 

& after restoration

Trees 

The original course was tree lined but the number of trees had increased significantly and a lot of tree planting had been 

carried out over the years to fill any gaps in the landscape. In general, it was recommended that the removal of trees should 

be carried out to restore the original character and to improve the growing conditions for the greens and other playing areas. 

The 14th hole before 

(inset) & after restoration Photograph courtesy of Taku Miyamoto ©


Practice Facilities - Putting Green 

The putting green used to be one fantastic large green as shown in the old photograph but it 

had been split into two with a pathway. It was agreed that the huge green would be restored 

to create an incredible feature at the clubhouse. 

A new, ‘Himalayas’ style putting green was thought to be a good, new feature to be added and 

is located beside the 10th tee for use before and after play. 

Practice putting green in 1933 

(inset) & after restoration

Practice Facilities - Practice Ground 

The tee for championship events was extended further back to produce a length of over 300 yards. A separate members’ tee has 

been constructed with an artificial tee strip behind it. The addition of double target greens with bunkers not only makes the 

practise more realistic but the practice ground can be closed on occasions to allow a 6 hole short course to be played. 

A new short game green and a bunker practice green was felt to be important so this was part of the brief for the practice 

ground development. 

Practice ground before 

(inset) & after

The 11th green from the approach 

and from above (inset)

The Restoration Process 



Raf Oczkowski shaping the 4th green 

Quinn Thompson shaping a bunker at the 6th

The 18th green 

Martin cycling up the 12th fairway – Environmentally responsible site transport!

The Restoration Process 


The 12th hole

Mackenzie & Ebert 

Tom Mackenzie & Martin Ebert have been designing and redesigning golf courses since 1989, first with Donald Steel & Company 

and then, from 2005, as Mackenzie & Ebert Ltd. The company has provided the golf course architectural advice to Hirono Golf 

Club for the restoration project following an initial visit to the Club in November 2017. Martin Ebert has been the partner in 

charge of the work supported by Chris Huggett. Five planning visits were made in 2018 following the initial visit and Martin 

made thirteen visits during the construction period between January 2019 and the reopening of the course on 1st October 

2019. Chris Huggett accompanied Martin on three of the construction visits to provide technical support and to record the 

construction works with drone photograhy. 

This major project at Hirono has been one of the most prominent ever handled by the company given Hirono’s standing in 

Japanese and world golf and the quality of Charles Hugh Alison’s original design. The company’s portfolio includes numerous 

Colt & Company courses around the world which helped greatly with understanding the original design concepts which would 

have been employed at Hirono. 

Royal Portrush 

Mackenzie & Ebert currently advise 7 of the 10 current Open Championship venues, the feted Royal Dornoch in Scotland, Royal 

Porthcawl in Wales, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland and Portmarnock and The Island in Ireland amongst a long portfolio 

of courses enjoying a strong and notable heritage. The Open Championship courses of Royal Portrush (one of Colt & Company’s 

finest works), Turnberry, Royal St. George’s, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Royal Troon, Carnoustie and Royal Liverpool have to 

present an enjoyable experience for members and visitors as well as providing a supreme test of the world’s best players. 

The same objective was at the core of the proposals drawn up and implemented to restore and improve the course at Hirono. 

Striking the right balance is always the key as well as paying due respect to the wonderful heritage of these courses. The other 

important aspect of the brief for Hirono was to maintain the proud Japanese character of the course. 

The skills which the company has learned from working on so many classic championship courses have been brought to bear 

on the planning and implementation of the restoration of Charles Hugh Alison’s wonderful design at Hirono. It has been a real 

honour to advise the Club.

Royal St. George’s 

Royal Troon 

Royal Liverpool 

Photograph Courtesy of Royal St. George’s 

Photograph Courtesy of Kenneth Ferguson Photography 

Photograph Courtesy of Sam Cooper 

Turnberry

Aerial Photograph Of The Restored Course 

17 

16 

18 

13 

14 

10 

12 

15 

6 

9 

11 

7 

1 

5 

4 

8 

3 

2

Card Of The Restored Course 

Hole 

Blue 

Yards 

White 

Yards 

Gold 

Yards 

Red 

Yards 

Green 

Yards 

1 500 488 475 475 376 5 

2 457 410 350 350 309 4 

3 462 401 349 349 349 4 

4 461 377 355 355 276 4 

5 176 139 129 129 127 3 

6 443 396 342 342 309 4 

7 217 173 147 122 122 3 

8 356 332 315 262 262 4 

9 561 491 444 444 389 5 

Out 3633 3207 2906 2828 2519 36 

10 351 334 318 318 313 4 

11 472 389 341 341 309 4 

12 604 570 456 456 456 5 

13 (1932) 163 134 100 100 69 3 

14 388 353 313 230 230 4 

15 592 500 444 403 403 5 

16 404 373 365 365 267 4 

17 229 207 193 193 94 3 

18 456 374 349 349 246 4 

In 3659 3234 2879 2755 2387 36 

Out 3633 3207 2906 2828 2519 36 

Total 7292 6441 5785 5583 4906 72 

Old Course 7169 6454 5779 

13 (2005) 166 145 133 123 110 3 

Par

Photograph courtesy of Taku Miyamoto ©

No. 1 

500Yds 488Yds 475Yds 475Yds 376Yds Par 5 

Hole Description 

There is an immediate sense that an exciting experience lies in wait for the golfers when they step onto the huge 1st tee at 

Hirono. The tee is so close to the clubhouse and yet the location enjoys its own privacy and the view across the valley in the 

carry to a wide fairway is very inviting. Alison’s huge, flanking bunkers on either side of the fairway provide an indication 

that the bunkering of the course will be one of its strong characteristics. One bunker has been added to the left of the 

fairway to tighten the landing area for the longest hitters. The fact that the hole plays as a short par 5 is a comfort to most 

golfers but, for major events, it is normally played as a par 4 so that makes it an entirely different and more demanding 

prospect. The approach bunker on the right gives the fairway beautiful shape. This hazard works well with the huge scar 

of a bunker which is located to the left of the green, in a natural deep swale which Alison would have selected as the key 

feature to set his green beside. The green surface has a number of distinct areas for the location of the flag and the major 

feature is a spine which divides its left and right from the green centre onwards. 

Hole Changes & Comments 

Trees thinned to the right of the hole. 

Bunkers restored and reshaped. 

Fairway restored in width and shape along the lines of Alison’s concept. 

1. Existing tee rebuilt. 

2. Short course tee built. 

3. Bunker filled. 

4. New bunker added. 

5. Approach bunker widened towards centre line. 

6. Approach area widened considerably to the right. 

7. Green restored in size and shape to Alison’s design. 

8. Bunker filled behind the green. 

9. Trees cleared behind the green. 

1 

4 

8 

5 6 

7 

9 

2 3

No. 1


No. 1



No. 2 



The tees of the 2nd are reached by a short, uphill walk and the higher elevation provides the golfers with a wonderful 

view of the hole stretching away in the distance. The low point of the fairway is the landing area for the tee shots, with the 

green involving the gentlest of climbs from that point. However, the view is broken by the most marvellous cross bunker 

stretching from right of the centre line to the furthest point possible to the left. The restoration of the magnificence of this 

great hazard was a real priority but the best players now carry it with ease. Hence, a new bunker has been located to the 

right of the fairway which will pose a real decision for the golfers on the tee. The fairway tightens up significantly at this 

point. Any lay up will leave a much longer second shot up the slope to a demanding green so there is a real benefit to be 

gained from a long and accurate drive. The approach and the green are guarded by a quartet of bunkers. The golfers are 

learning quickly that Alison liked to defend his greens very stoutly! 





1. Existing tees rebuilt. 


3. Trees cleared to the left of the carry to open up views of the bunkers again. 

4. Carry bunker restored to one large hazard. 

5. Trees cleared and a new fairway bunker added. 

6. Trees cleared to the left of the fairway. 

7. Approach and greenside bunker configuration restored. 

8. Green restored in size and shape to Alison’s design and moved to the right by 5 yards. 


1 

3 

4 

6 

7 

2 

5 

7 

8 

9

No. 2


No. 2



No. 3 



Once again, the tees are so easily reached from the previous green. Alison located another fearsome carry bunker but on 

the right this time, and not so far across the fairway as the one at the 2nd. The carry of the hole is a low area and that has 

now been landscaped with a mixture of sand and islands of rough, a characteristic which a number of holes on the course 

now share. These naturalised areas certainly add to the drama of the view from the tees. 

With no opportunity to take the tee back and no desire to move Alison’s huge bunker further on, a new bunker has been 

added further up to the right of the hole. The elevated green has a beautifully shaped bunker guarding its left hand side 

and that balances well with the pond to the right. 


Trees thinned on both sides of the hole. 



1. Existing tees rebuilt and enlarged. 


3. Bare sand area created in the carry. 

4. Trees cleared to allow the full extent of the large carry bunker to be restored. 

5. Trees cleared to the right and a new fairway bunker added. 


1 

3 

2 

6 

4 5

No. 3


No. 3



No. 4 



The only green which has been moved as part of this project is at the 4th, although the 12th green had been taken further 

on twice during its evolution. Moving it to the right slightly has created welcome space for the walk off side to the 5th tees 

but the shape and bunkering around the green has taken Alison’s original design as its inspiration. The green had to come 

a little closer towards the tees as well but the new back tee has more than made up for the loss of length at the green. The 

new tee also means that the original, staggered fairway bunkers are at the perfect distance for the best players. They will 

be aiming to just about carry the one on the left but not run into the one on the right. 

The bunkers have both been edged in towards the fairway to demand more accuracy. The green is surrounded by bunkers 

apart from in the approach and to the left but, on that side, a steep bank will see an errant shot kicking away from the 

green, leaving a tricky recovery. 




1. New back tee added lengthening the hole by 10 yards despite some loss of length at 

the green end of the hole. 


3. Trees cleared to the right of the carry. 



5. Bunkers on the left and right extended into the fairway to tighten the drive landing 

area. 

6. Trees cleared to allow the green to be moved shorter and to the right to give more 

room to the left of the green but Alison’s design used for the green shape and 

bunkering. 

5 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

No. 4

No. 4



No. 5 



The run of three extremely demanding par 4s (four in major events when the 1st is played as a par 4), is broken by the world 

class, par 3 5th hole. However, even though it is undeniably world class, there will be golfers who might prefer the 7th or the 

13th. Even the 17th is a strong one-shot hole. It is true to say that Hirono has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to 

par 3s. That is common amongst the designs of Harry Colt and Charles Hugh Alison but it is unlikely that any of their other 

courses will be quite as well-endowed on this front. 

The deep, water filled ravine which lies between the tees and the green provides the visual drama but Alison produced a 

hole of the highest quality with a quite brilliantly bunkered green. The huge hazard which slices so strongly across the front 

of the green and up its right hand side looked so stunning in the early photos of the course and every attempt has been 

made to replicate the same visual impression from the tee. A very short tee shot which just clears the ravine leaves the 

golfer faced with possibly the second hardest bunker shot at Hirono. The hardest one comes two holes later in the deepest 

pit short of the par 3 7th! 


1. New back tee added lengthening the hole by 24 yards. 


3. Trees and bushes cleared to reveal the reservoir and to open up the surroundings 

around the green. 


4. The incredible looking large bunker restored. 

5. Alison’s original green design restored using his plans and the old photographs of 

the green from the tee to replicate the look of the bunkers and the horizon line of 

the back of the green. 

3 

3 

1 

2 

3 

3 

4 

3 

5

No. 5


No. 5



No. 6 

396ds 

443Yds 342Yds 342Yds 309Yds Par 4 


Alison’s plan of the 6th proposed a carry bunker but no photos exist which provide evidence that this was ever created. 

Instead, at some point, a large mound was constructed, resulting in a blind tee shot. It is a slightly strange feature and a 

little odd to introduce unnecessary blindness but it fits perfectly with the dominant central mound to the rear of the green 

and, indeed, the form of some of the mountains surrounding the course. 

The decision was taken to add Alison’s intended bunker and, further, to occupy the low area from the tees leading to it 

with a sandy landscape which joins into the bunker itself. This produces a breath-taking view from the tee. Another, smaller 

mound has been added to the right of the tee shot to maintain the character of the other features of the hole and the 

bunkers on either side of the green frame the putting surface perfectly. 








4. Bare sand area created which joins into the bunker set into the mound. Alison showed 

this bunker on his plans but the old ground and aerial photography does not suggest 

it was ever built. 

5. The existing bunker has been edged into the fairway. 

6. Trees thinned to the right of the hole to reveal the steep drop away. 

7. Trees cleared to the left of the hole to allow the fairway to be extended. 

8. A new mound created to the right of the fairway to tighten the landing area. 



1 

2 

4 

5 

7 

10 

3 

6 

6 

8 

9

No. 6


No. 6



No. 7 



The name which the 7th hole was known by, Devil’s Divot, really explains it all! From the back tee it requires a shot of over 

200 yards. to reach the green. This plays across a tremendously deep ravine, running from left to right across the hole, which 

saves its deepest section for the area in front of and to the right of the green. Alison chose to fill this with unimaginable 

bunkers and sandy wastes resulting in a vision from the tee which can fill the golfer with the most worrisome of thoughts. 

A tee shot falling well short will definitely leave the hardest bunker shot at Hirono! 

Trust and belief in the swing is required and the relief of finding the green surface is one of the most satisfying outcomes 

on the course. The green is not the largest but has an excellent variety of flag positions to ensure that the hole tests the 

putting as well as the long game. 


1. Back tee extended to the rear lengthening the hole by 6 yards. 


3. Trees cleared on both sides of the hole to open it out again. 


5. New bridge built across the valley. 



7. Larger area of green surround created to the left with a steep slope running away from 

the green replacing a bunker which was not in Alison’s design. 


9. Bunker behind the green which was not in Alison’s plan removed and replaced with a 

closely mown bank and swale. 


3 

1 4 

5 

7 

10 

2 

3 

6 

8 

9

No. 7


No. 7



No. 8 



Every course of the highest quality should have at least one short par 4 and Hirono has two excellent examples at the 8th 

and 10th. Neither would be regarded as driveable apart from by the very longest hitters in the game. The presence of the 

pond cutting into the approach of the 8th means that there is not much sense in trying to drive the green but the most 

powerful might give it a second thought. The carry exhibits another sandy landscape and the requirement of the tee shot 

is a matter of avoiding the two fairway bunkers on the right and leaving a good distance for the pitch. 

The green is protected by an impressive, sprawling, diagonally running bunker up its right hand side and there is another 

one lurking behind the green. The green itself is divided into a number of sections at different levels so only an accurately 

judged approach will leave a simple birdie putt and any real miscue will mean that a 3 putt is more likely than not. 





2. Trees thinned right of the tees. 


4. Bamboo cut back dramatically on both sides of the carry. 



6. Both fairway bunkers edged towards the centre line of the hole. 


8. Bamboo removed at the rear of the green and replaced by mounding. 

4 

1 

5 

8 

2 

3 

4 6 

7

No. 8


No. 8



No. 9 



The new back tee which plays out of a chute in the pine trees at the 9th will mean that the longest players will have to take 

note of the large bunker to the right of the hole. The hole doglegs elegantly from left to right and has Hirono’s clubhouse 

as a beckoning backdrop to the green. 

A valley cuts across the approach and leaves the putting surface sitting high above deep and intricately shaped bunkers 

to the left, right and rear. The two behind the green did not appear in Alison’s plans but they do in old photos of the hole 

and add visual beauty to the view from the clubhouse terrace. Hence, it was decided that they should be included in the 

project. 





1. New back tee added lengthening the hole by 19 yards with trees cleared around the 

tees to make the drive playable. 


3. Trees removed to the right of the carry to open up the line to the right side of the 

fairway. 


5. Fairway bunker edged into the fairway. 

6. Trees thinned to the left of the approach and green to allow sight of the beautiful 

bridge. 

7. Right hand greenside bunker extended around the front of the green. 


9. Bunkers shown in the old photos restored to the rear of the green. 

4 

6 

1 

2 

3 5 

7 

8 

9

No. 9


No. 9



No. 10 



The short par 4 10th hole has a fairway with a lovely shape around another beautiful and huge cross bunker breaking 

across the hole from the right. That bunker disguises the view of the hole from the tee and adds to the uncertainty of which 

club to take. The bunker to the left of the fairway has been extended towards the fairway and a new bunker added on the 

right to further complicate the decision about how far and where to place the tee shot. 

The green is one of a kind. Alison raised it high up above the generally flat terrain and completely encircled it with deep and 

fearsome bunkers. The wonderful view of Mount Mekko in the distance behind the green has been restored by significant 

tree and bush clearance. 





1. Back tee raised slightly to enhance the view of the green. 

2. Existing tee rebuilt. 

3. Himalayas putting green created to the left of the tees. 

4. The edges of the carry bunkers first added at some point since 1976 but which 

appeared in Alison’s original plan have been reshaped. 

5. Left hand bunker extended into the fairway to tighten the landing area. 

6. New fairway bunker added on the right to provide some risk to the elite players trying 

to drive close to the green. 

7. Green restored in shape to Alison’s design. 

8. Bushes cleared and trees thinned to the rear of the green to restore the distant views 

of Mount Mekko. 

3 

4 

5 

8 

1 

2 

6 

7

No. 10


No. 10



No. 11 



The shortest par 4 on the course is followed by the longest with the 472 yard 11th hole providing a real test of power to 

reach the green in two shots. The drive plays over a deep and wide valley to a fairway which is almost flat. However, two 

huge bunkers eat into that fairway from the right, tightening the landing area the further up the tee shots are hit. These 

two hazards balance well with the left hand line of three approach bunkers which have been edged marginally towards the 

centre line of the hole to demand a second shot of the utmost accuracy. 

The green is large but has a strong ridge running from its left side which makes it difficult to reach the rear left quadrant 

when the flag is located there. 




1. Back tee moved back further lengthening the hole by 14 yards. 


3. Trees removed in the carry. 


5. Both of the fairway bunkers have been extended into the fairway. 


6. Trees selectively cleared and the undergrowth has been removed to open up the 

views. 

7. The approach bunkers have been edged into the line of play slightly. 


9. Trees cleared to the rear of the green. 

1 

2 

3 

6 

7 

5 

4 8 

9

No. 11


No. 11



No. 12 



The longest par 4 on the course is followed by the longest par 5 and the 12th edges beyond 600 yards making it a true 

three shot hole for all but the most powerful players in the game. That length has been gained by two extensions of the 

hole from Alison’s original design. In the modern age, where power has meant that most par 5s are cut down to two shots 

to reach the putting surface, it was felt that it was appropriate to retain the green where it had been moved to rather than 

restoring it to Alison’s original position. 

The challenge of the hole is complicated by the approach being tightened by some beautiful Japanese pines. Despite the 

green not being an original, it did not seem out of place amongst the other 17 on the course although it was given some 

new contouring. 





1. Trees have been cleared around the tees to restore the original views. 



4. Tree clearance carried out along the left of the hole to open up distant views of the 

mountains. 

5. Approach bunker edged in slightly to tighten the landing area for the second shots. 

6. An approach bunker on the left has been removed. 

7. Trees cleared to the left of the green to reveal distant views. 

8. This green was not original but has been reconstructed to tie in perfectly with the 

style of the other 17 putting surfaces. 

1 

7 

2 

4 

6 

8 

3 

5

No. 12,13 & 14


No. 12



No. 13 

1932 Hole 

2005 Hole 

163Yds 

166Yds 

134Yds 

145Yds 

100Yds 

133Yds 

100Yds 

123Yds 

69Yds 

110Yds 

Par 3 

Par 3 

7 

8 

2005 

10 


It was one of the key objectives of the Restoration Committee that the original 

line of the par 3 13th should be investigated and restored if at all possible. The 

wonderful, historic photographs of the hole provided real inspiration for this. When 

the 12th hole was extended the second time, the tees for the 13th were moved to a 

position at 90 degrees to the original line and it did not take long for the woodland 

to smother out all signs of the old platforms. It was felt that the walk back to the 

original tees would be too long and back into the play of the 12th but a safe route 

has been found through the trees and well worth a few extra yards of walking. The 

view from the tee, down to the green, across the reservoir and its beautiful stone 

bridge is one of the finest on the course. Having said that, the newer hole has real 

beauty to it as well so it was decided that two holes should be produced from one. 

The green has been set up to accept shots from both angles to provide real variety. 

6 

9 

6 

1932 

5 

4 

3 


Bunkers restored and reshaped 


1 

2 

1. New back tee added on the restored line of the hole. 

2. The restored old tee recreates the original line and the iconic view of the hole. 

3. Trees thinned to allow enough light to the restored tees. 

4. The original line of the hole 

5. New pathway routed through the woodland from the 12th green. 

6. Two new short course tees built. 

7. The other line of the hole is a good one so has been maintained as well. 

8. Existing tees rebuilt and widened. 

9. The green has been reconfigured to accept tee shots from both angles and the bunkering restored to that shown in 

the old photo. 

10. Trees and bushes cleared to open up the surroundings around the green.

No. 13


No. 13


No. 13



No. 14 



Alison probably felt that it was a bit of a challenge to regain the elevation lost at the 13th hole with the start of the return 

towards the clubhouse at the 14th. However, he found some high ground above the 13th green for the tees and set up a 

tee shot to one of the widest fairways he drafted on his set of plans. That must have been to accommodate the huge slope 

in the ground with the high plateau on the right giving a level shot into the green and the much lower level on the left 

leaving a shorter but blind approach. 

Over the years, the fairway had become much narrower from the left and the trees had claimed the lost ground. It was 

decided to restore Alison’s original intention of the hugely wide fairway but to add a central bunker to provide focus from 

the tee and strategy to the hole. The green is another which is beautifully located and protected by no less than six bunkers. 





2. Trees removed to open up the views to the fairway. 

3. Lower bunker has been restored to the shape it was in 1963. 

4. Major tree clearance to the left of the hole has been carried out revealing the stream. 

5. Two short bunkers to the right of the hole have been removed. They were not shown 

on Alison’s original plan. 

6. Woodland cleared to allow the fairway to be extended dramatically to the left to 

provide a low landing area. 

7. Central fairway bunker has been added to divide the landing areas. 

8. Fairway extended to the right bunker to maximise the area on the top plateau. 


10. Trees thinned behind the green to reveal beautiful pines. 

1 

4 

6 

10 

2 

3 

7 

8 

9 

5

No. 14


No. 14



No. 15 



The par 5 15th is one of the favourites of the members with its leaps across two valleys. The first, which is the deeper one, 

must be taken on after the tee shot and the second immediately in front of the green. The tee shot plays across sand areas 

in the carry and a sentinel pine stands guard to the left of the fairway, complicating the second shot of anyone who has not 

hit the drive far enough from the tee or far enough to the right. 

The hole swings round to the left towards the green which is defended by four more of Alison’s bunkers with the front 

hazard being the dominant one both in playing and visual terms. 





2. Old back tee widened to the right to gain a better shape. 

3. Bare sand areas created in the carry. 

4. Existing tees rebuilt with the main tee lowered slightly. 

5. Forward tee moved nearer to the old location on the right. 


7. Fairway extended to the bunker on the right. 

8. Bushes cleared from the mounds between the two holes 

9. Bunker has been cut up into the mounding to make the sand line more visible. 

10. Fairway pulled back towards the cross bunkers. 

11. Tree clearance carried out to the right of the green to help its condition. 


12 

1 

2 

3 

4 

3 

11 

5 

6 

7 

10 

8 

9

No. 15

No. 15


No. 16 



The 16th is a medium length par 4 with a tee shot which plays across a deep ravine to an undulating fairway. Alison did 

not show any fairway bunkers but one has been added to the right of the hole to make the landing area a little more 

demanding. There is an advantage in flirting with this by hitting a long tee shot to reach an area beyond the lowest point 

in the fairway. That will leave a short approach but it must be accurate to a green perched up in level and which has a very 

undulating surface. 

The key feature of the green is a strong spine running from one of Alison’s characteristic mounds located to the rear of the 

green. 




1. Line of hedge behind the back tee removed. 


3. Trees cleared in the carry to allow more of a view to the left side of the hole. 


5. Trees thinned to open up the hole to the left. 


6. New fairway bunker added to the right of the hole to tighten the landing area for 

the elite players. 


8. Trees removed to the right of and behind the green. 

1 

3 

5 

7 

8 

2 

8 

4 6

No. 16


No. 16



No. 17 



Alison’s plan of the par 3 17th hole showed a pond extending right up the left side of the hole ending up level with the rear 

of the green. A smaller version was formed, stopping well short of the green. That has been remedied by clearing trees and 

extending the water body but it still takes a bad shot to find it as there is a beautifully shaped bunker between the green 

and the pond. 

The tee shot is quite an experience, playing across another area of water which is a huge reservoir before the approach is 

reached. It is the longest par 3 on the course and the green is demanding, so it is no easier than the other challenging short 

holes of the layout. 





2. Trees cleared and the pond extended as shown in Alison’s plans as this was never 

carried out. 

3. Trees thinned to the right of the hole to allow light to the green. 


2 

4 

1 

3

No. 17


No. 17



No. 18 



Every great course should have a finishing hole to match and, despite the fine quality of the 17 holes which have preceded 

it, there is almost a feeling that the best has been kept until last at Hirono. The 18th traces a fantastic arc from right to left 

first over a sandy carry and then across the largest bunker on the course. That is quite a statement bearing in mind how 

large many of the other bunkers are but, along with its size, it has the most incredible shaping and runs diagonally across 

the carry and up the left side of the hole. The old photographs of the construction and earliest years of the bunker have 

provided tremendous inspiration for its restoration. It is certainly a stunning sight again from the tee. Another fairway 

bunker has been added to the right of the hole to tighten the drive for the longest hitters. Having negotiated the first part 

of the hole, the second shot must pass a huge approach bunker and thread the gap between dangerous and deep left and 

right greenside bunkers. The green and its rear bunker is in the view of the members in the clubhouse across the huge 

putting green and the clubhouse pond. Yet another of the best views at Hirono. 






2. Bare sand area created in the carry area. 

3. Magnificent carry bunker has been restored. 


5. Trees cleared to the left of the hole to open up a view towards the green from the tees. 

6. Trees cleared and a new bunker added to the right of the hole to tighten the landing 

area for the longer hitters. 


8. Bank converted to a tightly mown slope behind the green. 

9. The wonderful bunker behind the green has been recreated as this is such an 

important part of the view from the clubhouse. 

9 

1 

2 

5 

7 

8 

3 

4 

6

No. 18


No. 18


Conclusion 

The Restoration Committee’s brief was clear in the desire to restore the great characteristics of Charles Hugh Alison’s 

original and inspired design which has meant so much to golf in Japan. When the restoration process began, it was agreed 

that a worthy objective to include in the brief was the addition of some features, most notably bunkers, to strengthen the 

test posed for the best players in the game. 

We hope that if Mr. Alison was able to return to Hirono today, he would be proud of what he achieved during his visit in 

early January 1931 and what Takahata-san and Ito-san implemented after that visit and that he would also be pleased with 

what has been achieved in this Restoration project carried out in 2019. 

Mackenzie & Ebert would like to take this opportunity to thank the Restoration Committee and the President, Captain 

and members of Hirono Golf Club for their trust in us and their hospitality and friendly approach througout the project. 

We hope that much enjoyment will be taken by the members and their visitors from playing the restored course of the great 

Charles Hugh Alison.


Mackenzie & Ebert 

International Golf Course Architects

The Restoration Of Charles Hugh Alison's Hirono

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?