Hirono
Kobe, Japan

In a nation that prides itself on custom and formality, its finest club illuminates those virtues perfectly. If you think obtaining inexpensive Kobe beef is tough, try getting a tee time at Hirono. Despite its top-tier ranking, this intensely private club has played host to only two events of note: the Japan Amateur and the Japan Open, both held in the 1930s. In a 1963 exhibition match Jack Nicklaus became the first man to reach the 565-yard, par-5 15th hole in two, but not many outsiders since have had a chance to duplicate the feat.

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