Jack Nicklaus Yamaoka at New Capital Golf Club

Jack Nicklaus Yamaoka occupies mountainous terrain in Ena, a city in eastern Gifu Prefecture situated in the Chūbu region of central Japan. The course represents one of several Nicklaus designs in Japan developed during the country's golf boom of the 1980s and 1990s, when international architects were commissioned to create courses that combined American design principles with Japanese landscape sensibilities. The routing navigates significant elevation changes characteristic of the region's geography, with holes carved through forested hillsides that provide both strategic interest and natural framing.

The design reflects Nicklaus's signature approach to strategic golf, emphasizing multiple tee positions to accommodate different skill levels and rewarding thoughtful course management over pure distance. The layout incorporates the natural topography rather than extensive earthmoving, with fairways that follow the land's contours and greens positioned to take advantage of natural plateaus and slopes. Water features appear on several holes, integrated into the design to create risk-reward decisions on approach shots.

New Capital Golf Club operates as a private membership facility, following the traditional Japanese golf club model where access is typically limited to members and their guests. The club maintains the meticulous conditioning standards common to Japanese golf courses, where attention to turf quality and presentation reflects broader cultural values of precision and care. The setting in Gifu Prefecture places the course within a region known for its mountainous landscapes and historical significance, though the facility itself focuses primarily on providing a championship-caliber golf experience within this distinctive natural environment.