Flood damage leaves Chiba golf courses facing costly repairs

Heavy rain and Typhoon No.

25 damaged golf courses in Chiba, Japan, after months of unusually high rainfall in August and September.

The damage included landslides, mud covering fairways, collapsed paths for golf carts and power cuts, especially around Ichihara.

About 15 of roughly 40 courses closed for at least three days, and some have reopened only part of their courses while repairs continue.

Golf course insurance may cover buildings and equipment, but grass, slopes and ground are often excluded, and damaged cart paths may be covered only if listed in the policy.

Lost income from closures also needs separate business-interruption cover.

The courses matter to the local economy: Ichihara has 33 golf courses, which brought in about 1.77 million visitors in 2024 and support more than 2,000 direct jobs.

Chiba offers eligible small businesses loans of up to 80 million yen, but there is no confirmed direct recovery grant specifically for damaged golf courses.

Actor Takuya Kimura donated 20 million yen to Chiba’s relief effort, and the government said it expected to add the disaster sequence to the list of severe disasters; support depends on each scheme’s rules.