Kyoto Night Golf and Drinks in Gion

Kyoto is a city that closes early. The temples shut before dinner, the shops follow soon after, and by nine most visitors have run out of things to do. This is somewhere to go after that.

Gion Country Club sits in a basement three minutes from Gion-Shijo Station, in the middle of the old entertainment district. Inside are golf simulators, a proper bar, and not much daylight.

You get your own booth for an hour and play courses from around the world on a large screen. The ball is real, the swing is yours, the fairway is a projection. If you have never held a golf club, that is not a problem — the staff set everything up and show you what to do.

Two drinks are included, from Japanese whisky to Kyoto craft gin, and you can order more at the bar. Clubs, gloves and shoes are provided, so you can arrive with nothing but what is in your pockets.

The booth is yours alone. It is a local place rather than a tourist attraction, and most nights you will be alongside people from Kyoto.