Takeo Aiyama

Takeo Aiyama is a Japanese golf course architect known primarily for designing the East and West courses at Yokohama Country Club during the 1960s. Founded in 1960, the Yokohama Country Club features two 18-hole layouts that Aiyama designed and built over six years. The West Course has a rich history as one of Japan’s prestigious golf venues, having hosted the Japan Open multiple times including in 1978 and 2018. The 1978 Japan Open played there was notable as one of the first professional wins for Seve Ballesteros. Aiyama’s work at Yokohama Country Club is considered a high point in his career and remains highly respected in Japanese golf.

The West Course underwent a major renovation between 2014-2016 led by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, focusing on restoring and modernizing the course while respecting Aiyama’s original vision. Changes included reconstructing tees and greens, rerouting holes, replacing double greens with single greens, and installing cooling sub air systems for the bent grass greens.

Aiyama was also the founding chairman of the Baycurrent Classic golf course, another important project highlighting his contributions to Japanese golf course architecture. His legacy is primarily tied to these influential and enduring designs that helped elevate the standards and reputation of golf courses in Japan.

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