The Moji Golf Club Start House
The Moji Golf Club Start House (門司ゴルフ倶楽部スタートハウス, Sutāto Hausu) is a small single-storey timber building at Moji Golf Club in Kishi, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture; built in 1960 together with the clubhouse, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2014. It has a sheet-iron roof and a building area of just 33 square meters, measuring 9.4 meters by 3.8 meters according to the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Inside are three rooms in a row: a waiting room at each end and an office in the middle. This is the starter's hut, where players wait for their turn to tee off and staff keep the order of play. Going by the coordinates in the national database, it stands about 70 meters southwest of the clubhouse South Building.
Why the Moji Golf Club Start House Was Registered
The Moji Golf Club Start House is registration number 40-0113. For all its modest size, it was registered on the same grounds as the two concrete clubhouse buildings, as a structure that serves as a model of design.
The national description names three features: its color, its frame and its windows. The roof and walls are painted the same orange-red as the clubhouse, close to orange, and the log beams along the eaves are left exposed. A continuous band of windows set at waist height gives the little building an unexpectedly open feel.
The club's registration notes add that the walls are ōkabe, fully boarded over both inside and out. The construction could hardly differ more from the reinforced concrete South Building, yet the shared vocabulary of red paint and round logs carries the clubhouse design right out to the point where play begins. That consistency is a large part of why the Moji Golf Club Start House was registered.
What to Look For at the Moji Golf Club Start House
As you approach the Moji Golf Club Start House, look at how the exposed log beams under the eaves meet the band of windows running above waist height. The long, low strip of glass strengthens the horizontal line of the whole building.
The three rooms fit neatly into the narrow plan, 9.4 meters long and 3.8 meters deep. With a waiting room of the same use at each end and the office at the center, the plan is symmetrical.
Then turn back toward the South Building and find the same red. The clubhouse is nearly 40 times larger in footprint, but the color and the treatment of the logs make the two look like members of one family.
Seeing the Moji Golf Club Start House
The Moji Golf Club Start House sits on the course and is not open to the public (as of October 2026). The way to see it up close is to play the course with a member or on a member's introduction, and to look at it while you wait to start.
Staff who run the starting order work in the central office, so keep out of their way when looking at the building. The club publishes no rules on photography; ask before taking pictures. Directions and booking conditions are on the Moji Golf Club page.
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Q&A
- What is the Moji Golf Club Start House?
- A single-storey timber starter's hut built in 1960 together with the clubhouse. It has three rooms: a waiting room at each end and an office in the middle.
- When was the Moji Golf Club Start House registered?
- It was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on October 7, 2014, the same day as the clubhouse South and North Buildings, under number 40-0113.
- How big is the Moji Golf Club Start House?
- It measures 9.4 meters by 3.8 meters, with a building area of 33 square meters and a sheet-iron roof.
- Why is the Moji Golf Club Start House painted red?
- Its roof and walls share the orange-red of the clubhouse. Together with the exposed log beams, the color ties this small timber building to Raymond's concrete clubhouse.
- Can I visit the Moji Golf Club Start House?
- There is no public opening. It is used by golfers playing with a member or on a member's introduction while they wait to tee off. Ask the club about photography.
Basic Information
| Name | Moji Golf Club Start House (門司ゴルフ倶楽部スタートハウス) |
|---|---|
| Location | 175-10 Hiebata, Kishi, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered October 7, 2014 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, sheet-iron roof, building area 33 square meters |
| Owner | Moji Golf Club Incorporated Association |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (golf course users accompanied or introduced by a member only) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Moji Golf Club Start House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00010238
- Cultural Heritage Online: Moji Golf Club Start House
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/234351
- Kitakyushu City: Moji Golf Club Start House (Japanese)
- https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/26501076_00002.html
- Moji Golf Club official site: History of the Clubhouse (Japanese)
- https://www.mojigolf.co.jp/legacy/
Last verified: 2026.10.11
