Jolly Fox 2022: Niseko’s Most-Talked-About Golf Tournament is Back

Niseko’s now-famous Jolly Fox Invitational golf tourney returns for its third year, kicking off with the team draw this Wednesday, June 15.

Born out of the COVID downturn, the multi-format golf tournament has quickly risen through the ranks to become one of the most talked-about events on the Niseko golf calendar.

Jolly Fox organiser, Michael Chen of H2 Group, said it had become one of the most anticipated event series of Niseko’s “green-season”, with many participants arranging their summer plans around the dates of the tournament.

“This kicks off another epic season of golf where we will also see the 2nd Annual Jolly Fox Niseko Masters tournament to crown the best handicap golfer in Niseko.”

2nd Annual Jolly Fox Masters

The Masters is a single elimination tournament that will bestow upon the winner the tournament’s signature “Orange Jacket” – a nod towards The Masters’ famous Green Jacket.

“The Invitational will always be the signature event of the season,” says Chen.

“But with the Masters, we wanted to introduce a singles format that is popular in all private golf clubs around the world, where a single golfer can lay claim to being the best golfer in the region.”

Jolly Fox Invitational Rundown

Wednesday’s team drawing will randomly pair two golfers who will compete across three rounds of competition this weekend.

The random selection will pair a Fox (low handicap golfer) with a Mouse (high handicap golfer) in the 54-hole tournament across three different round formats – Best Ball, Scramble and Greensomes.

The Jolly Fox Invitational is a net-stroke tournament, meaning Foxes and Mice must work together and play wisely – the unique handicap pairing systems mean teams cannot rely solely on the skills of one golfer.

Spirit of the Competition

While Invitational participants are playing to win, the competition’s underlying spirit is based on fun and comradery.

In addition to competing on stroke counts, participants will find themselves duking it out for awards like “loudest outfit” and multi-million yen hole-in-ones.

A Gala Dinner at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono will follow the tournament, with both the competition and the gala itself being for the benefit of the Niseko Promotion Board.

This article was originally published at Powderlife.com.