TurfBattleField Regular Meeting

I went to Turf Battle Field, located in southern Tochigi Prefecture (Ichikai-machi, Haga-gun), for a regular game session.

Turf Battlefield's website is here →http://shinutsu.com/tbf/index.html

I had so much fun that I definitely want to recommend it to everyone.

Field map and game content

This is a field map from the Turf Battlefield website.

He still runs a golf course, and he's converted a section of it and one of the courses into an airsoft field.

On the day I went, the game started from points A and B in the diagram above. This was quite unique; basically, there was a grassy area with good visibility, and multiple barricades, allowing for close, medium, and long-range gunfights.

Since the distance between them is about 300m, if they advance about 125m, a firefight will occur at a combat distance of 50m (the range of airsoft guns is approximately 50m).

The barricade placement is excellent, making enemy detection relatively easy, and firefights occur frequently.

The visibility is quite good, so you can enjoy sniping from a distance, engaging in firefights at medium range, or getting into close-quarters combat if you make a quick start, making any airsoft gun enjoyable.

This is what the field looks like from starting point A (I forgot to take a photo of point B).

The next interesting point was the wooded area, which utilizes the out-of-bounds section of the golf course.

In stark contrast to the grassy areas, this becomes a dense forest. Because it's a forest, you can either ambush or crawl, making it quite interesting.

Furthermore, due to its structure, if you manage to get through the wooded area, you can target the opponent's starting point from the side, creating a significant surprise effect and making for a very interesting situation.

If both sides aim to attack from the forest, a battle will conveniently break out in the mountainous area.

Furthermore, the forested areas have considerable ups and downs, making strategic positioning, such as taking advantage of high ground, crucial and adding to the enjoyment of the gameplay.

The atmosphere in the forest area is like this:

This field offers a wide variety of strategies and is quite interesting.

Finally, there are many easy-to-find exits on the field, so it's a nice little bonus that it's easy to leave no matter where you get beaten.

Depending on the field, it can be very helpful because if you have to take a detour or push deep into enemy territory and get defeated, the exits can be far away and inconvenient.

According to the website, there are also indoor options, but I haven't experienced them myself, so I won't recommend them.

Game content and progression

I will describe the game content and progress on the day I played.

The game time is generally 15 minutes.

First, just like at other fields, the game starts at 10:00 AM. Initially, there will be two games using points A and B, which will be respawn battles with full auto allowed, and the players will switch positions.

Next, we played several games in a more traditional flag game format, using points A and B.

Besides switching positions, the game progresses with slight variations in rules, such as allowing full auto or semi-auto only, so it never gets boring.

Gameplay (Flag capture starting at point A)

We play like this until 12:30, then it's lunchtime.

The afternoon session started around 13:30 PM, with the first game being a handgun-only contest.

The rules involved an annihilation battle using points A and B, and as expected, full-auto fire was not allowed.

After that, it will be a medic match under major rules.

On the day I went, there were about 40 participants in total, divided into two teams of 20 people each. Each team was required to recruit about three medics, and the game was a flag capture contest using points A and B.

It seems they adjust the number of medics based on the number of players.

In battles against medics, you can call a medic to revive yourself, but if the medic is defeated, you'll be at a significant disadvantage. Therefore, it's best to protect the medic while reviving yourself if you get defeated, and gradually advance forward.

Attempting surprise attacks or blitzkrieg will naturally distance you from the medic, making it impossible to revive, and even if a medic does come, it will put them in danger, so I don't recommend it.

If you're tired, you can deliberately charge in and get beaten, then sit down and rest.

We will play two games of this medic battle, switching positions between them.

After that, a battle will take place using the central fort as the base.

The rules are a bit complicated. A flag is placed on the second floor of the central fort, and the attacking team wins if they capture the flag, while the defending team wins if they successfully defend it for the time limit.

The attacking side will be limited to semi-automatic fire only and will have unlimited respawns. The starting point is point A.

The defending side will have full auto mode enabled and no respawns. The starting point can be anywhere between the central fort and point B.

Recently, the forts have been built with two floors, which is unusual, making it difficult for attackers to capture the flag even after reaching the fort.

I managed to infiltrate the fort, but there were two defenders on the second floor who completely defeated me.

Also, since the defending side has no respawns, if they are gradually hit and their numbers are reduced, they will be overwhelmed by the attacking side's manpower in the latter half of the time limit, making it very difficult for them.

The regular meeting will end around 16:30 PM, roughly like this.

There's roughly 8 to 15 minutes between games, so you don't need to rush to participate in all of them.

There were roughly 15 games in total.

However, since it's not a style where you play games at a rapid pace, those who want to play a lot of games might find it a little unsatisfying.

Since I've become an older man, it felt just right for me.

The staff's management was excellent; I have absolutely no complaints.

This is the schedule from the day I went, so the progress might be different on other days.

Safety facilities and lunch

Next, I'll introduce the safety environment, which is something that many people are curious about.

First of all, the safety area was completely under a roof on the day I went, so it was very comfortable as it wasn't directly exposed to the sun.

There's a large table with two benches facing each other. Six people could sit if you squeezed in a bit, but four is probably the ideal number.

Safety atmosphere (The model is regular visitor Fran from Touhou. The KTW Type 38 looks cool.)

There are gun racks on both sides of the desk, allowing you to place your guns with the muzzles pointing upwards, which is a great consideration for safety.

My wife, my friend's table gun rack

In the center of the safety area, there is a whiteboard with a sheet of paper posted that lists manners, rules, and points to note.

There are also two vending machines in the safety area, and it's nice that you can buy drinks at normal prices ranging from 110 to 150 yen (they're a bit more expensive elsewhere).

In addition to selling instant noodles and snacks, there are booths where participants can set up stalls, and it's quite fun to browse those as well.

I think they had junk boxes for 500 yen and 1000 yen? And they had a cheap Maruzen gas blowback MP5k modified for 5000 yen, and a customized Tokyo Marui electric MP5 for 12000 yen. They also had other gas blowback handguns and other fun items (of course, I think the selection changes daily).

Furthermore, there are several rental tools and power outlets in the center of the safety area, which is quite convenient for troubleshooting or recharging batteries (I only looked at them and didn't use them myself, so I don't know the details).

The extremely important toilets are shared with the golf course's accommodation facilities, so they are very clean, spacious, and wonderful.

You can also use the changing rooms at the golf accommodation, which I'm sure is great (though I didn't use them).

Also, I highly recommend the curry they make at the hotel for lunch (you can order it for 700 yen), it's absolutely delicious.

Unfortunately, their famous fried chicken topping is unavailable due to COVID-2 precautions. It's 100 yen for two pieces, first come, first served.

Shooting Range

Next, and equally important, are the shooting ranges, and impressively, there are four of them!

I think it's rare to find a place that offers such a wide range of services.

First, let me show you the locations of the four ranges.

First, although it cannot be used during gameplay, option ① is an ultra-long-range shooting range that utilizes the field.

Signs are placed at 10-meter intervals up to 50 meters.

Like this

The next range, ②, is completely CQB-style, and although the distance is only 15m, there are many different targets.

Like this.

Next, I'd like to introduce ranges ③ and ④, but since I don't have any photos, I'll explain them with illustrations.

First, the location is as follows:

The muzzle velocity check will be conducted at Range 3. It has a capacity of approximately 2-3 people at a distance of about 40 meters.

The final range, Range 4, allows you to shoot at an uninhabited mountain, making it ideal for hop-up adjustment.

Since there were multiple ranges available, and all but range ① could be used during gameplay, there was always a range free, which was very convenient.

It's a really nice place.

Rules, Regulations

There are no particularly special rules; it's pretty much the same as other fields.

It's more reliable to read Field's terms and conditions than for me to explain them, so I'll post the URL.

Turf's regulations →http://shinutsu.com/tbf/regulation/index.html

One thing that bothered me a littleEven after entering the field, firing is prohibited until the game begins.

There are quite a few fields where you can shoot once you enter the field.Even after entering the field and inserting the magazine, we recommend keeping the selector switch in the safety position until the game starts.

Additionally, there are restrictions on the type of BBs that can be used: Tokyo Marui, G&G, Gallop, and Ryax Fireball bio BBs weighing up to 0.28g. It also appears that only G&G BBs are compatible with the glow-in-the-dark feature.

Most of these are readily available and shouldn't be a problem, but if you happen to forget to bring them, G&G (German Gluten-Gel) is sold locally at around the average market price, up to 0.25g, so that should be fine.

The other rules are just common sense for playing airsoft, so it goes without saying that you should follow them.

Fees, access, and other information

The regular meeting fee is 4000 yen for men and 3500 yen for women, which is an average price.

They have a full range of rental items available, so you can probably come empty-handed.

For access information, please check Turf's website, but the nearest highway is the Mooka Interchange on the Kita-Kanto Expressway. It's a bit of a distance from there, but in my experience, it's rarely congested, so it's an easy ride.

Also, the train is actually very convenient; on weekends and holidays, they offer a pick-up service from JR Utsunomiya Station (or JR Hoshakuji Station on weekdays).

It's a bit of a distance from Utsunomiya, but the roads are almost never congested, so you'll get there quickly (actually, my hometown is in Tochigi Prefecture).

What's more, and this is something unique to golf courses, they even offer packages that include on-site hot spring bathing and accommodation.

For example, you could gather several groups, play games in a private room, then wipe off the sweat in a hot spring, and in the evening, have a get-together, drink alcohol, and then go to sleep.

Furthermore, you can also book the facility for night battles, from 6:00 PM to midnight. After the battle, instead of having to fight off sleepiness to go home as usual, you can stay the night and sleep in a comfortable bed.

This is a field where your dreams can really expand.

I think it would be a huge hit if magazines like Hyper Douraku or Burst Head held an airsoft event with accommodation (like airsoft for two consecutive days).

Moreover, in addition to the safety zone, there is a large, safe grassy area, providing ample space for airsoft gun shops, custom shops, and food stalls selling local delicacies, making it a fantastic field for hosting large events.

If we utilize the accommodation facilities, we can have customers focus on gaming during the day and then gather them at the stalls in the evening, allowing for efficient and enjoyable shopping without being dispersed.

I don't organize events myself, but I see a lot of potential in that field.

Moreover, the accommodation facilities are quite impressive.

Improvement proposal

I've been praising it so far, but I've noticed a few things that could be improved to make it even better, so I'll write them down.

Firstly, the safety area is not flat but sloped, so depending on how you sit, the bench could tip over and injure someone.

I think this should be addressed.

The solution is simple: just place a spacer (a board) under the chair leg on the downhill side, and that should be a temporary fix.

If possible, I think it would be best to use soil to level the ground.

Secondly, the toilets are far from the safety deposit box and are shared with the accommodation, so you need to take off your shoes.

It's understandable that the toilets are far away since they're shared with the accommodation, but it's a hassle to take them off when you're wearing combat boots or similar footwear for airsoft.

Therefore, I think the problem could be easily solved if the accommodation facilities laid down a shoe-proof sheet (such as a blue tarp) in the hallway so that people could enter with their shoes on only during airsoft games.

The third point is how we handle beginners.

There is a beginner's course (of course I can't take it so I don't know what it's about), and the field isn't that difficult to scout, so I don't think you'll often get completely overwhelmed and lose.

However, I think the game would be more enjoyable if special rules were implemented, such as using a marker specifically for beginners to make them easily identifiable (and thus receiving consideration from others), or allowing beginners to revive once even in games where there are no revivals.

I think that in any industry, it's important to attract first-time visitors, ensure they have a good time, and make them want to come back again.

Summary

With its wonderful staff and fantastic location, and surprisingly good access by train, if you're thinking about going, I highly recommend checking it out if you have the time.

I'm absolutely certain I won't regret it.

Furthermore, not only the staff but also the participants have excellent manners, so you won't have any unpleasant experiences.

I highly recommend it.

Here's the URL for the official website: Turf Battlefield →http://shinutsu.com/tbf/index.html

Next, I'd like to introduce Yanex, my home field (I've been going there since it opened, sometimes as often as twice a month).