What does a "links" golf course mean? Why are some courses known as "links"? Course design has gone through several phases. Initially, courses were just laid out using the contours of the land. Essentially putting a hole where nature allowed a hole to be. The very oldest courses in Europe are this way. The next generation of course designers built courses that they dreamed up. No amount of land, sea, or rock would prevent them from building these courses. So, using the new tool called a bulldozer, massive amounts of land could be moved to build an artificial landscape as the designer saw fit. Phase three is the more modern "enlightened" approach where once again minimal impact on nature is encouraged, while some 'manipulation" here and there is also needed in order to make the course fair and visually appealing.
Links courses are generally on sandy/low but sometimes hilly windy plots of land with few if any trees. This type of course is wide open, no blind shots behind stands of trees, large hills, etc. The game is played lower in altitude to stay out of the wind, and bump and run is the name of the game. The holes are "linked" together as well as being a loop (out and in) making a LINK in a chain. The latter not being very practical most of the time now when you consider the cost of real estate.
Definition: Many golfers use "links" and "golf course" interchangeably. But "links" is actually a specific type of golf course. A traditional links course will have many - perhaps all - of the following features:
• The course is built along the seaside; • The soil is sandy and drains easily; • The course is laid out naturally, so that unusual bumps and slopes in the fairways and greens remain, rather than being smoothed over; • The rough features natural seaside grasses; • Bunkers are numerous, very small and very deep (to keep the seaside breezes from blowing the sand away) • Fairways are rarely (if ever) watered and play firm and fast; • Links courses usually have few if any trees; • The course routes out and back, meaning, the No. 1 hole begins at the clubhouse and the front nine plays straight out so that No. 9 is farthest hole from the clubhouse; the direction turns back in at No. 10 and the course ends with No. 18 back at the clubhouse.
Go to Scotland and figure it out. Just kidding, what separates a links style course from a traditional American style course is that they don't receive a lot of water, they mainly rely on nature to make grass grow. That is why links golf courses don't have many trees, because trees hog all of the water from the root system. Links style golf courses also have many natural and man made rolling hills. This helps the natural rainwater to runoff into places where the course really needs water, like the fairways and greens. Traditional courses like we have in the United States, depend on both natural water and irrigated water, although there are a few links style courses throughout the States, mainly where there is an abundant amount of rain throughout a given year. So most likely, you won't find many links style courses throughout the desert. Oh, also I might add, bunkers are of the "pot" stlye bunkers on links courses, something that Allister McKenzie would think is really funny because they are hard to hit out of. Links style courses often play very fast in dry conditions, that is why they are so hard to play.
Well I suppose it depends where you live. If you are from Scotland, England or Ireland. I would say the first answer given in this chain looks pretty accurate to me. If however you have ever played the links courses in the US, most notably in New Jersey, I would suggest the following characteristics would be the norm.
1. Proximity to the ocean of around 50 to 100 miles seems to be close enough or in the hills of Pennsylvania also seems to be a common option. 2. Bunkers are huge and contain fine sand. There must be at least 150 of them on the golf course, over 3/4 of which never come into play except on really poor shots. 3. Plenty of trees, even forests are acceptable provided they don't take away from the authentic links experience. 4. Fairways and greens are lush, frequently watered and made of bent grass. 5. There is very little natural terrain, but there are plenty of well thought out, bulldozed mounds and ridges. 6. Both number 9 and number 18 are close to the club house for the convenience of either starting people on the front or back 9 as well as the traditional golf custom of stopping halfway for a lunch of hot dogs and diet coke. 7. All professionals, starters and other staff wear a traditional Disneyland tartan.
a links course is by the sea.they are unique in the fact that they are devoid of trees.and sometimes greens are shared.they are prone to wild swings of weather.as they are affected by the tidal movement of the sea.they also have very few bunkers.but hitting the fairway could mean nothing as the fairways are at such angles with humps in them a ball straight down the middle could hit a hump that might send it shooting off 50 yards at an acute angle.the other courses are more your conventional ones with bunkers water hazards and trees.and greens that at times are stupidly up turned and fast.especially in the USA.
