Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect. It can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at the end and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example Lundin Links, Fife.[1]00
The meaning of the word "links" comes from the fact that the area of land "links" the land with the sea. The land, due to its sandy nature was unsuitable for building houses, and equally unsuitable for farmland due to the salt content of the turf.
Links courses tend to be on, or at least very near to, a coast, and the term is typically associated with coastal courses, often amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. This reflects both the nature of the scenery where the sport happened to originate, and the fact that only limited resources were available to golf course architects at the time, and any earth moving had to be done by hand, so it was kept to a minimum. Even today, some links courses do not employ a greens staff, use only basic machinery such as hole cutters without boards to ensure that the hole is cut unevenly, and use grazing animals to keep the grass cropped.
Links courses remain most common in Ireland and also in Great Britain, especially in Scotland. The Open Championship is always played on links courses and this is one of the main features which differentiates it from the three major championships held in the United States.
The style of play on a links golf course is considerably different from the style of play on other types of courses. The challenges of links golf fall into two categories. Firstly the nature of the courses themselves, which tend to be characterised by uneven fairways, thick rough and small deep bunkers known as "pot bunkers". Secondly, due to their coastal location and lack of trees, many links courses are frequently windy. This affects the style of play required, favouring players who are able to play low accurate shots. As many links courses consist literally of an "outward" nine in one direction along the coast, and an "inward" nine which returns in the opposite direction, players often have to cope with opposite wind patterns in each half of their round.
Links golf courses
Australia
- Hamilton Island Golf Club, Hamilton Island, Queensland
- Barnbougle Dunes, Bridport, Tasmania
- New South Wales Golf Club, Sydney, New South Wales
- St Michaels Golf Club, Sydney, New South Wales
- The Links Kennedy Bay, Port Kennedy, Western Australia
- Albany Golf Club, Albany, Western Australia
- The Links Shellcove, Shellharbour, New South Wales
- Wollongong Golf CLub, Wollongong, New South Wales
- Long Reef Golf Club, Collaroy, New South Wales
Canada
- Harmon Links, Stephenville, Newfoundland
- Cabot Links, Inverness, Nova Scotia
- Northumberland Links, Pugwash, Nova Scotia
Denmark
Finland
Republic of Ireland
- Ballybunion Golf Club, Co Kerry
- Baltray Golf Club, Co Louth
- Connemara Golf Links, Ballyconneely, Co Galway
- Lahinch Golf Club, Co Clare
- Old Head Golf Links, Kinsale, Co Cork
- Portmarnock Golf Club, Portmarnock, Co Dublin
- Portsalon Golf Club, Co Donegal
- Royal Dublin Golf Club, Co Dublin
- County Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point, Co Sligo
- Narin & Portnoo Golf Club, Co. Donegal
Kenya
- The Mombasa Golf Club, Mombasa, Kenya
Malaysia
- Pantai Lagenda Golf & Country Club, Pekan, Pahang
Norway
- Lofoten Golf Links, Gimsøy, Lofoten
South Africa
- Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate, George, Western Cape, South Africa
- Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Turkey
United Kingdom
- Balnagask Golf Course, Aberdeen, Scotland
- Carnoustie Golf Links, Angus Scotland
- Hayling Golf Club, Hampshire, England
- Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club, South Ayrshire, Scotland
- Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland
- North Berwick West Links, East Lothian, Scotland
- Portstewart Golf Club, Northern Ireland
- Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club, Wales
- Prestwick Golf Club, South Ayrshire, Scotland
- Prince's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England
- Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Scotland
- Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, Merseyside, England
- Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Kent, England
- Royal County Down Golf Club, Northern Ireland
- Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Scotland
- Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, Merseyside, England
- Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, Lancashire, England
- Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland
- Royal St George's Golf Club, Sandwich, Kent, England
- Royal Troon Golf Club, South Ayrshire, Scotland
- St Andrews Links, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
- Southport and Ainsdale, Merseyside, England
- Turnberry, South Ayrshire, Scotland
- West Lancashire Golf Club, Merseyside, England
United States
- Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club Arcadia, Michigan
- Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon
- Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links Course), Petoskey, Michigan
- Bayonne Golf Club, Bayonne, New Jersey
- Bayou Din Golf Club, Beaumont, Texas
- Highland Links Golf Course, Truro, Massachusetts
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- LaTour Golf Club, Shreveport, Louisiana
- Ocean Course, Half Moon Bay, California
- Wawashkamo Golf Club, Mackinac Island, Michigan
- Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Gateway National Golf Links, Madison, IL
References