what is a scottish links course

by Darrell Block 8 min read

A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. Links courses are generally built on sandy coastland that offers a firmer playing surface than parkland and heathland courses.

What are the most beautiful links golf courses in Scotland?

A links golf course is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and also sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect.

What is a links golf course?

Mar 18, 2021 · A links golf course is regarded today as a golf course that has few trees, a lot of wind, thick grasses or thick heather, and a lot of bunkers. They are built on sandy soil and in most cases are on a coastline of a body of water. The term “links” actually has Scots origins and means “rising ground” or “ridge”.

What are the most scenic links in Scotland?

Right on the edge of the City of Aberdeen lays the charming Kings Links golf course which is owned by Aberdeen City Council and also the playing arena for three golf clubs; The Northern, Caledonian and Bon Accord. 3.6. Traigh Golf Club. A round of golf at Traigh is a unique Scottish golf experience.

What is a'links'golf course?

A links golf course is the oldest style of course. The word “links” is derived from ancient Scotland and refers to an area along a coast that often …

What qualifies as a links course?

Today, a links golf course is more broadly defined as a golf course with a natural and open lay-out, lying on sandy soil that is heavily affected by the wind. It has few to no trees, but with thick rough grasses.Feb 11, 2020

What's the difference between a links course and a regular golf course?

When discussing links golf vs regular golf, the difference in wind is one of the biggest differentiators. Because links courses are on a coastline, strong sea winds blow in off the water. Links courses rarely have any trees because the land that they are built on isn't suitable for large plant life.

Is a links course harder?

It is often said that links courses are far more difficult for golfers to play due to the layout of the course. There is also a wind element that blows the ball around and can cause scores to climb during a golf tournament. Once a golfer gets the ball near the cup, they can expect a very fast playing green.

Why is golf called the links?

First up is the most famous type of golf course, the links course. The term derives from the Old English word hlinc meaning rising ground or ridge and refers to sandy area along coast.May 31, 2020

What makes a true links golf course?

A true links course is not just any golf course that is treeless. ... In modern terms, a "links course" is more broadly defined as: A golf course built on sandy soil that is buffeted by the wind. Has few, if any, trees, but has a tall, thick rough of native grasses.Jun 7, 2019

What does out on the links mean?

It is used generally to refer to the course that golf is played on. A golfer might say to a friend of hers, “sorry, I can't come over and collect kindling with you because I'm going to hit the links today. It also has a more technical meaning, referring to a particular type or style of golf course.Jul 17, 2015

Is the British Open always played on a links course?

The Open Championship has always been played on links courses (mostly treeless golf courses that are built along a coast and retain the natural uneven terrain of their locations). From 1860 to 1870 the Open was played exclusively at Prestwick Golf Club. Since 1872 it has been played at a number of courses in rotation.Jan 1, 2022

Is St Andrews a links course?

St Andrews Links in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is regarded as the "Home of Golf"....St Andrews Links.Club informationTournaments hostedThe Open Championship Alfred Dunhill Links Championship St Andrews Links TrophyOld CoursePar72Length6,721 yards (6,146 m)31 more rows

Where did links golf originate?

A links golf course is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and also sometimes to open parkland.

Where is Bruntsfield Links?

At Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, Scotland, the course (a considerable distance from the coast) is still used for pitch and putt golf, and boasts a sign erected by the City Council which asserts that golf may have been invented there. The challenges of links golf fall into two categories.

What is a link golf course?

What is a Links Golf Course? A links golf course is regarded today as a golf course that has few trees, a lot of wind, thick grasses or thick heather, and a lot of bunkers. They are built on sandy soil and in most cases are on a coastline of a body of water. The term “links” actually has Scots origins and means “rising ground” or “ridge”.

What does "links" mean in golf?

The term “links” actually has Scots origins and means “rising ground” or “ridge”. The reason for this is because links courses really do play true to the contour of the course and is not usually very flat. Some people might argue that links golf courses have fewer or more characteristics, but that seems to be the general consensus ...

What are the different types of golf courses?

There are links, parkland, and desert golf courses and even executive courses. The type of golf course that I am going to talk about today is a links golf course.

Where is the home of links golf?

The home of links golf is Scotland. The links golf courses in Scotland are the earliest recollection of golf and those courses were similar to links golf courses today. The Old Course at St Andrew’s is where the modern game started in 1764. The country of Scotland is where golf originated, and it has a ton of history with the game ...

Where did golf originate?

The country of Scotland is where golf originated, and it has a ton of history with the game of golf and its traditions. Flash forward to today, and there are links golf courses all over in the United States and in Europe. The majority of links golf courses are usually on the coastline of major bodies of water.

Who is Nick Lomas?

Nick Lomas. Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 15-years of experience playing and coaching golfers from all over the world.

Where is the first link golf course in Scotland?

Located within touching distance of the Atlantic Ocean on the Kintyre Peninsula Machrihanish Dunes is the first true links course to open on Scotland’s west coast in over one hundred years. 4.4. Renaissance Golf Club.

What is the final Scottish golf course I played?

Strathlene was the final Scottish golf course I played that features in the True Links book by George Peper and Malcolm Campbell – a publication that details all the genuine links golf courses in the world. 4.0. Tain Golf Club.

How many true links are there in the world?

In the excellent book, True Links by esteemed authors George Peper and Malcolm Campbell, the writers claim that of the 30,000+ golf courses in the world there are only 246 true links. Golf Empire founder, Ed Battye, has played the majority of these links courses in Scotland and below he lists them in order of his personal preference.

What is the best golf course in Ayrshire?

There are over a dozen fine links golf courses on the Ayrshire Coast. The Irvine Golf Club stands proudly as one of the best but perhaps the most unheralded. 4.1. Kilmarnock Golf Club (Barassie Links) The Barrasie Links at Kilmarnock Golf Club is an extremely fine and well-presented golf course.

When was Tain Golf Club founded?

Tain Golf Club, founded in 1890 and originally laid out by Old Tom Morris, is a captivating moorland-links course that delivers a number of very fine holes and should be an essential play for any golfer travelling to The Highlands. 4.0. West Kilbride Golf Club.

What is the name of the golf course at Turnberry?

Turnberry Golf Club (Kintyre) The Kintyre course at Turnberry has been redesigned and is now called the King Robert The Bruce. 4.0. Kilmarnock Golf Club (Hillhouse) The Hillhouse loop, formerly part of the main course but now a standalone nine hole layout, is an absolute treat.

Where is Panmure Golf Club?

Panmure Golf Club. Panmure is a classy and historic golf club with a wonderful natural links course located near Carnoustie, Angus, in the East of Scotland. 4.5. Southerness Golf Club. Except for the undeniable beauty of the 12th hole there’s nothing truly outstanding at Southerness.

Where are links golf courses played?

The first exception to this was the 2004 PGA Championship, which was played on a links-style course, Whistling Straits, located near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The 2015 U.S. Open was played at Chambers Bay, a British links-style course in University Place, Washington. Royal Adelaide Golf Club is a links course in Adelaide, South Australia , and was partly designed by Alister MacKenzie where he stated, "One finds a most delightful combination of sand dunes and fir trees. I have never seen a seaside course possess such magnificent sand craters, as those at Royal Adelaide."

What is links land?

Links land is typically characterised by dunes, an undulating surface, and a sandy soil unsuitable for arable farming but which readily supports various indigenous browntop bent and red fescue grasses. Together, the soil and grasses result in the firm turf associated with links courses and the 'running' game.

Where did the word "links" come from?

The word "links" comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc: "rising ground, ridge" and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland.

Where is Royal Adelaide Golf Club?

Royal Adelaide Golf Club is a links course in Adelaide, South Australia, and was partly designed by Alister MacKenzie where he stated, "One finds a most delightful combination of sand dunes and fir trees. I have never seen a seaside course possess such magnificent sand craters, as those at Royal Adelaide.".

Where was the 2004 PGA Championship played?

The first exception to this was the 2004 PGA Championship, which was played on a links-style course, Whistling Straits, located near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The 2015 U.S. Open was played at Chambers Bay, a British links-style course in University Place, Washington. Royal Adelaide Golf Club is a links course in Adelaide, South Australia, ...

What is a links golf course?

A links course is along the sea, consists of sandy soil and has little vegetation other than tall sea grasses and gorse, a hearty low-growing evergreen plant. The natural terrain is used to develop the golf holes. Many of the bunkers were once natural windswept dunes.

Where are links golf courses located?

Links golf courses are situated along coastal regions. A links golf course is the oldest style of course. The word “links” is derived from ancient Scotland and refers to an area along a coast that often includes sand dunes and few, if any, trees. One reason the game originated on this type of land was because it suited play.

Which country has the most links golf courses?

Andrews. Ireland, Wales and England also have true links courses, but Scotland is believed to have the most.

What are the most famous links courses in the world?

St. Andrews, Royal Troon, and Royal Dornach are considered three of Scotland's most famous and most traditional links courses. In Ireland, there are also traditional links, including Waterville, Ballybunion and Lahinch. The United States also has several famous links courses. One of them is the highly ranked Pebble Beach. Sinnecock Hills in New York and Bandon Dunes in Oregon are also traditional links.

When did golf courses start?

Links History. In Scotland, where golf is believed to have originated in the 15th century, the first courses were developed on stretches of land known as links. Farmers deemed these coastal lands useless because of the sandy soil, so golf course designers began to make use of them. There are a number of true links courses still open ...

When was golf banned in Scotland?

About. Golf has been part of the sporting landscape in Scotland since at least the 15th century when King James II banned the game by Act of Parliament in 1457 and there is mention of the game being played on a number of sites along the east side of the country during the 16th century, including Stirling (1505), Carnoustie (1527), ...

What is Royal Dornoch Golf Club?

Royal Dornoch Golf Club is spellbinding. It seems to mesmerise amateur and professional golfers from all over the world and many make the pilgrimage to this natural links at some point in their lives.

Where is Trump International Golf Links?

Occupying a three-mile stretch of North Sea coastline, Trump International Golf Links is the latest American-inspired, high profile course to open in Scotland since the start of the new millennium.

Is Scotland the home of golf?

That number has since risen to 578 at the end of 2016. Scotland is the spiritual Home of Golf, but also much more than that, as Tom Doak poignantly declares: "Everything you need to learn about golf course architecture is in Scotland.". We updated Scotland's Top 100 in November 2019.

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Overview

A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. Links courses are generally built on sandy coastland that offers a firmer playing surface than parkland and heathland courses.
The word "links" comes via the Scots language from the Old English word hlinc: "rising ground, ridge" and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometim…

Geographic location and course management

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 originated and the limited resources available to golf course architects at that time. Soil movement, for example, had to be done by hand, and thus was kept to a minimum, as was irrigation. Even today, some links courses do not …

Determining factors

Although the term links is often used loosely to describe any golf course, few golf courses have all of the design elements of true links courses, including being built on linksland. The presence of a seaside location does not guarantee a links golf course. Many famous courses regarded as links do not, as presently constituted, have all of the necessary characteristics (e.g., Pebble Beach Golf L…

Notable courses

Links courses remain most common in Ireland and 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 first exception to this was the 2004 PGA Championship, which was played on a links-style course, Whistling Straits, located near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The 2015 U.S. Open was played at Chambers Bay, a …

Playing style

The unique nature of links courses necessitates a distinct style of play. The challenges links traits present fall into two categories: topography, which tends to be characterised by uneven fairways, thick rough, and small, deep "pot bunkers"; and climatic, dominated by windy conditions created by their coastal location and lack of trees, and frequent intermittent rain squalls.
Links topography favours a controlled style of golf, as hazards abound. Low and even bouncing …