Whistling Straits is a popular links golf course in the United States in Wisconsin. The course has hosted the PGA Championship 3 times and a Ryder Cup. Another popular links golf course in the States is Pebble Beach Golf Links, which has hosted several major championships and major tournaments.
Tom Doak’s homage to C.B. Macdonald, complete with replicas of several of his template holes, is as close to the Old Course you’ll get on this side of the pond. 2. Bandon Dunes The original Bandon course, by Scotsman David Kidd, has no steep hills and dales but endless dips and ripples, just like the best Scottish links.
The links’ look is very natural and golfers play to the contours of the land. Many links golf courses are found in coastal areas. Pebble Beach, which is located in California, overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The coastal location helps to create the hills, ridges and fairways.
However, we can be sure of where link style golf courses originated. Built on sandy soil between the coast and farmlands of Scotland, links are the most popular types of golf courses. They’re mostly known for their large, slow greens and fast fairways.
Landscape StyleLinks Course. Golf originated in Scotland, and links golf, too, has its roots in Scotland. ... Parkland Course. ... Desert Course. ... Executive Course. ... Regulation Course. ... Municipal Course. ... Daily-fee Course. ... Semi-private Course.More items...•
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.
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.
When most people think of links-style golf, they are picturing golf that can be played along the ground with lots of undulation, plenty of dunes and little to no trees. These courses also usually feature pot bunkers as opposed to the larger sprawling American-style bunkers.
MacKenzie and Bobby Jones, both having studied the Old Course, created Augusta National on the links principle of giving players options.
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.
In fact, less than 1% of all the golf layouts in the world would be defined as “true links,” with just a handful in the U.S. Many of the most famous American golf destinations – including Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – are links-style courses.
Whistling Straits is one of two 36-hole links-style golf courses associated with Destination Kohler, a luxury golf resort owned and operated by the Kohler Company in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Well you may have noticed from above that the game of golf originated on the coast of Scotland – this in turn brought the term links. The word itself has actually evolved from the Old English word 'hlinc' – meaning ridge or rising ground. This described the type of hilly land found in the coastal regions of the UK.
A "heathland course" or "heathland golf course" is a term that describes the physical characteristics of a golf course built on a specific type of geography.
The sandbelt region of Melbourne boasts a fabulous group of golf courses that epitomise the golden age of golf architecture. These highly ranked layouts are built on land in the southeast suburbs ideal for golf and conveniently located within a short distance of each other.
By combining the five types of golf shots demanded by golf holes — penal, heroic, detour, lay-up, and open — among par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes, 280 basic variables may be created, not just three types, as many have been told. A tee shot may be heroic in nature, an approach may present a detour, etc.
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.
Whistling Straits is one of two 36-hole links-style golf courses associated with Destination Kohler, a luxury golf resort owned and operated by the Kohler Company in Kohler, Wisconsin.
You might hear the term “links golf” which refers to old-school type courses that are found in Europe. Links golf courses are usually flat and have bigger greens than most US courses. You might also hear “Let's hit the links” which just refers to going out and playing a round of golf.
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.
One of the most common golf course types is a links course. But, if you find yourself asking “what is a links golf course?”, you’re hardly alone. A links golf course is one of the oldest styles you’ll find. These originated in England and Scotland, where the game was first played.
Heathland golf course aren’t all that different from links courses. These are also most common in Europe. For the most part, they embody a lot of the same characteristics such as sandy soil and bunkers that won’t quit. Again, a lot of what defines these types of courses is where they lay on a map.
Parkland golf courses are what most Americans usually play. This type of course carves its way through a natural landscape and is surrounded with trees, which serve as the biggest hazard. Parkland courses use what is available to them. If the area is hilly, you have a hilly course.
Desert golf courses are, you guessed it, found in the desert. This doesn’t mean they are all sand, but that the land surrounding it is. Depending on the course, the desert terrain can be 5 yards or 50 from your intended tee-to-green path.
A championship golf course comes less from design features and more of what the course is all about. While it’s not easy to define, a championship golf course is almost something you know when you see it—or someone tells you about it.
When a course has only par-3 holes, it is a par-3 course. These courses can also be referred to as pitch and putt courses. Most golf course types have names that aren’t as descriptive. A par-3 course is all par-3’s (with the rare exception).
Want to play a shorter course with some hole variety? Then you want to play an executive golf course. An executive course is like a par-3 course in that many of the holes are par-3’s, but this option lets you take the driver out of your bag a couple times. Additionally, an executive course with 18 holes is also fairly common.
This is truly the original style of golf course. Whenever you play a Links Golf Course, you play golf as it was invented to be played.
It is important to note that some of the courses fitting these styles are often hybrids. For example, one can argue that Pinehurst Number 2 or even Augusta National are both Parkland and Woodland/Forest Golf Courses.
Heathland Golf Courses are another style typically found in England. The most famous of them all is Sunningdale Golf Club. Other examples include The Berkshire and Walton Heath. In a way, they are like inland Links Golf Courses due to their brownish colour, gorse bushes and sandy soil.
Not all golf courses are available to be played by all golfers. Some are private clubs, some restrict access in other ways or give preferential treatment to certain golfers over others. When grouping golf courses by access, here are how those groups are labeled:
Another way of grouping golf courses is by size, which refers both to the number of holes (18 is standard) and the types of holes (a mix of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes, with par-4s being prevalent, is the standard on a "regulation," or full-sized, course). When grouping courses by size, here are how those groups are labeled:
The origin of golf is widely disputed, and to an extent we will never know the truth of where it began. However, we can be sure of where link style golf courses originated. Built on sandy soil between the coast and farmlands of Scotland, links are the most popular types of golf courses.
Parkland golf courses appeared as a result of moving links courses more inland. Characterised by design elements, natural settings and narrower fairways enclosed by trees and lush greeneries, many PGA tours take place on these terrain types.
Popular in parts of the USA and the Middle East , desert golf courses are as they sound: built in the desert. Greenery from this range of golf courses is sometimes the only green seen for miles, and they require heavy irrigation as a result of their location. This often comes at the price of environmental concern, however.
In 1961, British oil workers built the emirate’s first golf course as a side project to their pursuits in oil. Naturally, the environment’s ground meant that the first golf course in the country would be sand.
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.
A “regular” or “woodland” golf course is commonly referred to as a parkland golf course. The main differences are that a parkland golf course is heavily developed by an architect and not as natural as a links golf course.
There are several reasons for links golf courses and why they are popular, but the main reason is because of the challenge and uniqueness of the course.
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.
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.
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.
Professional golf instructors will advise players to adjust their playing style when going out on a links course. Generally, the game is played closer to the ground.