The title pretty much says it all. I have a notion that a Links course is more difficult than a ‘regular’ golf course but I’m not sure of it so feel free to disabuse me of that notion if it’s wrong. Also, are most Links courses in Great Britain? Do they do ‘regular’ courses their too if that is the case?
I’m only a very occasional golfer, but as I understand it, a links course is a one that runs along the coastline as opposed to being inland. Consequently there is interference from sea breezes and more bunkers (sand traps) than on other courses, so that might make them more difficult. The word is a Scottish one meaning undulating coastal land.
A links course is the type of course you’d see in England, Ireland, or Scotland (think British Open courses). The early developers of the game could not really use good farmland for a course, so they used the brackish, marshy land just inland (or just reclaimed) from the sea.
A modern links course thus has a specific look: no (or very few trees), deep “pot” bunkers, very undulating terrain, thick, coarse grass, more sand, and a close proximity to the ocean (or at least a large body of water). The ocean, of course, brings strong, swirling winds and crappy weather that make the course that much tougher.
What’s the big deal? Well, aside from the attraction of playing on a course like the one the game was invented on, there are exceptionally few links courses in the world. Less than 200 altogether.
Hope that helps
Clarification:
A modern links course thus has a specific look: no (or very few) trees…
Not necessarily more difficult, just different in the nature of the hazards. Expect significant undulations, so un-level stances are common. Many Links courses have deep pot bunkers. Another traditional feature of some links courses is double greens. And the rough tends to be quite unforgiving.
Check out Harborside on the S Side. I think they had a senior tourney there last summer. They planned a links course because it is built on top of a landfill, and they couldn’t use trees.
Or Prairie Landings in West Chicago. Both exceptional tracks.
Fourteen courses have staged The Open Championship (i.e. the British Open):
Carnoustie, Muirfield, Musselburgh, St Andrews, Prestwick, Royal Troon, Turnberry (Ailsa course), Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool at Hoylake, Royal Lytham and St Annes, Prince’s (Sandwich - insert own joke ala Homer Simpson), Royal Cinque Ports at Deal, Royal St George’s (also at Sandwich) and Royal Portrush.
All of them are links courses, but there are plenty of golf courses in the UK that aren’t links courses.
Links courses also generally indicate “target” golf : due to the type of land, the fairways tend to be broken up and require shots that cross inhospitable sections of rough and/or marsh. This forces the golfer to really think about shot and club selection, instead of just “gripping and ripping” it.
Links courses don’t always have to be by oceans, a la Indianwood in Lake Orion, MI, one of the better courses in Michigan.
Another common feature of links courses is that the green is usually more integral to the hole, not set apart on an island (literal or figuative). This provides for an opportunity to hit low, running shots that roll from the fairway onto the green.
I can remember when all golf courses were called “golf links.” According to my Merriam-Websters Collegiate, “links” comes from the Scottish word for sand hills, usually although not necessarily along the sea shore.
I think Barney111 is on the right track and also **shelbo[/o]. I think of links courses as those with fairways that are interrupted by rough, like sand hills would have in the early days of golf in Scotland. With greens that are more or less just more fairway only mowed shorter and maybe rolled for smoothing. Modern courses, of course, have a lot of greens like this except that the grass is usually of a different type than the fairway and the greens are artificially contoured.
The oldest links course and of course the oldest golf course in the world is St. Andrew’s, which was built in it’s entirety by good old Mother Nature. Not a single speck of dirt (except for the cups) was moved by a human hand. Basically, some parts of the marsh grass were mowed to provide landing areas and greens (therefore: “target golf” as mentioned above) The pot bunkers were actually created by sheep hiding from the wind. There are some pot bunkers that have a very steep face, and woe to any golfer that gets his ball stuck there. There was a golfer who actually forfeited a hole at St. Andrew’s because after climbing one of these faces (I think he used pitons), he stumbled on his follow-through and grounded the club several times on his way down. Also, Palmer once birdied the “road hole” by actually aiming past the green and bouncing his approach shot off the natural stone wall behind the green. At least he said it was done on purpose, but there was a slight wink in his eye.
Another feature of a lot of links courses are blind shots (you don’t see the target in the fairway or on the green). That’s why a lot of American golfers call playing St. Andrew’s “shooting at clouds”. Basically, you pick a cloud which is in the direction of your target and let 'er rip. One of the holes at St. Andrew’s actually has a building across the fairway with huge letters across it’s side. Depending on your type of shot (fade or draw) you aim at one of the letters. These are some of the reasons (along with the wind and weather) why American golfers (with a few exceptions, i.e. Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods) never do that well on links courses, and don’t seem to enjoy themselves there.