Is there a way of playing links courses???

[imran_ali]

Hi chaps, I am hoping to play princes next saturday with a few fellow forumers. It will be my first time playing a ACTUAL links course. Is it a different style of golf??? The course I play is generally windy but is more american style.

 

[rob2]

People will tell you about playing the knock down shot, running things into the green and how you should or shouldnt play with the wind.

My plan for the day is as follows: Smash it, find it (hopefully) and smash it again. Just getting club on the ball is enough for me to think about.

Rob

 

[brendy]

There is but it's too late to learn it well now!:ears:
Hit your drives easier than normal, take extra club and pit them back in your stance a little and they will go off lower and run onto the green (obv if bunkers guard then it needs to be higher), all of these shots will have less turn on them as they won't be spinning as hard neither.
Good luck, I love links as it is a whole different challenge to my usual parkland.

 

[patricks148]

Hi chaps, I am hoping to play princes next saturday with a few fellow forumers. It will be my first time playing a ACTUAL links course. Is it a different style of golf??? The course I play is generally windy but is more american style.

not that much difference, just;

Swing easy
take more club into the wind
don't bother with high floaty chips
bump and run
be prepared to putt from off the green
stay out of fairway bunkers ( if you want a good score)

 

[golfcitydweller]

du everything patricks148 says ,but also don`t fight the wind ,just play it ...u can play the ball in high to the greens as they`ll be a lot softer than summer -enjoy it that`s the main thing

 

[Lollfred]

similar to what has already been said, dont try to hit your driver too hard, especially if hitting into the wind, nice and easy does it ... have fun

 

[harvey4banger]

Hi chaps, I am hoping to play princes next saturday with a few fellow forumers. It will be my first time playing a ACTUAL links course. Is it a different style of golf??? The course I play is generally windy but is more american style.

Good tip for you at Princes, dont hit it in the long stuff, if you do, dont bother looking for it

 

[rob2]

Good tip for you at Princes, dont hit it in the long stuff, if you do, dont bother looking for it

That is not what I was hoping to hear :mmm:

Rob

 

[bobmac]

Above all, if you hit a beautiful shot...crisp contact and arrow straight, dont be surprised when it lands and kicks 90 degrees into a 10 foot deep bunker

 

[timchump]

hitting fairways is important


if you hit it in the rough obviously theres going to be hardly any roll, on the fairway it can roll a further 50 to 60 yards

id advise slowing the swing down a little off the tee

liberal use of the texas wedge is also good idea

 

[chris661]

Dont try to carry the ball all the way to the hole, as it will only run on for another ten yards. This is the biggest fault I see "parklanders" making when they come to my place then they get all annoyed that they cant spin the ball.

 

[Captainron]

Best way to play a links course is to stick to your guns and enjoy the experience. I adore links golf but it can be a cruel mistress at times. Just be honest with her and she will treat you well.

HAVE FUN and laugh off the bad bounces and claim the good ones.

 

[USER1999]

No, there's no difference, it is all golf. If you play well, you will score well. Simples. Play it as you see it.

But take a gps or laser. Or, buy a stroke saver. There are yardage markers on the course, but if you don't buy the stroke saver, you can't decode them. There are no 150 yard marks etc. They are random.

 

[brendy]

If you play normal shots and it is in any way windy, I guarantee you will come up short more often than not as the wind pounds the ball into submission in the air. Worst I ever saw was Ardglass a couple of seasons ago, hitting 3 woods where 5 irons would normally be plenty and still only making the front edge.

Links courses have a habit of being barren treeless areas where reading the wind is bloody tricky, keep it low and it affects it less.

 

[Slab]

I've seen a guy smack his tee shot with a wood on a links course (admitedly he sky'd it) but still it ended up 30yrds behind him! whit a larf!

 

[bluetoon]

Remember to hit a provisional if you miss the primary/secondary rough.

Don't be surprised if you are tempted to putt 20yards off the fairway.


Take your medicine in the pot bunkers

 

[Tommo21]

No, there's no difference, it is all golf. If you play well, you will score well. Simples. Play it as you see it.

There you have it...........lots of dont go there, dont do this doom n gloom. You'll see for yourself...enjoy.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Go out and enjoy it. If you swing well you can get it round without doing too much differently. The only advice would be stay out of links bunkers as they tend to be a lot deeper than a parkland course and more penal.

 

[birdieman]

Think there's a bit of a head game to it as well if you are trying to score. You can easily get downhearted by a string of bogeys or worse particularly into headwinds but you have to stick with it and focus as more often that not you'll start to pick up a few shots as well as the wind goes in your favour.
Links is lots of highs and lows and ups and downs, more extremes than parkland golf, but should even out over the round.
For the sceptics you really do need a good short game as you'll miss so many greens even hitting the ball well due to wind and concrete uber fast greens.