Links golf

[Foxholer]

Warning - this post may irk the golfing purists.

As I approach the close of my second season of being a committed golfer, I'm pleased to say 2018 so far has been a year of new courses and new experiences as I've been introduced to some of the different styles of course and a variety conditions they play under.

I've enjoyed all these experiences.....but then there's links golf.

For many the 'true test', or 'the way golf is meant to be played'. For me, an exercise in sado-masochism. The bleak landscape, the howling wind, the hard greens and drop offs and the unfair bounces and pot bunkers. I've tried my darnedest to love this form of the game out of respect for its history, but after having tried a fair few links now, it just ain't happening. I quite like the spongey fairways. Pitching an approach 50 yards from the green and running it up is ok once or twice a round (not 14 or 15), but getting battered by wind and traipsing through the scrub looking for another wayward shot gets tiresome very quickly.

The landscape is all the same. After a day on the links the monotone regularity is branded on the inside of my eyelids, my swing feels damaged by the number of punch/weird shots I've tried to hit.

Maybe it'll grow on me and I hope it does. I'll keep at it cos I love golf and I'm no quitter but yet to see what all the fuss is about.

Try to spend an entire weekend (or at least an entire day) on the same course, playing both morning and afternoon!

That's how you will (or at least 'might') 'learn to love' the unique nature of links golf - it's never the same 2 consecutive rounds!

You certainly need to be able to hit certain shots (particularly punch ones) to do well and the key to good scoring is actually avoiding the 'traps' that are often strategically placed.

Once you have realised that the course is never the same 2 days (or even rounds) in a row, you might become a bit bored with the sameness of parkland courses!

Oh, and just wait until part way through Winter, when parkland fairways are stodgy mud, greens soggy, soft and slow and the ball is virtually unplayable from the rough. Links fairways will still be running very well, the greens will be fine and the (Marram Grass) rough that was so penal in Summer will have flattened down and can provide a pretty reasonable 'launch platform' for a recovery shot!

 

[Grant85]

Having just started playing regularly at a Moorland course, with a fair bit of wind, I can say to all those who play inland and rarely play at the coast that you get used to the wind very quickly.

Ok, so a slightly different type of wind in that a coastal breeze will have more gusts and be much more changeable. But generally the breeze will play in the same direction and the course will have been layed out with this in mind.

Also, most courses that are in a windy area are designed tp be played in the wind, with larger targets and flatter greens. The wind inevitably is the protection. As has been pointed out, if you get a links course with no wind it is generally a real opportunity to score, and no doubt we will see some of the pros go sub 60 at an Open Championship one year. Although we've been saying that for years now and it's not really come that close to happening, barring Brandon Grace making 62 at Birkdale, but a 59 wasn't really on there at all.

 

[Jacko_G]

Isle of Tiree for golf. Best wear your lead boots, windiest place in Britain.

Absolutely stunning place though. Beaches are amongst the best in the British isles.

 

[Rlburnside]

Been past the Western Isles many times by sea, stunning scenery especially on a calm day, interesting to hear you say about the course being golf of the purest form that is much the same as our course in Shetland, our course has scenery to rival anywhere in the U.K. but it's a brute of a play if it's windy.

 

[Rlburnside]

Isle of Tiree for golf. Best wear your lead boots, windiest place in Britain.

Absolutely stunning place though. Beaches are amongst the best in the British isles.

Whilst it's certainly windy in Tiree,Shetland is the windiest place in the U.K. apart from mountain tops, not the best place to be based for playing golf.

 

[smange]

I'm a member at Ballyliffin where we have two top class golf courses, both rank in top 20 in Ireland which is no mean feat when you know the quality of courses over here.

I try to play both courses each week of the year and obviously play in wind every single time I step on the course, that's part of the challenge of Links golf and it will make you think over every shot. Links golf will make you a better ball striker over time having to hit off the tight lies on the fairways, no ball sitting up on the lovely fluffy parkland grass😉 It will test your patience at times but who ever said golf was easy and those who complain about so called good shots taking bad bounces into the rough also seem to forget about the bad shots that bounce the opposite way back into the fairways, it works both ways every round you play.

I've played a lot of parkland golf with some very low handicap parkland member golfers (scratch and plus handicaps) and watched as they comfortably knock it round it level par or better yet when they go play links golf they struggle because they have to think about what shot they are going to play each and every shot they have as opposed to almost being able to plan their round before they go out.


As you'll maybe know the Irish Open was on our Glashedy course in July during the great spell of weather we had and the pros played it in as good weather conditions as you will ever get in this part of the world (for all 4 days) and the winning score was 14 under par and they played 3 days off the forward tee on the par 5 fourth hole which is only 476 yards so really a standard length par 4 for them so really they should have at least birdied it 3 days out of the 4 so in my mind the winning score was only 11 under par! Can you name me a parkland course that would have produced such a solid test of golf in perfect weather conditions and without being tricked up like a US Open course? I can assure you bar the length from the very back tees that the Irish Open was played off, the course was playing easier than we would play it week in week out!

I know it's all about opinions but for the guys who say they don't like links golf and it's played on flat, dull, uninteresting land.....come play links golf on the west coast of Ireland and I assure you that you will change your mind and especially about the "lack of good views"


P.S. Im not totally blinkered and still play parkland golf a few times a year and do enjoy it but links (for me) is the better test of your golfing skills

 

[Rlburnside]

I'm a member at Ballyliffin where we have two top class golf courses, both rank in top 20 in Ireland which is no mean feat when you know the quality of courses over here.

I try to play both courses each week of the year and obviously play in wind every single time I step on the course, that's part of the challenge of Links golf and it will make you think over every shot. Links golf will make you a better ball striker over time having to hit off the tight lies on the fairways, no ball sitting up on the lovely fluffy parkland grass😉 It will test your patience at times but who ever said golf was easy and those who complain about so called good shots taking bad bounces into the rough also seem to forget about the bad shots that bounce the opposite way back into the fairways, it works both ways every round you play.

I've played a lot of parkland golf with some very low handicap parkland member golfers (scratch and plus handicaps) and watched as they comfortably knock it round it level par or better yet when they go play links golf they struggle because they have to think about what shot they are going to play each and every shot they have as opposed to almost being able to plan their round before they go out.


As you'll maybe know the Irish Open was on our Glashedy course in July during the great spell of weather we had and the pros played it in as good weather conditions as you will ever get in this part of the world (for all 4 days) and the winning score was 14 under par and they played 3 days off the forward tee on the par 5 fourth hole which is only 476 yards so really a standard length par 4 for them so really they should have at least birdied it 3 days out of the 4 so in my mind the winning score was only 11 under par! Can you name me a parkland course that would have produced such a solid test of golf in perfect weather conditions and without being tricked up like a US Open course? I can assure you bar the length from the very back tees that the Irish Open was played off, the course was playing easier than we would play it week in week out!

I know it's all about opinions but for the guys who say they don't like links golf and it's played on flat, dull, uninteresting land.....come play links golf on the west coast of Ireland and I assure you that you will change your mind and especially about the "lack of good views"


P.S. Im not totally blinkered and still play parkland golf a few times a year and do enjoy it but links (for me) is the better test of your golfing skills

Your certainly right in that playing parkland courses are easier, I played Edzell recently and scored gross 84 of 18h/c the first time playing the course, for me it was a real pleasure to play off lush fairways and flat lies not had anywhere near that score all season on my home course, I love competitions but yesterday's score of gross 102 playing of my home course in 20-25 mph winds was no fun for me.

 

[shortgame]

Isle of Tiree for golf. Best wear your lead boots, windiest place in Britain.

Absolutely stunning place though. Beaches are amongst the best in the British isles.

Sounds great, a beach in the windiest place in Britain. Hope it's well sheltered

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Whilst it's certainly windy in Tiree,Shetland is the windiest place in the U.K. apart from mountain tops, not the best place to be based for playing golf.

Though it is a bit of an aside to this thread I think you'll find that Tiree has the highest average daily windspeed of anywhere in the UK - 17mph - cos my Guiness Book of Records says so. Mind - I am in no doubt whatsoever that it's windy in Shetland

 

[IanM]

Smange has hit the nail on the head.... lots of the Wilts “low boys” used to get badly beaten up by Burnhan or Saunton at South West Week....but that might also have also been lots of beer and late nights.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds great, a beach in the windiest place in Britain. Hope it's well sheltered

As there are fabulous beaches all of the way round the island you can always find one that is sheltered - or if you are a windsurfer - one that has the wind from the right on-shore/off-shore direction. Besides - my favourite on the west side of the island has great sand dunes that you can shelter among

But there ain't no shelter on the golf course - at all - ever.

 

[BrianM]

Been past the Western Isles many times by sea, stunning scenery especially on a calm day, interesting to hear you say about the course being golf of the purest form that is much the same as our course in Shetland, our course has scenery to rival anywhere in the U.K. but it's a brute of a play if it's windy.

Hope you're not planning on playing on Thursday!!

 

[Rlburnside]

Though it is a bit of an aside to this thread I think you'll find that Tiree has the highest average daily windspeed of anywhere in the UK - 17mph - cos my Guiness Book of Records says so. Mind - I am in no doubt whatsoever that it's windy in Shetland

Well I think that's one record they got wrong according to the Met Office the Western Isles come in at number 5.

 

[thesheriff]

Try to spend an entire weekend (or at least an entire day) on the same course, playing both morning and afternoon!

That's how you will (or at least 'might') 'learn to love' the unique nature of links golf - it's never the same 2 consecutive rounds!

You certainly need to be able to hit certain shots (particularly punch ones) to do well and the key to good scoring is actually avoiding the 'traps' that are often strategically placed.

Once you have realised that the course is never the same 2 days (or even rounds) in a row, you might become a bit bored with the sameness of parkland courses!

Oh, and just wait until part way through Winter, when parkland fairways are stodgy mud, greens soggy, soft and slow and the ball is virtually unplayable from the rough. Links fairways will still be running very well, the greens will be fine and the (Marram Grass) rough that was so penal in Summer will have flattened down and can provide a pretty reasonable 'launch platform' for a recovery shot!

Now this sounds like absolute sense. I have only played the courses I mentioned in my post once with the exception of the Archerfield courses, which I've just had the fortune of playing each for a second time on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed them both in some testing conditions.

I'd be very interested to try the morning and afternoon rounds on the same course to see how the challenge changes and discover if therein lies the charm of the links game.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Well I think that's one record they got wrong according to the Met Office the Western Isles come in at number 5.

Ah - there's your mistake

You have to be a little bit more specific than 'Western Isles' for Tiree - because for Tiree the average annual wind speed is over 17mph compared with the Shetland Islands at 14.7 knots - 16.9mph. In any case - both mighty windy and just great for links golf...

Just as another wee aside - at the right time of year Tiree is also the sunniest place in the UK (though I can report that at the moment it most definitely isn't sunny and it is most definitely windy).

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/...hebrides-scotland-white-beach-sunshine-island

 

[patricks148]

Ah - there's your mistake

You have to be a little bit more specific than 'Western Isles' for Tiree - because for Tiree the average annual wind speed is over 17mph compared with the Shetland Islands at 14.7 knots - 16.9mph. In any case - both mighty windy and just great for links golf...

Just as another wee aside - at the right time of year Tiree is also the sunniest place in the UK (though I can report that at the moment it most definitely isn't sunny and it is most definitely windy).

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/...hebrides-scotland-white-beach-sunshine-island

i wasn't aware either was famous for its golf courses?

 

[User 99]

I just got a call 10 minutes ago asking me if I wanted a game on an Open Qualifier on Thursday, checked the forecast then declined, had that been an inland course with the same forecast I'd have played.

 

[patricks148]

I just got a call 10 minutes ago asking me if I wanted a game on an Open Qualifier on Thursday, checked the forecast then declined, had that been an inland course with the same forecast I'd have played.

wish id played this morning, quite nice at Nairn then. supposed to be playing Wednesday but forecaste is horrendous. hope it clears by the weekend as I'm playing a Pro Am and 3 rounds at Royal Dornoch

 

[IanM]

Playing holes 10 to 27 at Palmares in the morning.... the last nine are “links” in the dunes.... will be interesting to see how that flows as a course. Played 1-18 last year...enjoyed it. Mind you, in Portugal they water heavily so I’m expecting soft landings

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Funnily enough I am due to play Wednesday lunchtime and current forcast is showing 60 mph winds, could be tricky to say the least....