Top Links Courses

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Crazyface

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I don't really get the thrill of links. It's a golf course without trees. Strangely their greens are usually immaculate. Why is this? Any course can have immaculate greens, yet links seems to have the (almost) monopoly on this.

Carnoustie (it's the hardest, apparently)
Fleetwood (even I putted good here holes flat ball rolls straight in)
St Annes Old Links (although I've gone off them as they have stopped a comp I used to play in, why?)
Wallasey (very hard)
 

PNWokingham

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Try the St Kew Inn, near Wadebridge, though you will probably need to book. Mike the innkeeper is a member at St Enodoc, and might sign you in at guest rates.(y)

Great food and atmosphere.

brilliant pub despite the company! :). But don't tell anyone as we could not get in the last time we tried!
 

Lord Tyrion

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I don't really get the thrill of links. It's a golf course without trees. Strangely their greens are usually immaculate. Why is this? Any course can have immaculate greens, yet links seems to have the (almost) monopoly on this.
Does being sand based make the difference? Certainly helps with drainage so perhaps that is the key. From now through to April some of the best greens in Northumberland will be at Alnmouth Village, a 9 hole links course with 1 greenkeeper. They are top notch all year round but whilst other courses go backwards in winter this course stays the same. They had county training on there all last winter. Just a little 9 holer with not much money for fancy equipment...........
 

Crazyface

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Does being sand based make the difference? Certainly helps with drainage so perhaps that is the key. From now through to April some of the best greens in Northumberland will be at Alnmouth Village, a 9 hole links course with 1 greenkeeper. They are top notch all year round but whilst other courses go backwards in winter this course stays the same. They had county training on there all last winter. Just a little 9 holer with not much money for fancy equipment...........

Could be, but ANY course could have put tons of sand down where they have put greens, if this is the factor in producing good greens.
 

Lord Tyrion

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We need a greenkeepers view at this point :D. Sand based was the only thing I could really think of that was majorly different. Perhaps links are also more exposed to winds as well, drying out the greens all the time?
 

patricks148

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We need a greenkeepers view at this point :D. Sand based was the only thing I could really think of that was majorly different. Perhaps links are also more exposed to winds as well, drying out the greens all the time?
Nairn are building 2 new greens and extending another. in one of the former tree plantations was a big sand, seam, hundreds of tons apparently. they have cut the trees down and are quarrying the sand out to build the new greens, so maybe sand is a big factor??
 
D

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Links greens are affected by different climates but not as much as inland courses. This is a combination of the more robust nature of the types of grass (bent and fescue) and also the moisture levels in the soil. I played Porthcawl a couple of weeks ago with 3 guys from here and the greens were certainly nowhere near as good as they will be in summer but they were still in reasonable shape. My club has been oversseding with a bent/fescue mix for the last 3 years (we are heathland) and the greens now are still almost as good as they were during the summer.
 

auditt

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Sorry to bother everyone here but I’ve just seen this photo (in the club house at Abu Dhabi Yas Links) and none of us can be sure where it is.....as a Scottish Links golfer it looks so familiar....but can’t place it.
Can anyone help??EB8F98B6-5EFB-43DA-93FC-D354A4101D2B.jpeg
 
D

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^^^

Wow could be anywhere really but definitely has a hint of Waterville about it.
 

auditt

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It does look like the 5th at Silloth, Solway Firth in the background... looks like a similar distance over the water to D and G.
I’m thinking you’re spot-on.....had a good look at some photos on google. There’s none with the identical perspective but assuming they’ve added some bunkers since the original pic it is Silloth’s 5th 👍
Thanks for your knowledge guys!
 
D

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I’m thinking you’re spot-on.....had a good look at some photos on google. There’s none with the identical perspective but assuming they’ve added some bunkers since the original pic it is Silloth’s 5th 👍
Thanks for your knowledge guys!

It does very much look like it but the 5th green position has only been in its current position for about 10 years.
It was moved back 50 yards and was further right as you look at the photo.
An uncanny resemblance with the views of the Scottish side of the solway....
 
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