When is a Links course not a links course?

[Fish]

By that I mean, I have played quite a few for a relative newcomer to the game and some are totally exposed to the sea/coast and elements such as Silloth & Royal Porthcawl and some like Saunton (both), Burnham & Berrow and Formby to offer a few examples clearly aren't, but, are most definitely described and well known as a links courses!

So what defines a links course, is it just its sand base, undulating surface and features with natural growth of grasses and other wild plants that are synonymous with that land, or is it all of the above but it has to be right on the coast with sea views (percentage?) and open to the elements. After-all, some links courses are very flat and don't have some of the features described, some are quite a bit inland and are not exposed whatsoever, so what really ticks the boxes of a true links courses and what are second-best and shouldn't be described as such?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Bude & North Cornwall is one that springs to mind. Just on the outskirts of Bude itself, you can see the sea in the distance but none of the holes remotely threaten the shoreline.

 

[pbrown7582]

Pretty sure there is an on going debate as what constitutes a links course, there's a book claiming that there are actual far few "true" links course not only in UK but worldwide than thought and many only have links features rather than being actual links.
It's probably a discussion where the is possibly know definitive answer, just personal opinion?

 

[john0]

It's probably a discussion where the is possibly know definitive answer, just personal opinion?

You mean this might turn into another 'where to stand on the tee box' thread

 

[Junior]

I remeber debating this a while ago....... the most popular school of thought was that a 'true link course' is the piece of land that links the ocean to the mainland ,and, the boundary of the course near the the mainland is usually a railway line.

 

[cookelad]

JezzE (I think apologies if not my copy is still Oop North) co-wrote a book "true links" which in the opening chapters outlines what I've taken as gospel as the definition of a links course!

 

[Fish]

I remeber debating this a while ago....... the most popular school of thought was that a 'true link course' is the piece of land that links the ocean to the mainland ,and, the boundary of the course near the the mainland is usually a railway line.

So based on that school of thought, would you say that St Annes Old Links is a links course, its a good way from the sea, in fact their is a main arterial road between the dunes and the course not to mention many streets and houses at the top and bottom end?

 

[Junior]

So based on that school of thought, would you say that St Annes Old Links is a links course, its a good way from the sea, in fact their is a main arterial road between the dunes and the course not to mention many streets and houses at the top and bottom end?

That is why its a good debate

I would say that yes SAOL is a truelinks. I'm guessing at some point part of that course ws the boundary between the sea and the land.

Formby (my favourite course) is a conumdrum to me. You never see the Ocean, yet its most definatey the land between the ocean and the railway line. The ground is most definately 'links style' yet some of the holes weave between both sand dunes and pine forest.

I'd be interested to hear Jezz's definition as he's far ore educated student of the game than I am.

 

[Birchy]

That is why its a good debate

I would say that yes SAOL is a truelinks. I'm guessing at some point part of that course ws the boundary between the sea and the land.

Formby (my favourite course) is a conumdrum to me. You never see the Ocean, yet its most definatey the land between the ocean and the railway line. The ground is most definately 'links style' yet some of the holes weave between both sand dunes and pine forest.

I'd be interested to hear Jezz's definition as he's far ore educated student of the game than I am.

You can see the ocean from one of the holes at Formby cant you? The 9th is it??

 

[NWJocko]

So based on that school of thought, would you say that St Annes Old Links is a links course, its a good way from the sea, in fact their is a main arterial road between the dunes and the course not to mention many streets and houses at the top and bottom end?

SAOL and Royal Lytham (I think, could be wrong) at one time were on the shore.......

I haven't read the book to see the definition used but would be interested to know what it is

 

[Jack_bfc]

So based on that school of thought, would you say that St Annes Old Links is a links course, its a good way from the sea, in fact their is a main arterial road between the dunes and the course not to mention many streets and houses at the top and bottom end?

Royal Lytham is further away and has a lot more infrastructure between it and the sea..... And I believe that has to be a links to hold the 'open'... Is that correct?

Someone listed Blackpool North Shore as a links on the other links thread. I played it last week and I can see the links style. But it seems more an open park/heathland course to me. But is a similar distance from the sea as Old Links..

 

[Fish]

But if they are no longer next to the ocean, should their description not change? And Scott, how many holes should be visible to authenticate what is a links course or not, surely 1 hole is clutching at straws!

 

[Birchy]

But if they are no longer next to the ocean, should their description not change? And Scott, how many holes should be visible to authenticate what is a links course or not, surely 1 hole is clutching at straws!

I wasn't saying it to authenticate any links claim Just checking I remembered it right as Peter always tells me there is one when we have played there.

It still is close to the ocean in theory but it just has lovely huge pine trees blocking a lot of views of it.

 

[richart]

Forget railways, has nothing to do with a course being a links. It just happens that a lot of links courses are near to a railway, because railways were built around coastal towns. In many cases the golf course was there before the railway.

It is the type of land/ soil the course is built on, slightly raised from sea levels, and originally not suitable for farming. Typically links courses wind through sands dunes but not all. So generally it is land between the sea and arable land further in. You can get golf courses on the coast that are not links, ie cliff top courses.

As far as I am concerned there is no such thing as an inland links golf course.

 

[Birchy]

Some of the category debates are pointless though imo. Is it links? Is it parkland? Is it heathland? Is it goat track? Does it matter?

I love the individuality of each course. People seem to see a true links as a badge of honour for some reason.

 

[richart]

The first type of courses were links, so they tend to have great tradition, and personally I love them. Not only are they totally natural, they drain beautifully, and every time you play one, the wind seems to come from another direction, which makes the holes play so differently.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

There are quite clear definitions as to what constitutes a links course. The term 'links' came about to describe the sandy soil between the coastline and the arable farmland further in from the sea. Useless for farming but excellent for playing 'gowf' on. It has a certain combination of grasses, namely clumpy marram grass and fine bent fescues on the greens. There is no requirement to be able to see the sea to be called a links, many highly regarded courses fall into this category such as those already mentioned linke Saunton, Lytham, Royal Zoute in Belgium and many others.

The book 'True Links' lists all of them. I have the book, I believe there are 256 but many that I do not consider to be correct. There is a far superior book by Donald Steel called 'Classic Links of GB&I', I would urge any links fans to obtain a copy.

 

[srixon 1]

Forget railways, has nothing to do with a course being a links. It just happens that a lot of links courses are near to a railway, because railways were built around coastal towns. In many cases the golf course was there before the railway.

It is the type of land/ soil the course is built on, slightly raised from sea levels, and originally not suitable for farming. Typically links courses wind through sands dunes but not all. So generally it is land between the sea and arable land further in. You can get golf courses on the coast that are not links, ie cliff top courses.

As far as I am concerned there is no such thing as an inland links golf course.

I'm with you on this one, and I'm sure that I once heard that to qualify as a "proper" links the course had to be within one mile of the sea.

 

[JCW]

I'm with you on this one, and I'm sure that I once heard that to qualify as a "proper" links the course had to be within one mile of the sea.

Must it have at least one hole that's is by the sea , must the course be subjected to sea breezes , within 1 mile and have dunes sandy soils all the other links stuff ?

 

[Liverbirdie]

I wasn't saying it to authenticate any links claim Just checking I remembered it right as Peter always tells me there is one when we have played there.

It still is close to the ocean in theory but it just has lovely huge pine trees blocking a lot of views of it.

I think it is the 9th were you can see the IRISH SEA at Formby.

Ocean - God - you landlubbers.