Re: Links Or Parkland?
A links course on a windy, wet day is more challenging than any parkland course.
Think about the Open.
When it's windy the pro's are lucky to shoot under par.
Well, obviously we're moving far away from preference when we're now talking about difficulty.
That said, if we asked a pro golfer whether he would rather play the toughest British Open layout on the toughest of days or play the toughest of U.S. Open set up to be murderous but play it on a perfect day with no wind ... he'll take The British Open loop in a heartbeat. Don't think so? Winged Foot '74
Link-styled courses need to rely on the wind to put bite in the course. At parkland courses they need only put the tees at the tips, lengthen the rough and speed up the greens. Then, courses that are already tough just the way the members play it become a blood bath. There were plenty of pros that were 30 over after only two rounds at the '74 U.S. Open.