Links Or Parkland?

[James_Black]

Which do you prefer to play on?

Links are more challenging but if I had to choose I'd pick parkland golf.

[kpaulhus]

I enjoy any golf layout.

[James_Black]

I enjoy any golf layout.

What about if you had to choose though?

[sean_miller]

We don't have links courses where I live. We have mountain, parkland and prairie courses - no seaside in Alberta. When playing a prairie course on a windy day, we keep spray bottles with salt water on each tee box in order to spray each other in the face right before hitting the ball.

[wubskis]

When playing a prairie course on a windy day, we keep spray bottles with salt water on each tee box in order to spray each other in the face right before hitting the ball.

Hahaha.

I definately prefer links courses whenever I get the opportunity to play them. It isn't often, but I think it makes it feel like a treat moreso than it normally would, which adds to the fun.

[flopdarock]

the links courses ive played were severely difficult for me and my mental game was just not up for it...
i prefer parkland and mountain courses because i like the looks of it... its purrrdy...
links courses to me look deceivingly easy and wide open until you lose tons of balls in the rough...
i like having visible (to me anyways) targets like trees and such to aim for or around... its tough for my game to play target golf on a links course... i guess its all just mental

[WUTiger]

As a teen in the late 1960s...
* I played cheap, one-piece balls that didn't spin much.
* The public courses tended to have hard greens and softer collars in the summer.
* My only wedge was a Wilson Triple-Duty that turned out to have a G2 swingweight. Short sand shots or fluffy greenside shots was about the limit with this club.

Between the hard ground, low-spin balls and too-heavy wedge, I developed a pretty good bump and run game. So although I'm from the Midwest, I fare a lot better on links courses than most of my neighbors.

Parklands are good too, as long as they have a little dip and roll to the land. (Flat gets boring fast)

[ctyankee]

Link style for me. I love water views and playing near water. Plus the wind off the sea makes for 'interesting' shotmaking.

[iacas]

Most people who might vote Links and live in the U.S. have probably never played anything even close to links. They might have played a course with very few trees and a pot bunker here or there, but that doesn't make it links golf.

[wedge player]

Most people who might vote Links and live in the U.S. have probably never played anything even close to links. They might have played a course with very few trees and a pot bunker here or there, but that doesn't make it links golf.

yea i agree links golf is about target golf controlling your ball in high winds if you miss the fairway deep rough its a whole differant challange.

[Scots Golf]

Yeah, the only thing that protects the links courses is the wind.
Take St Andrews, the par is 72 but it plays about 70 unless there is a fair wind blowing as there is nowt else to protect long hitting.
If the weather is good this year for the Open, expect Tiger's scoring record to get beaten.

[ctyankee]

If anyone gets up to Cape Cod Massachusetts, Highland Golf Club in Truro has a fun links course. Naturally, the wind is a factor but so is the rough. Miss the fairway by inches and you may have a tough time just finding the ball let alone hitting it. On wayward shots, odd plants and the like come into play some with serious thorns. The course will make you bleed in more ways then one.

It's only nine holes but plays reasonably different from two sets of tees. This isn't St. Andrews but it's a fun round of golf.

[VOX]

I have been fortunate to play many of the great courses in the US, Ireland and Scotland and my choice is links by a mile.

I'm playing Augusta National next week so maybe that will change my mind.

[bogeyhitter25]

The closest thing thing I've played to links style was Scottish Meadows in Warren, MA. Hard fairways and hard around the greens. Lots of wind. Thick stuff off of the fairway. And deep bunkers (not quite pot bunkers, though). I didn't really like it.

I like "U.S." golf courses a lot more.

[James_Black]

I have been fortunate to play many of the great courses in the US, Ireland and Scotland and my choice is links by a mile.

How did you manage to get a tee time at Augusta?

How much did it cost?

[Leftygolfer]

I've never played a links course so I picked parkland. I am looking foward to when I get the chance but there is nothing in my area that is close to links.

[SQ Bimmer]

I have only played one links course. http://www.rusticcanyongolfcourse.com/

From what I understand, the course is built as a typical links course would be built. Very little dirt moved, natural terrain used, very hard ground, fast, huge, multi-tiered greens, etc. However when I played there, it wasn't windy, and I got a couple 300 yard drives counting the roll.

Was pretty hard to find balls in the "rough" which sometimes meant "the weeds and shrubbery that was already there before they built the course." Pot bunkers everywhere, and I found a couple of them, and man were those some tough bunkers. One of the bunkers I found was MAYBE 1 sq foot of sand, with the lip about a foot high coming from a 45* angle from the same. Was very awkward, I had to crouch way down and take a stance outside of the bunker and hit way down on the ball. I popped it out onto the green, only got about 8 feet from the bunker, lol. I wish I took a picture of this thing. Then running bunkers across fairways made things a little challenging. At one particular hole, a random, strong gust of wind carried my ball just a tad further than I had intended and my ball barely rolled into the thing.

Yea, I shot a horrible score, but it was fun and I want more. But I do not have a preference to the type of course, so long as it's well maintained and decently designed.

[Kcas77]

Most people who might vote Links and live in the U.S. have probably never played anything even close to links. They might have played a course with very few trees and a pot bunker here or there, but that doesn't make it links golf.

This is why i voted parkland because the links courses ive played really didnt seem to be very links like because they were on the cheap side.

I would really like to go to Scotland or Ireland to play a real links course.