Does anyone dislike links?

[Guest ShadowXOR]

I'm not too into golf but one of the reasons I picked it up was the beauty of courses. Links courses usually seem very ugly to me. Trees add so much to the beauty of courses. I guess it's all personal opinion. And maybe it's just me but links courses look generally more difficult to me, as they seem to have a lot of rolling hills, bunkers, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

[lamebums]

It's all opinion. I like links courses precisely because there's no trees. I hate trees. I'll take pot bunkers over trees anyday.

[Guest ShadowXOR]

It's all opinion. I like links courses precisely because there's no trees. I hate trees. I'll take pot bunkers over trees anyday.

You hate trees visually or the way they impact your game? I've never met anyone who doesn't like some beautiful trees!

[DDBowdoin]

I actually play better on the more traditional courses. I feel when I step to the tee and see a tight fairway with trees on both sides I tend to either concentrate more or have a better sense of where I need to put the ball. Strangely enough I don't like wide open courses.

[kurtwainwright]

Two weeks ago I was playing over in Scotland. That was my first time ever playing on a TRUE links course. Boy was it different! No trees (well, some of the savage gorse was as tall as a tree!), pot bunkers, rolling fairways, and greens so hard you could crash an airplane into them and not make a pitch mark!

I adapted, slowly. Ohhhh, so I can't pitch it up with some spin and expect it to stick? Gotcha... next time I'll do a bump & run with my 7 iron from 75 yards out!

The worst part of links golf was the WIND! I never did adapt to that. How does one play golf in a 50 MPH gust?? I don't know either!

Scores:
Old Course: 114
Kingsbarns: 112
Balcomie: 118
Carnoustie: 116

My handicap is about a 24-ish. But with that wind -- grrr! You'd think the RAA/USGA would come up with a "wind index" in addition to the course rating and slope. That might help me feel better about my scores!

[lamebums]

You hate trees visually or the way they impact your game? I've never met anyone who doesn't like some beautiful trees!

They impact my game. In a really ugly, bad way. As in, on the best of days, it adds 2 or 3 strokes. On a bad day it'll add 10, easily. I wonder if I'm playing with a ping-pong ball sometimes the way it ricochets off the tree trunks. You can tell if I'm scoring well that day if I'm not in the trees.

(Edit: Part of my problem is I almost always refuse to chip sideways back to the fairway, always opting for the punch shot in an attempt to advance the ball. Sometimes I get away with it, other times I pay for it when the ball comes straight back at me. My golfing buddies all hide behind the cart when I'm punching out of trees.)

The worst part of links golf was the WIND! I never did adapt to that. How does one play golf in a 50 MPH gust?? I don't know either!

Hit a 2 iron. And still aim way left.

[iacas]

You'd think the RAA/USGA would come up with a "wind index" in addition to the course rating and slope.

To be fair, it is included in the slope rating, though it's not given its own name and whatnot.

[pre] Weight Obstacle Scratch Bogey -------- ------- ----- Topography 10% 12% Fairway 11% 9% Rough/Recoverability 14% 15% Out of bounds 10% 9% Water Hazards 14% 14% Trees 9% 14% Bunkers 7% 10% Green Target 9% 6% Green Surface 11% 8% Psychological 5% 3% ---- ---- 100% 100%[/pre] I'm curious, though: did the links courses you played even have a true course rating and slope?

[Reefer_Madness]

Go play the Bandon Dunes courses and tell me you hate links style golf........and btw Kurtwainwright, I'm extremely jealous.

[kurtwainwright]

To be fair, it is included in the slope rating, though it's not given its own name and whatnot.

From what I recall, they all had a USGA equivalent rating and slope. My scorecards are at home... I'll reply and let you know slopes and ratings for the four courses I played.

Wind: unless it's included in "psychological" then I'm not seeing it. However, there is very little that I know about the topic of how USGA rates courses. I do know that it is highly subjective.

Go play the Bandon Dunes courses and tell me you hate links style golf........and btw Kurtwainwright, I'm extremely jealous.

Sorry man, I didn't mean to make you jealous! Bandon Dunes is supposed to be spectacular from what I've heard.

[iacas]

Wind: unless it's included in "psychological" then I'm not seeing it. However, there is very little that I know about the topic of how USGA rates courses. I do know that it is highly subjective.

A rater told me that wind is accounted for in virtually all the ratings (via small bumps in difficulty), but most often things like "topography" and the general "hazards" get bumped up for a lot of wind.

[doublesuited77]

A rater told me that wind is accounted for in virtually all the ratings (via small bumps in difficulty), but most often things like "topography" and the general "hazards" get bumped up for a lot of wind.

To clarify, the prevailing wind conditions are built into slope/course ratings. So on a links course where it is only windy 30% of the time, the wind would not be taken into effect.

[kurtwainwright]

I'm curious, though: did the links courses you played even have a true course rating and slope?

Now that I'm back to my humble abode... I've checked the scorecards.

*From the "Regular" or "Yellow" Men's tee's: Course Rating Slope Old Course 71.2 128 Kingsbarns 70.7 132 Balcomie 67.5 118 Carnoustie 75.1 142

[thumper07]

i absolutely love the look of links courses and would love it even more to have a course near by i could play that looks like a links style course. i am very jealous of you!

-matt

[nandoal28]

I'm not too into golf but one of the reasons I picked it up was the beauty of courses. Links courses usually seem very ugly to me. Trees add so much to the beauty of courses. I guess it's all personal opinion. And maybe it's just me but links courses look generally more difficult to me, as they seem to have a lot of rolling hills, bunkers, etc. I just want to make sure I'm not the only one that feels this way.

Seems to me that your in the vast minority in here. I see that you like the flowers and trees of a golf course. A tree hugger I presume. A true links course is beautiful beyond belief.

[joshiemac25]

Having only played 1 course in my life that claims to be a links course (Hiawatha Links, Owego NY) I can say that it was enjoyable. Without having more to compare it to though, and only getting around the track once, I am not certain I have a good history to judge on. I enjoyed the course, and would probably enjoy the style more if there were other options relatively close by.

[Big_M]

I like links courses... but I would hate to have to ONLY play links courses. I enjoy the parkland type courses that dominate the US, and would miss that style if I didn't get to play it regularly. When I lived in Michigan we had a few decent imitation links courses that are near and around the shorelines of the Great Lakes, probably the best being Arcadia Bluffs... even here in Toledo we have a nice links course that is out near Lake Erie, and I play it fairly often (Maumee Bay).


This is supposedly the best public course in Michigan, and many would say best period (public or private)... great pics on website...
Arcadia Bluffs... http://www.arcadiabluffs.com/

Thing is... there has been an explosion of links and heathlands style courses in the US, but many are NOT near the ocean. I think it is easy to make the case that the ones near the Great Lakes play very much like the Oceanside courses and could be considered true links golf, but what of these inland courses that LOOK like a links course, but maybe aren't near a large body of water. Much debate exists on this topic, and I would say that despite many being landlocked, if they have rolling topography, few or no trees, sandy soil, can firm up (especially the greens) at the right time of year, and wind is one of the main defenses... then they are essentially a LINKS course. I don't know why some people get so mad about calling some of these courses links courses. Don't really know if I have a point, just felt like rambling.

[raygrinberg]

In addition to Bandon Dunes try out Chambers Bay in University Place, WA. www.chambersbaygolf.com It was just selected to host the 2010 US Amater and the 2015 US Open.

Just 1 tree. But unlimited views. RTJ II designed this as a true links experience and its has exceeded expectations.

[erova]

Big M-- I think you make some good points--especially how some people get up in arms over when a course should be called a links track or not.

Honestly I think the reason people bristle a bit when they hear links is because it's so overused and inappropriately used, even by the golf courses themselves.

how often have we read this marketing pitch somewhere?

"come visit The Links At Anytown, where we take the best of UK links courses and challenge you with an open layout surrounded by our 500,000 man made lake. Enjoy multiple elevation changes, raised teeboxes, and hundred year old oaks that line the fairway to our links. You may love it so much you'll want to live here in one of our 5 bedroom homes lining 13 of our fabulous links-style fairways!"

alternatively, i also think some people assume that "links" means "best". i think anyone who has played Augusta National, Bethpage Black, or Riviera would probably challenge that claim (as would any desert golfer).