What is a Links-Style Golf Course? History, Features, and Tips
By Ken Martin, Keiser University College of Golf Professor and PGA Certified Professional
Golf has many course styles, including parkland, heathland, desert, and mountain, but none captures the soul of the game quite like a links-style course. These layouts evoke the raw, windswept origins of golf itself, demanding creativity, patience, and a ground game that modern resort courses often overlook. Whether you’re teeing it up at Scotland’s iconic St Andrews or a modern links-inspired gem in the United States, understanding what makes a links-style course unique can transform how you play and appreciate the game. In this article, we’ll explore history, signature features, and practical tips to help you conquer these challenging yet rewarding venues.
The History of Links Golf: From Scottish Dunes to Global Icon
The story of links golf begins on the rugged coastlines of Scotland in the 15th century. The word “links” itself comes from the Old English hlinc, meaning “rising ground” or “ridge,” later adopted in Scots to describe the sandy, undulating strips of coastal land between the sea and fertile farmland. These areas were too poor for crops but perfect for grazing sheep and, eventually, hitting a featherie ball with a wooden club.
Early golfers didn’t design these courses with bulldozers and architects; nature was the architect. Players in places like St Andrews, Leith, and Dornoch shaped holes organically around dunes, burns (streams), and gorse bushes. Golf on the links at St Andrews dates to at least the early 1400s, with documented play by 1552. The land was declared common ground by royal charter in 1123, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that formal clubs and rules emerged. In 1744, the Gentlemen Golfers of Edinburgh codified the first 13 rules of golf at Leith Links for the world’s first open competition.
By the 19th century, links courses defined the game. The Open Championship, first played in 1860 at Prestwick, has always been contested exclusively on links layouts, setting it apart from the other majors. Scotland remains home to the highest concentration of true links courses, with icons like Royal Dornoch, North Berwick, and Carnoustie. The style spread to Ireland (Royal County Down, Portmarnock) and later influenced designs worldwide as golf globalized.
In the 20th century, architects like Alister MacKenzie and Donald Ross brought links principles inland, creating “links-style” courses that mimic the look and feel without true coastal linksland. Today, only about 247 authentic links courses exist worldwide, mostly in Britain and Ireland, representing less than 1% of all golf courses. Yet their influence is outsized: they shaped strategy, equipment, and the very ethos of the game as a battle against nature rather than manicuring perfection.
Hallmark Features: What Makes a Course Truly Links (or Links-Style)
True links courses share distinct traits born from their sandy coastal origins. Unlike parkland courses with lush, tree-lined fairways and water hazards everywhere, links play firm, fast, and exposed.
Coastal Terrain and Sandy Soil
Linksland is sandy, well-draining turf that stays playable year-round. After rain, the ground firms up quickly, producing low bounces and long rolls. Indigenous grasses like red fescue and brown top bent create a tight, fine surface ideal for the “running game.” No heavy irrigation or top-dressing is needed; historically, nature handles maintenance.
Undulating Fairways and Natural Dunes
Fairways roll and ripple like ocean waves, shaped by millennia of wind and tide. Blind shots, hidden hazards, and natural contours reward precision over power. There are almost no trees, leaving players fully exposed to coastal winds that can shift dramatically between the outward nine (along the sea) and inward nine (returning to the clubhouse).
Deep Pot Bunkers and Natural Hazards
Bunkers are steep-faced pots, deep, punishing traps often carved from old dunes. They’re strategic nightmares: escape is difficult, and many are placed to catch the slightest misjudgment. Rough consists of wiry fescue, gorse, and marram grass rather than thick Bermuda or Kentucky bluegrass. Dunes and burns serve as natural obstacles instead of artificial lakes.
Firm, Fast Greens and Traditional Layout
Greens are large but severely undulating, often with false fronts and run-offs. The classic “out and in” routing means the front nine heads away from the clubhouse, the back nine returns, creating ever-changing wind directions. Holes are natural, not manufactured; many early courses used sheep and basic cutters for upkeep.
Not every “links-style” course sits on genuine linksland. Inland or lakeside replicas (like Whistling Straits or Chambers Bay in the U.S.) borrow the aesthetic: wide fairways, pot bunkers, fescue rough, and firm turf. They emphasize strategy and ground play but may lack the authentic salty breeze or historical pedigree. These designs exploded in popularity in the late 20th century as golfers sought the classic challenge closer to home. In short, true links are a product of place; links-style are a product of philosophy.
Tips for Playing Links-Style Golf: Master the Ground Game
Links golf punishes the high-ball, target-golf approach that dominates American parkland courses. Success demands adaptation. Here are proven strategies from those who have battled the wind and turf.
Embrace Low, Penetrating Shots
Wind is the great equalizer. Flight your ball low with a knockdown technique: grip down an inch, ball back in stance, abbreviated swing, and de-loft the clubface. This keeps the ball under the breeze and lets it run out on firm fairways. Forget trying to “carry” hazards; bounce and roll are your friends.
Master the Bump-and-Run
Around the greens, putt whenever possible. The tight turf acts like a putting surface extended 20-50 yards out. Use a 7- or 8-iron (or even a hybrid) for low, running chips that skip and check gently, making for predictable rollout. High, spinning wedges often come up short or float in the wind. Practice these from various lies before your trip.
Manage Wind Like a Local
Check the flag and feel the breeze on every shot. Play for the wind, aim left into a right-to-left crosswind, and use it to shape fades or draws. Downwind, take less club and let the ball fly; into the wind, take more and stay low. Patience is key: par is a great score on a blustery day.
Strategy Over Power
Wide fairways tempt big drives, but precision wins. Position your ball to approach greens from the best angle, avoiding bunkers at all costs (they’re often deeper than they look). Study yardage books or local caddies for blind shots and hidden contours. Think angles and options rather than line and distance.
Equipment and Mindset Adjustments
Pack extra golf balls (wind and gorse eat them). Consider lower-lofted drivers or fairway woods for control. Wear layers for variable weather. Most importantly, reset expectations: scores may be higher, but the satisfaction of a well-played links round is unmatched. Focus on process, not scorecard. Additional pro tips include using the terrain for creative recovery and practicing punch shots on the range. Golfers who arrive prepared often shoot their best relative scores on the links.
Why Links Golf Endures: A Timeless Test
Link-style courses remind us why golf was invented, not as a manicured walk in the park, but as a primal contest with the elements. Their history ties directly to Scotland’s coastal heritage, their features celebrate natural beauty and strategic depth, and the tips above unlock a more thoughtful way to play.
Whether you’re planning a bucket-list trip to the Old Course or enjoying a stateside links-style layout, these venues reward the imaginative player. Next time you stand on a windswept tee with firm turf underfoot and gorse whispering in the breeze, remember you’re not just playing golf, you’re playing the original game. Pack your low-flight mindset, embrace the ground, and savor every quirky bounce. Your game and appreciation for golf’s roots will be better for it.
