With the British Open going on this week it would be fun to talk links golf for our Friday Fun subject. The term “links” refers to the location of the golf course. Links courses are typically buffers between the ocean and the mainland in Scotland. The course “links” the land and the sea.
Because of the wind and weather and location of links courses, the ground is typically very hard. Links courses play quite differently than courses in the USA as a result of the hardness of the course. In the USA golfers “fly” their shots onto the putting surface where the ball will leave a pitch mark, and stop a relatively close distance from where it landed. But in links golf the ground, even the green, is so hard that this type of shot results in the ball bouncing hard and traveling far over the green.
The proper approach shots in links golf are shots which hit quite a distance short of the putting surface and bounce/roll to their final position. Because of this, combined with wind, links golf is often played “low.” Low flying shots and running shots are the primary shots played. Not many high wedges are played on true links courses and lob wedges are practically obsolete.
Tee shots are also subject to the hard ground. It is crucial to play the tee shot in such a way that the contours and bounces are factored in.
Fun
So then next time you play some golf, try some links shots. Rather than hitting high wedges from 50-100 yards, try hitting a punch 8-iron or something which bounces short of the green and bounds up. Of course this must be done on a course which does offer that shot as an option.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and the final rounds of the Open Championship. Be sure to watch how the pros play some of their “links” style shots and try to emulate them the next time you are on the course.
