Links Course
A links course is the oldest style of golf course, built on sandy coastal land between the sea and inland farmland. Firm turf, few trees, deep pot bunkers, and constant exposure to wind define the style, along with the running ground game those conditions produce.
What is a links course?
The word “links” comes from the Old English hlinc, meaning rising ground or ridge. It originally described the strip of sandy, undulating terrain that connects a coastline to the fertile land further inland. This ground was too salty and exposed for farming, so it sat unused, which made it the natural home for early Scottish golfers in the 15th century. Golf, as a formal sport, grew up on this land.
What makes a links course distinct is the way the land plays. The sandy soil drains quickly and stays firm year-round, so the ball bounces and rolls a long way after it lands. There are no trees to block the coastal wind. Golfers have to work the ball low and use the ground rather than the air, producing a style of play sometimes called the running or ground game. The contrast with the high, target-style approach that dominates most modern golf is sharp.
True links courses remain concentrated in the UK and Ireland, where the conditions are native. The Open Championship, golf’s oldest major, has always been played on a links course in Scotland, England, or Northern Ireland, which is one of the main features that sets it apart from the three majors held in the United States, according to Wikipedia’s entry on links golf.
Defining features of a links course
A handful of physical traits set a true links apart from any other style of course.
The land itself is the starting point. Links courses sit on sandy coastal soil, usually within a mile of the sea and often right alongside it. The soil drains so well that the surface stays firm even after heavy rain, which is why links courses can stay open through Scottish winters when inland courses are waterlogged. Fine fescue and browntop bent grasses dominate the surface. Both tolerate salt air and produce the tight, firm turf links golf is known for.
The terrain is naturally undulating, shaped by wind and centuries of sand movement rather than by bulldozers. Early architects had to route holes around the contours of the land because earth-moving had to be done by hand, so the lumps, hollows, and dunes were left in place. This is part of why links courses produce strange bounces and blind shots: the ground was not flattened to make the game easier.
The bunkers are small, deep, and steep-faced. Known as pot bunkers, many have walls reinforced with stacked layers of grass sod (a method called revetting) to keep wind from scouring out the sand. Royal Lytham & St Annes alone has 174 of them, almost ten per hole. Water hazards are rare.
Links course vs parkland course
Most golfers around the world play parkland courses, the lush, inland, tree-lined layouts that dominate the PGA Tour and global course design. The two styles share almost nothing in common.
| Feature | Links course | Parkland course |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Coastal, on sandy linksland | Inland, often on clay soil |
| Trees | Few to none | Tree-lined fairways |
| Turf | Firm and fast year-round | Soft and lush, slower drainage |
| Bunkers | Small, deep pot bunkers | Wider, shallower sand traps |
| Wind | A constant factor | Largely sheltered |
| Style of play | Ground game, low running shots | Aerial target golf, high approaches |
| Water hazards | Rare | Common (ponds, streams) |
| Famous example | The Old Course at St Andrews | Augusta National |
The practical effect of these differences is that the same 150-yard approach plays as a different shot on each. On a parkland green, the ball flies to a target and stops. On a links green, it lands short and runs on.
Heathland and sandbelt courses sit somewhere between the two: inland but sandy-soiled, often firm and treeless in patches.
True links vs links-style courses
The word “links” gets used loosely. Plenty of coastal courses include “links” in their name without meeting the criteria, and the distinction is worth knowing.
A true links course sits on natural linksland: sandy coastal soil, native grasses, undulating terrain shaped by the land rather than by design. A “links-style” course mimics those features (wide fairways, firm turf, pot bunkers, treeless openness) but is built somewhere it could not occur naturally. Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is a famous example: it looks and plays like a links but is not on saltwater linksland. Pebble Beach uses “Links” in its name, but is technically a clifftop course on heavier soil, not a true links.
True links courses are rare. According to data from The Links Association cited by The Experience Golf, only around 247 courses worldwide qualify as true links, or roughly 0.64% of the estimated 39,000 golf courses on the planet. About 85% of those are in the UK and Ireland.
Famous links courses around the world
The vast majority of recognised links courses are in Britain and Ireland.
In Scotland: The Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links, Royal Troon, Muirfield, Turnberry, Royal Dornoch, and Prestwick Golf Club (which hosted the first Open Championship in 1860).
In England: Royal Birkdale, Royal St George’s, Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), and Royal Lytham & St Annes, all Open Championship venues.
In Northern Ireland: Royal Portrush, which returned to The Open rotation in 2019.
In Ireland: Ballybunion Golf Club, Lahinch Golf Club, Royal County Down, and Portmarnock.
Outside the British Isles, a smaller number of true and links-style courses have appeared. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon contains several courses that meet the criteria for true links based on climate and soil. Cabot Links on Nova Scotia’s coast is Canada’s first true links. Inland links-style designs such as Sand Hills in Nebraska and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin replicate the playing feel without the seaside.
Related Golf Terms
- Links — A type of coastal golf course built on sandy terrain, originating in Scotland.
- Lie angle — The angle between the club shaft and the ground at address.
- Leaderboard — A scoreboard displaying the rankings of players in a tournament.
- Line — The intended path of a putt or shot.
- Lie — The position of the ball on the ground or the angle of the club relative to the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a links course?
The name comes from the Old English word hlinc, meaning rising ground or ridge. It described the strip of sandy, dune-covered land that links the sea to the inland farmland on Britain’s coasts.
Is Pebble Beach a links course?
No, despite its name. Pebble Beach Golf Links sits on heavier, clay-based soil with tree-lined holes and parkland features, making it a clifftop or seaside course rather than a true links.
Are all links courses by the sea?
Almost all true links courses are within sight of the sea or no more than a mile from it. A small number of inland courses built on sandy, glacial soil are sometimes recognised as links by playing characteristics, but they are exceptions.
What is a pot bunker?
A pot bunker is a small, round, deep bunker with steep walls, common on links courses. Many have faces reinforced with stacked sod (revetting) to stop the wind from blowing the sand out.
Why is The Open always played on a links course?
The Open Championship was founded at Prestwick in 1860, when all serious Scottish golf was links golf. The R&A has kept the tournament on links courses ever since to preserve that historical character, which is one of the main features that distinguishes The Open from the other three majors.
Sources
- Wikipedia. “Links (golf).” Accessed May 2026.
- The Experience Golf. “What Are Links Courses.” 2024.
- Scottish Golf History. “Links Golf Course: Meaning.”
- Top 100 Golf Courses. “The 240 Real Links courses of Britain & Ireland.”
- American Golf. “What is a Links Golf Course.”
- Golf Monthly. “What Is a Revetted Bunker?” and “What Is a Bunker In Golf?”
