Links courses may be some of the most difficult courses to compare. Some are played ingiant dunes like Ballybunion, Birkdale, Royal St. George, Rye, St Enodoc, etc. Some are clifftop like Pennard on land that may not always seem linksy. Some have only a smattering of dunes like Royal St. Davids and some have next to nothing, like Liverpool and Westward Ho!
Some go over and around the dunes like Ballybunin and Royal County Down. Some go through the valleys like Birkdale or Portrush. Of all the courses they tend to be the most natural and the routing generally determines preference. Personally I enjoy courses with the big dunes. They generally require the most imagination.