Mike
A Golf Links, is defined as an undulating sandy ground near the shore.
All links course have developed over centuries, by being left alone with the exception for grazing sheep or cows. This was not a one way process, the animals in return have themselves fed the land creating some of the most beautiful and magnificent links course in the world at a fraction of the cost
of some of their modern shore lined courses.
Manufactured Links course, not by Nature but by Man, straight away we
have lost the original land, it has been carted away and been replaced and thus shaped by the mind of Man. The final course may well be a challenging,
and highly regarded by the majority of golfers, a credit to the Architect, but the land has been stripped then re moulded into shapes from the mind of its creature, there is no substance to the land, no spirit of the centuries, that has been removed and you are left with just a golf course, still unfinished that may require tweaks in the years to come. A Links course – no, just the Architects design created to generate revenue for the owners.
Mike in answer to your question, if I really have to name one then I expect that I would go for Kingsbarns, but only because in part its location with the shore. That is not to say I want to play it, but each to their own.
The excuse that there is no more land, that it is difficult to get permission to build a golf course, may in the eyes of some be true but I am aware of at least half a dozen sites, three of which can be defined as links, but are the site viable, will they attract the golfer in numbers to pay for the course? My answer is yes, as the construction costs would be minimum (in real terms) due to the land, thus allowing for more facilities, from a hotel, bars and other attraction to be built as part of the complex to also encourage the non golf players to the area. If you do not agree with me just look at Askernish and the small budget they are working with to re-open the lost course. It’s all about the Spirit of Man, to meet the challenge and work with the land to achieve the best for both worlds (Mans & Nature). Let’s not forget that Nature will in the end always win.