Why Isn't Fishers Island a Links?

[Robert Thompson]

Reading the new book by George Pepper and Malcolm Campbell called "True Links," I see they don't include Fisher's Island, something that surprised me considering I played it this past week and it seemed as authentic a links as what I played in Scotland, Ireland or Wales.

Here is their commentary:

"Examples from the American Northeast are Newport CC and Fishers Island, highly admired seaside courses that value the running game to the extent that they eschew automatic watering systems. During dry summer spells they play like links, but the rest of the year -- and in summers of heavy rainfall -- tee shots often plug in their fairways. As a result you won't find either course on our list of links."

Now I've only been to Fisher's once, but I'd argue they are wrong -- and I've played links like Royal St. David's where balls plugged in the fairways. It seems like a fairly arbitrary distinction to make -- if balls plugging is enough, you'd have to eliminate a lot of UK courses. Thoughts?

[Patrick_Mucci]

I was recently given the book as a gift, but, haven't had the chance to read or glance through it yet.

Do they name Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes ?

Don't both courses enjoy similar sites, mostly sitting high up above the water on a bluff

[Mike Sweeney]

Basically the glaciers made it to the North Shore of Long Island and dumped clay and rocks in their path. Hurricanes have come over the years from the South and pushed/blown sand onto Fishers, Misquamicut, Shennecossett...

Maybe the front 9 at Fishers is a links, but the back is not?  



The more recent deposits are part of the "Charlestown moraine"- a series of ridges on the northern side of Long Island that extends to Fisher's Island in Connecticut, then to Westerly, Charlestown and Narragansett in Rhode Island. Glacial till (soil composed of many sized particles) that deposited behind the latest moraine is responsible for the many ponds and swamps found around Charlestown and Point Judith in Rhode Island. Several additional lines of moraine deposits are found in Connecticut and western Rhode Island, marking places where glacial movement hesitated or temporarily retreated.

http://www.jamestown-ri.info/holocene.htm

In my next life I will come back as Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel.

PS. When I caddied at Newport in 1984, the back was always swampy and yes I caddied there in August.

[Jud_T]

Pat,

Yes,  Bandon, Pacific and Old Mac are included.

[Kris Shreiner]

I've not read the book. That said, George Pepper has never been high on my list of authorities I turn to for insights or validation. I remember him writing about several courses that he felt were over-rated and he had Royal Dornoch among them.

Say what?. Forget the course length excuse, which certainly he can't overwelm. I've seen RD kick the behind of a lot of quality players. If there's a better set of varied, intriguing links green complexs on the planet...let's hear where they are George.

[Tom_Doak]

George Peper is a huge fan of Fishers Island, but I don't think he ever had it on the list of candidates for links courses.  Unless I'm mistaken, it's just not on sandy ground, except for maybe a couple of holes.  If it were, it would burn out pretty fast without fairway irrigation.  Hopefully we will hear from Donnie Beck whether he thinks this is accurate.

Bandon Dunes is built on several feet of sand, on top of layers of sandstone and sand.  It's pretty much the same as Ballybunion, although I don't know if there is any sandstone underneath Ballybunion.

[Philippe Binette]

did they consider sand hills a links in the book ?

at Tarbat golf club in Portmahomack Scotland, the town is between the water and the course and the course is on sand dune but on top of a hill, does that count

[PCCraig]

The more I've read about their selection process the more I think I'll like the book (whenever it arrives).

I think the right mindset to have when making the selections as to which courses are considered "links" courses is if you have to think about it for more than 15 seconds than it's not a links. There are so many factors that it really comes down more than just if it's on water, plays fast sometimes, and the design allows for a ground game.

[Brian_Ewen]

Just ordered the book today.

Does he answer the question of whether Kingsbarns is a links or not ?

[Jim Eder]

Brian,

True Links does call Kingsbarns a links despite the fact it is very man made.

Philippe,

Sand Hills is not considered a links but is discussed in the book.

[Jim Eder]

Philippe,

Though they praise Sand Hills because it is landlocked and very far from the sea they do not include it as it would be "disrespectful" to the 246 links selected. So it is a proximity to the sea issue.  They did call Sand Hills "magnificent". I am not trying to opine as to the wording of disrespectful, I am just stating what they say.

[Brian_Ewen]

Brian,
True Links does call Kingsbarns a links despite the fact it is very man made.

Jim, thanks.

I thought that as it was once used as farming land may have disqualified it ?

[Jim Eder]

Brian,

You are welcome. It is really interesting I thought that might disqualify them as well. I believe I have read on the site there was some golf played on that land before the farming. And the book says that golf was played there as early as the 18th century. As Tom and the book say, much of the land is sand based but sand was brought in as well on some parts. I think the question many have is the "man-made" nature of the course. Tough calls.

[Jud_T]

At the end of the day it's a judgement call.  There are several inland courses that are on sand and in cool climates with proper turf conditions that aren't considered links in the book because they're not on the sea.  You have to draw the line somewhere and although I haven't read the book cover to cover yet, it seems as if they did a pretty good job....

[Jim Eder]

Jud,

I totally agree with you and drawing that line is a tough call. It is more art than science imo. I think they did a very good job.

[Ted Cahill]

I picked up the book at Borders last night and leafed through most of it.  They lay out a clear set of criteria and seem almost apolegetic for leaving out certain courses (Sand Hills, etc) but praise those courses for their "linkslike" qualities.  I'm enjoying the book.

[George Pazin]

Seems more like a marketing decision than a substantive one. Sports talk/discussion thrives on making bold, often bizarre, statements.

[Ian Andrew]

Is Maidstone in the list or is that out because of the mixture of soils too?

[Jim Eder]

Ian,

Maidstone is not and as you suspect it is because many holes are on more marshland than linksland.

[Ronald Montesano]

The book identifies 246 courses throughout 16 countries of the world (Scotland, England, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, Wales, Germany, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway and Belgium.)  Much like a Ph.D. dissertation, the actual text may not stimulate the common reader.  My guess is that 80% of those who digest the pages will focus on the images, while (a mere?) 20% will read and consider the quality and accuracy of the prose.

There is a caption on page 266, referring to a photo of Cabot Links' property on 267, that reads "Cabot Links, pictured under construction..."  The photo shows absolutely nothing of construction...I'm surprised they didn't get something better from Ben or Rod.  Small potato(e)s, I know.

The duo assesses only four courses as links in the USA:  Bandon, Pacific, Old Mac and the unexpected Highland Links in Massachusetts.  Sandhills courses from the heartland are left out, which is a shame...scrub land is scrub land, whether it sits near an estuary or not, within site of a great body of water or not.

I do recommend the book without hesitation as one for the GCA top 100...by the by, has a thread on the necessary 100 books on architecture been threaded by this discussion group?

[Kevin Pallier]

What's listed from Australia ?

[Ronald Montesano]

Kevin,

Barnbougle Dunes
Barwon Heads
The Cut
The Links Kennedy Bay
Lost Farm
Port Fairy
Sea View

[Mark Hissey]

Perhaps I am missing something here, and I will ask you for some forgiveness in advance. It has been a long week. But...

Doesn't "linksland" mean that the golf course is the link from the sea to farmland? By that definition there are very few true links courses even though they may look liek the general perception of them.

[Kevin Pallier]

Ronald

Thanks for that. Some would suggest Barnbougle, Lost Farm and perhaps Port Fairy are the "true links" in Aust. ?

I must admit - I have never heard of Sea View GC in WA.

[Ronald Montesano]

British Golf Museum:  "a stretch of land near the coast...characterized by undulating terrain, often associated with dunes, infertile sandy soil and indigenous grasses as marram, sea lyme, and the fescues and bents which, when properly managed, produce the fine textured tight turf for which links are famed."

Purists:  "1...beside a river estuary; 2...partial or occasional views of the sea; 3...few trees; 4...numerous bunkers; 5...nines that run out and back, the front heading to a far point and the back returning to the clubhouse, in the manner of the Old Course at St. Andrews."

As you can see, these two definitions elaborate apples and olive pits.  Peper and Campbell do an admirable job; they hit on many, many more than they miss, if they miss at all.  And, as previously mentioned, the ones they dismiss, they take extra care to explain the why and the why not.