Interesting thoughts so far. Please keep them coming.
TOC would be difficult to exclude.......maybe I should have specified TOC plus 10 others! Never mind.
Mark makes a good point about studying not just links but variety.
Which would be the best examples of the heathlands, downlands, moorland, hilltops, etc to study? I like Toms point about newbies like Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns.
What about some that are still essentially yee olde in style, such as the likes of RND/Westward Ho! or RWN/Brancaster? Toms mention of Askernish is interesting here.
Golspie has been mentioned a couple of times. Interesting choice, three courses in one....links and heathland with a bit of inland as well.
What about some of James Braids lessors, the rural and rustic ones, say a Perranporth or a Welshpool?
Or what I might term "the oddities", yee olde courses that show you can play golf pretty much anywhere if you really wish to (hint - P.......k)
Somewhere on clay not sand?
Or categorise studying by architect....God, Morris, Park, Colt, Fowler, MacKenzie, Braid etc etc?
atb