Three courses on the Mornington Peninsula (St. Andrews Beach, The National - Moonah, and The National - Gunnamatta which was the redesign of The National Ocean) have links playing characteristics. They lie on a narrow peninsula separating Port Phiilip Bay and The Bass Strait. The nearby course called The Dunes has similar playing characteristics. They are closer to the Bass Strait than Port Phillip Bay.
Barnbougle Dunes and Barnbougle Lost Farm are generally thought of as true links and 100 to 150 miles away and across the Bass Strait in Tasmania.
I'd be curious how Tom Doak thinks about the distinctions in this discussion, in view of his familiarity with these courses. Also, how does Tara Iti and the nearby course under construction fit in as links/links like.
Hi Charles:
If Barnbougle isn't a links course, I don't know what is. I suppose some might say it's TOO dunesy, and it wasn't being grazed at the edge of town before it became a golf course. As we have seen, many in Britain and Ireland want to reserve the links brand entirely for themselves.
St. Andrews Beach and the other Mornington Peninsula courses were ACTIVELY BEING GRAZED before the golf courses were built, yet I seldom hear anyone speak of them as links, because the locals invented the term "Cups land" for them and that became popular in Australia. I hope they trademarked the term!
But they are not fescue, except for the approaches and surrounds at St Andrews Beach and The National (Gunnamatta)
Tara Iti, of course, was planted in pine trees at one point before we revegetated it, so that's maybe 9/10 on the links scale. It is 100% fescue, whereas Paraparaumu is not, and again, if Paraparaumu is not a links, I don't know what is. The Renaissance Club was also once planted in trees, and I don't know whether that passes muster in the UK or not.
If I had to rank all the courses I've done in order of being a true links, it would go like this:
1 St Patrick's
2 Barnbougle
3-4 Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald
5 Tara Iti
6 Ballyneal
7 The Renaissance Club
8 Dismal River
I would call somewhere between 4 and 8 a true links. Those who won't accept the first four, won't accept anything built today.