Would you feel you made a poor choice?

[C. Sturges]

As I watch the Irish Open at the K Club, all I can think about is how much I would rather being playing a links course the country is famous for.    Maybe if I have played all the links courses I wouldn’t feel that way.
I immediately felt disappointed I played a famed Scottish course and hadn’t played a links course….


Has anyone felt this way?

[Tom_Doak]

I struggled to remember the last time I played an inland course in the UK . . . I guess it was Cleeve Cloud, the day after Minchinhampton Old, a few years ago.  Was very happy I saw them, but generally, I'm going to play a links course when I'm in the UK 90% of the time, just like I'm going to eat a lot of lobster when I go to Maine.  It's the local delicacy.


The down side of this is that the heathland courses around London are also a local delicacy, and I have generally ignored them for more than a dozen years because I think of links golf first.

[Carl Johnson]

Sure, the main reason for USA people to go to Scotland and Ireland for golf is to play the links courses, some famous and some not so famous, but still good links experiences.  I've made four trips with friends in the past 20 years and have always advocated for including a parkland course in the mix.  I've been successful twice . . . when I was the one putting the trips together. (Belleisle in Ayr, Scotland, a public James Braid course, and Malone,  "private" in Belfast.)  My reasoning is that it's a good break from day after day on linksland.  Beyond that, I like to experience a variety of things.  (Some of my friends like to play a round of golf and then sit in their hotel room the rest of the day and drink -- not for me.)  That involves going to local pubs, doing some sightseeing, and interacting with local people.  Throwing a parkland course into the mix contributes to my total travel experience.  Clearly, this is not for everyone.  On the two other trips I took the parkland course idea did not fly.

[Sean_A]

As I watch the Irish Open at the K Club, all I can think about is how much I would rather being playing a links course the country is famous for.    Maybe if I have played all the links courses I wouldn’t feel that way.
I immediately felt disappointed I played a famed Scottish course and hadn’t played a links course….


Has anyone felt this way?

I have seen enough Scottish links not to be overly worried about playing targeted inland courses. Even so, I don't play many Scottish inland courses. I am less sure about Ireland. However, there are far fewer Irish courses which interest me.

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

It's a matter of time and opportunity.
I have enjoyed the inland UK courses I've played.

[Thomas Dai]

If by inland you’re thinking parkland that’s one thing and kinda fair enough in many respects.
Don’t ignore the hilltops, moorlands/downlands and the like plus of course the heathlands though. Indeed many of them play pretty similar to links except that they’re not near the sea.
Atb

[Ira Fishman]

I have played 27 courses in the UK&I: 18 links (giving Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns the benefit of the doubt), 8 inland courses, and whatever Old Head is considered. That has been a very happy ratio, particularly as pointed out, several of the inland courses are on sand and are fast and firm. I would put several of them near the top of the list of my favorites.


Ira

[Mark Smolens]

Went to Ireland summer of '82 for a fraternity brother's wedding. Played Portmarnock and Royal Dublin and stayed with bride's sister in Dublin before the wedding. Day before wedding we played the Mullngar course where the bride's Dad was a member. Then up to Sligo, after which it was down west coast to Lahinch followed by Ballybunion. Mullingar was "nice," but not something we couldn't do better than 7 days/week in Chicago area. Next two trips across pond no non-links courses...

[Stewart Abramson]

I must be a surf and turf guy. I'm writing this from a patio outside of Pulborough on a trip to the south of England, playing  four heaths and four links. Loving them all. My only negative was the 34*C record heat walking Royal Ashdown and Hindhead , two of the hilliest heathland courses I've played.

[Dan_Callahan]

In Ireland and Scotland, I always prioritize links courses. As someone who grew up in New England and now lives in Virginia, there is nothing over here even remotely similar to a true links. And I would take an average links over the best parkland courses. Having said that, on a trip to the UK in 2018 I played Alwoodley and absolutely loved it. I am very interested in adding more heathland courses to my next trip.

[Sean_A]

Inland golf in England is a very different proposition to Scotland and Ireland.

Ciao

[Ben Sims]

Playing a 6 or 7 in inland Scotland when I could’ve been on a Doak 6-8 links is a poor choice for me. I’m sure one day I’ll stop in at Boat of Garten or Ladybank it’ll be lovely. But there’s too much to see on the water for now.


But, as Sean said better, the opportunity cost is pretty even between playing, for example, Pulborough or Deal. Inland golf in England is a different animal.

[Tim Gavrich]

On a visit to East Lothian in 2019, I deliberately included a 36-hole day at Bruntsfield Links and Royal Burgess to see what some of the area's proudest inland golf was like. I won't pretend that it was quite as gratifying a day of golf as the Glen/North Berwick 36er I also had on that trip, but it's not as though I didn't enjoy it. Both clubs were exceedingly welcoming, I think because they get consistently overlooked by visitors.


It's hard to argue against an all-links diet on a trip over there, but throwing in the odd inland round might help put things into perspective and, who knows, maybe enrich the overall travel experience.

[Sean_A]

Playing a 6 or 7 in inland Scotland when I could’ve been on a Doak 6-8 links is a poor choice for me. I’m sure one day I’ll stop in at Boat of Garten or Ladybank it’ll be lovely. But there’s too much to see on the water for now.


But, as Sean said better, the opportunity cost is pretty even between playing, for example, Pulborough or Deal. Inland golf in England is a different animal.

Don't mention Ladybank. I missed two opportunities to play there this summer... and it's on my list. On the positive side of ledger I did get to Longniddry and Pitlochry.

Ciao