[RT]

Ally,

Can you help me get my head around what is a "natural 'sea-washed' grass"?

[Forrest Richardson]

Ally — Not sure if I can agree with some of your criteria. But OK.

R.T. — Bill's project in Corpus Christi may be designed along the lines of a links course — as many of us have done to capture the essence as much as possible — but what he did there is hardly a links course; no way, no how!

[Jonathan Davison]

A true links is where one day you hit a wedge 200 yards and the next day you hit a driver 100 yards, where one day you play in short sleeves and the next you cannot swing for the 25 layers of clothes. When you have this experience then you have found the true features of a links course.

[allysmith]

RT,

Sorry for the delay my computer hooked out of bounds!!

Natural sea washed grasses are basically indigenous species which have become 'salt' hardy by natural air borne moisture /spray from the sea. These tend to be red fescues, creeping bent and Poas. Not only are they salt resistant but also highly drought resistant

These natural grasses have evolved 'in-situ' over the years and provide an excellent integrated carpet for links land.

IMHO trials to create a 'synthetic' links have never been successful as they tend towards a need for watering and as such the indigenous species get overtaken by more modern greens.
There is an excellent pdf file detailing species at: http://turf.lib.msu.edu/1930s/1939/3904132.pdf
Forrest,

Which do you not agree with??

I think many people not familiar with Links of the 1930's to 1970s assume Links golf to include modern grasses.

[Forrest Richardson]

Linksland defines a links course, Ally. The other factors — many now considered essential to a links coures — are modern presumptions; shot values, types of grass, etc.

I guess I do not disagree with your list. I just believe, like many of the items on our lists, some of the criteria has been developed over time, but should not prevent any linksland from serving as home to a links course. The addition of cultivated turfgrasses or irrigation may be more intensive than the involvement of man at early links courses, but they are not much different.

Specifically to your list: In reality, early links courses had very little turf at all and no regard for type of trategy (at least none planned). These two items are "modern" criteria.

A links course is simply one on linksland; and it is presented using the natural land as opposed to a burden on artificial earthmoving.

[A_Clay_Man]

Having only Pacific Grove as a proving ground. And it could be argued that it is not on links land, considering plate tectonoics is the likely creator. But, one aspect I associated as a major difference is the turf. Modern and manicured, fail to capture the clumpy and natural lies one gets on the real deal. The shotmaking demands from these 'little things' is just another adversary needed to overcome and an aspect missing from the laser leveled, fairness apeasing, modern monotonies.

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