[Bart Bradley]

are not the carts or the cart paths.

I think the game IS absolutely different (and better) on true links courses than the majority of US courses.

But for me, the most important differences lie in the turf, firmness of the earth, the importance of wind (and subsequently the importance of trajectory), the short game options and use of running shots, the strategic options, the crazy bounce, the changing weather...

After walking off Ballybunion in July, I was never more sure that I had played a different game than I play in the US ...and, at least for me, a much better game.  It was like going to Church...   Sure, lack of cart paths was nice and sure I walked...but the playing characteristics dwarfed the cart issues for me.

Some US courses that I have seen give me some of the same experience (Ballyneal and Kingsley come immediately to mind), but none completely capture the whole.

What say you?  IS it really "cart ball" that is the problem or does it go to a much deeper level?

Bart

[Emil Weber]

I certainly agree it goes much deeper than just cart paths. The game is better, more interesting and more varied. I could play links golf all day, every day and never get tired of it. It's the real thing.

The same that goes for US golf actually goes for Continental Europe, too. I suppose people are fascinated by lush, green fairways and start complaining when their ball bounces into a wrong direction. That is due to too many people watching the Masters at ANGC 

[Rob Rigg]

Bart,

I agree with you - the game is different and it is not just the walking/cart element.

The execution of the cart ball game is very similar to the execution of the parkland golf game. ie) target golf.

Links golf is more "fun" because all of the things you called out make it more of a "thoughtful challenge".

Most courses in the US are in their basic strategic form - Hit your drive here, hit your approach over here to the green, try to make a birdie. The game is about score.

Links golf is all about thinking about where to hit your drive - how high/low, left or right of your target because of the wind and the roll, then (if you are safe) your approach is all about - where is the pin, where do I land the ball to get it there, in front of the green?, on the green?, how high/low, which club, etc. etc. The game is much more of a tactical battle against the course and the elements - where score is almost irrelevant because depending on the day a par 4 can be playing like a 3/3.5/4/4.5/5 or even 5.5.

It is a very different game - and I think the fescue turf element is huge because you have to pick the ball off the ground, for the most part, and you cannot expect to land the ball on the green and have it stop dead or spin back ten feet because of the undulations and firmness of the ground.

I always find that my first several rounds at the "home parkland course" after a trip to play some links golf are disappointing and haphazard - something I like to call "links withdrawal" which is what you get from several days, or even a round, of "links heroin"

Links golf is the highest form of the game - there is no doubt about that (IMO)

I love playing or reading about courses in the US that incorporate the elements of real links golf - and I hope that many many more are built in the future (where possible) as opposed to the target stuff that is so prevalent today.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Bart

I could not agree with you more. When playing on a links course there is just no thought of carts whatsoever. It just golf as it was and IMHO should always be. Get that second round in the same day, to capture the splendour of the links course.

Melvyn

[Jeff Taylor]

Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes. I am still reeling from my weekend at the resort. The only difference between Bandon and Scotland is history. Bandon has yet to create it's own. Otherwise, the game is the same. It's beautiful, challenging, infuriating, and most of all fun. There are no freebees. You will pay for every mistake. And you may not get a reward for a great shot. 
I cannot wait to go back.

[David_Tepper]

Bart Bradley -

I think there is not only a difference (and "vive le difference!") between the links golf of the British Isles and the vast majority of golf in the U.S., but there is also an appreciable difference between the links and inland golf course of the British Isles. Carts & cart paths are irrelevant to the discussion.

There are many parkland courses in the British Isles that play much closer to the many U.S. courses than a links. The soils under these courses contain clay and don't drain nearly as well as the the seaside courses.

I have played a lot of golf at Golspie (north of Dornoch) over the past 6 summers. The course is interesting as its has both seaside links holes that play firm & fast and several holes (no more than 200 yards from the shore) that play over meadowland turf that is far softer and more lush. It has a number of heathland holes as well, which makes the course rather unique.     

Just remember that the aerial game is not unique to the U.S.

DT

[Jason Topp]

In my experience the differences are narrowing somewhat.  Minnesota private courses, at least, are maintained much firmer than they were 10 years ago.

[Sean_A]

There are several key factors highlighting the differences between nearly all US golf and GB&I links.  I think the three below pretty much explain it in a nutshell so far as it can be without playing many games across the seasons.

1. Wind: It always plays a part, but its a double edged sword due to many links being effectively too narrow to allow for reasonable play when there is a 3-4 club wind about.  Blame championship golf and probably the feeding of grasses which crowds out fine grasses for this.

2. Turf: The fine grasses growing over sandy soil allows for minimal maintenance yet offers a hard wearing, firm surface much of the time.  

3.  Related to the turf is maintenance regime.  Because the grass is so well suited for golf it actually needs very little in the way of care compared other grasses used.  However, this less is more maintenance attitude does allow for the weather to dictate conditions.  The goal of many American courses is to be consistent from day to day regardless of weather.  I get the impression this sort of thinking is now being challenged, but to a large degree, the grasses used in the States don't allow for the weather to dictate conditions as it does on links.  Like the narrowing of fairways on links, this major advantage of links has been given up to a certain degree by the desire to produce greener, lusher and therefore faster greens.  I am hoping that clubs realize that the difficulty of links greens rests with their firmness creating speed rather than short grass.    

Ciao

[Martin Toal]

Cart paths are uncommon at most UK & I courses.

I agree with Sean and think the biggest differences are:

1. Weather. I used to be a member at Silloth, in Cumbria. This is a classic old style links with (More or less) 9 out and 9 back. The 8th is a par-3 of about 135 yards to a small green with fall off around it. I have hit sand iron and 4 iron at it. I am not sure the sand iron shot was any easier than the 4. On a fresh (i.e. blowing a gale) day, the player needs to adjust expectations and play differently. That may mean running the ball in from way out. it can mean that some par-4s are unreachable and par-5s are easily reached in 2. It also means that on a rare calm day, the course is defenceless. I remember competitions where shooting anywhere near your handicap was a great score, and others where tons of players shot the lights out. All part of the vagaries of links golf.

2. Good links courses have turf that makes a thud sound when you strike the ball. Feels great. greens tend to be slopey but not fast in the conventional sense.

[Philippe Binette]

is 3%.

the average slope between the front and the back of the green that helps stop the ball in the US that is often not existant in links golf and forces the player to be more precise with the weight of the shot

[JESII]

Phillipe...seriously?

Don't you think the fact that the wind is more likely to howl and the ground is more likely to treat ones ball as a parking lot would increase the demand for precision more than a 3% slope might?

[Garland Bayley]

...
What say you?  IS it really "cart ball" that is the problem or does it go to a much deeper level?

Bart

It's always been different. If you read writiings from the golden age, US courses are taken to task for being to soft, for using greens tilted to receive approaches, for being windless or having trees that block the wind, etc.

Bobby Jones thought the Old Course was the greatest course for good reason.

[Shane Wright]

I definitely agree that links golf forces one to think much more than on a typical U.S. golf course.  Although I like both, I much prefer links style golf because I also feel it forces me to grind much harder than on a typical U.S. course.  The extra grind for me derives from the following items (differences from American style golf):

1. harder to aim your drives - less objects or landforms to aim at
2. less predictable - different bounces, ground game
3. less yardage markers, if any - no i don't use sky caddies or yardanocluars
4. much tighter lies in the fairway forcing more cut style shots, makes drawing the ball more difficult
5. often many more shot choices to choose from
6. weather elements

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()