North American Links Golf

[Mac Plumart]

Okay, hypothetical...

I'm living in Iowa (or somewhere central to the US).  I'm wanting to play links golf, but I don't want to leave North America. I have no access to private courses.   Where do I go?

Bandon Dunes?

Streamsong?

Cabot Links?

Somewhere else?

Everything matters, just like in real-life;  golf quality, expenses, time, etc.

[David_Tepper]

The back-9 at Pacific Grove, on the Monterey Peninsula.

[Bill Brightly]

I'd say go to Streamsong first and then Bandon. (Have not played Cabot yet.) SS is not pure links because there is no ocean, and the turf may not be firm enough for links purists, but will certainly be far windier and involve much more of the ground game than your parkland home course. Bandon will be a nice step up from SS to a more pure links course. But if you can only go to one, then it is Bandon.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Bandon and then drive north to Chambers Bay.

[David_Tepper]

Wildhorse in Nebraska?

http://www.playwildhorse.com/

[Jason Thurman]

If you're in the Central US, I'm sending you to Nebraska to make a trip that I made myself. Wild Horse and Prairie Club. Sprinkle in Bayside if you have time. And maybe make a phone call or two and see if Ballyneal or Dismal River is an option.

Maybe it's not true links golf because it's too far from an ocean, but geologically the land has evolved very similarly to linksland. For the average guy who doesn't have an unlimited budget and lives in flyover country, it's the most accessible links experience available. And going beyond the links experience, it's also one of the best golf experiences in the world, and maybe the most beautiful landscape to drive through that I've seen.

[Mac Plumart]

Chambers Bay was a good call. 

Thoughts on the  wooga (thick rough) taking Wildhorse out of the discussion for North American Links.

[Jud_T]

Central US?  Kingsley Club, Duh...   

[Jason Hines]

Chambers Bay was a good call. 

Thoughts on the  wooga (thick rough) taking Wildhorse out of the discussion for North American Links.

Mac,

Good question, I always thought that the burning off of the wooga helps the overall playability of WH.  Last year was the first year since ’99 that I was not able to make it out there and I have heard that they are trying to “soften” the course.  Don’t know if this is true or not, but would be a shame if it is.

Jason

[Sven Nilsen]

Chambers Bay was a good call. 

Thoughts on the  wooga (thick rough) taking Wildhorse out of the discussion for North American Links.

Mac:

Are you talking about the interim cut or the wild areas?

In either case, there's plenty of width out at Wild Horse, and there are very few courses that have a better maintenance meld.  There are almost none that can beat them on the budget that they operate on.

None of the courses in the middle of the country are links, but they do have characteristics of links courses, including having to think about how a ball will roll out after it hits the ground.  Take the first at WH.  A good drive on the wrong line will run through the fairway.  If you're lucky, it will hold up in the interim cut.  If it gets through that, you're hacking out sideways.  But dial back a club or two and you take that possibility out of the equation. 

Sven

[Mac Plumart]

Jud...nice try, but no private courses allowed!   

Sven...great points.  Will count Wildhorse as links-like.

I'm just thinking if I am an American golfer looking for real links (or at least really close to links-like)experience, where should I go.


We could throw a quick curve ball. 

Are one of the courses/resorts good enough or is there no substitute for the real thing?  Can someone wanting to experience this get it in a North American links (links-like) experience or do they need to get to GB&I?

[Tom_Doak]

Mac:

Bandon Dunes is the only real answer for me, where you can get a sense of real links golf.

That said, there is nothing in America like the links of Scotland and Ireland.  What's amazing about the overseas links is how SIMPLE they are.  There is a lot of subtle, wrinkly ground that is enough on its own to make the golf interesting.  They don't need 100 bunkers and wild greens and championship length to be fun.  Nearly all of the links-like courses in North America are newer courses that aspire to greatness, and those aspirations have led them to incorporate more features than most links courses have, or need.

Sincerely,

Tom D, from Rosapenna 

[Dave McCollum]

If you have no money or time to travel.  I would guess there are a lot of approximations.  Take many sand-based courses in the northern mid west and arid west.  Turn off the irrigation in October, let it rest over the winter, and play it after the snow is gone but before they start irrigating in the spring.  The grasses are different, but a dormant, dry course in early spring or late fall, with proper design to play along the ground, mimics some key playing characteristics.  It’s my favorite time of the year to play my home course, Canyon Springs in Idaho.  The last month has been perfect with plenty of wind to spice up the conditions.  Frustrates the hell out of most golfers because they don’t know how to play it.

[Gary Slatter]

Mac, for what it costs to get to, and pay for Bandon or Streamsong,  you could take advantage of deals to Ireland and Scotland.

[Mac Plumart]

Tom D...

What's amazing about the overseas links is how SIMPLE they are.

I felt some of this at Streamsong.  I thought a lot of the bunkering and long grass and trees were pretty, eye catching, and, of course, good for golf.  BUT, after the tee shot on 11 Blue, getting past those bunkers and seeing that rumpled fairway, no bunkers, that cool green...I LOVED it.  Simple, but good for golf.  I'm sure you may have gotten some flack for it not being "beautiful" enough...but for what it is worth, I thought the hole was beautiful in its simplicity and its quality of golf.


Dave M...

Frustrates the hell out of most golfers because they don’t know how to play it.

This is what is the best about links golf, IMO.  The bounces, the roll outs, the kicks, all that stuff.  The excitement doesn't stop until the ball stops rolling...and it might not stop rolling where you think it should.  FUN!!

[Dave McCollum]

Mac—

And with a nod of your hat to friend Melvyn, with the wind up you might as well leave your yardage device, along with your lob wedge, in the trunk.

[jeffwarne]

Okay, hypothetical...

I'm living in Iowa (or somewhere central to the US).  I'm wanting to play links golf, but I don't want to leave North America. I have no access to private courses.   Where do I go?

Bandon Dunes?

Streamsong?

Cabot Links?

Somewhere else?

Everything matters, just like in real-life;  golf quality, expenses, time, etc.

If one wants to play links golf, with the qualifiers time, expense,quality,
why on earth limit oneself to North America?
That's like wanting to play a great parkland course but refusing to leave St. Andrews
Gonna take just as much time to get to Bandon,(certainly the next best choice though for links)
Streamsong is hardly links (bermuda grass) and ain't cheap.
the answer's either going to be something in the Sandhills,
or the real thing in the Scotland, Ireland, or England.
One can step on a plane in the evening and be playing golf the next morning, having not lost a minute of playing time.
Returning, the same thing due to the positive time change.
Bandon costs you a day each way, unless you come home on a redeye, which I never find to be a problem on the way TO play golf, but difficult returning to go to work.
While the flight overseas will set you back a bit financially, there are many low cost links experiences not to be missed, and plenty of affordable B&B's.
I'd send them to Donegal, although they will waste a day returning as there are only morning flights returning from Belfast.

[Mark Chaplin]

Jeff come to Kent, KLM fly from Tuesday to Manston, only 15 mins in a cab to three Open courses.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff come to Kent, KLM fly from Tuesday to Manston, only 15 mins in a cab to three Open courses.

I'm coming in June!
Just trying to satisfy the affordability condition for the guy from Iowa
Can play for nearly a week in Donegal for the price of a game at Deal.

[William_G]

Bandon, of course 

[Mac Plumart]

If one wants to play links golf, with the qualifiers time, expense,quality,
why on earth limit oneself to North America?

I don't know. Let's dig into it.

From Iowa, the flight to London is 10 hours and costs $925.

To get to North Bend, it is around 13 hours and costs $500.

To get to Halifax, it is 8 hours and $700.

To get to Tampa, it is 5 hours and $350.


Edit...

Jason, my bad for overlooking Wildhorse.  From Des Moines, the DRIVE is about 5 hours.

[David Kelly]

Tom D...

What's amazing about the overseas links is how SIMPLE they are.

I felt some of this at Streamsong.  I thought a lot of the bunkering and long grass and trees were pretty, eye catching, and, of course, good for golf.  BUT, after the tee shot on 11 Blue, getting past those bunkers and seeing that rumpled fairway, no bunkers, that cool green...I LOVED it.  Simple, but good for golf. 

I would say that Streamsong, as good as the two courses are, is the antithesis of simple.

I go along with Peper and think that Bandon and Cabot are the only true links in North America. And even then...

[Mac Plumart]

David,

I agree on Streamsong.  I said the second half of hole 11 Blue is simple, but excellent.  And I wouldn't doubt Tom caught/catches grief for it not being as beautiful/visually stimulating as the rest of the course.

 Can you elaborate on why Bandon (and Cabot) might not fully live up to their links moniker?

[jeffwarne]

If one wants to play links golf, with the qualifiers time, expense,quality,
why on earth limit oneself to North America?

I don't know. Let's dig into it.

From Iowa, the flight to London is 10 hours and costs $925.

To get to North Bend, it is around 13 hours and costs $500.

To get to Halifax, it is 8 hours and $700.

To get to Tampa, it is 5 hours and $350.

Let's suppose your Iowans are nuts like me and want to play a lot of golf on their trip-say 10 rounds-6 days golf.
If they fly to Tampa, they save $700 on airfare (as opposed to belfast) and spend $175 per round for golf at Streamsong +cart+ caddie minus whatever 36 hole discounts they get-call it $300-400 per day + a hotel that ain't cheap or a $100 daily distant hotel in a charmless town.
$2000-2400 in green fees/caddie cart fees.

or Donegal where they spend an average of $100 or less for 36 holes daily(Open Fairways discount card accepted nearly everywhere) at some of the rawest best courses in the world, with no repeats unless desired.
Total golf spend $600-700 and not locked in to 2 same courses
B&B's 35-50 Euro per night .

Bandon-obviously a pretty good choice for great golf, but will spend more on golf and lodging

Cabot-1 course

If your friend's #1 qualifier is links golf, he should go to the real thing, as it's also the most affordable, with several world 10's nearby in NI and available to play with money saved in Donegal.
Even from Iowa, flights not a big deal as one can sleep on the plane and play golf in the am, and only loses a day on the return due to lack of evening flights out of Belfast
If flying to London, logistics get simpler with more flight options for golf on both arrival and departure day, but cost of golf goes up, but still great value.

[David Kelly]

Can you elaborate on why Bandon (and Cabot) might not fully live up to their links moniker?

They are definitely links to me.   PD, BD and OM play like links and almost all the components of links golf are there (although doesn't PD and BD have some bent sprinkled in with the fescue?) and PD and OM are as good as almost any other links courses you can think of. 

I tend to associate the Bandon courses more with links courses I have played like Barnbougle, Lost Farm, Castle Stuart etc.. where as Tom Doak said the designs, for as great as they are, are not as simple as the classic links of the UK.  All I'm saying is that all of the playing characteristics are all there but the experience is a little different.