[Mark Bourgeois]

Which one do you pick and more importantly why?

[Brent Hutto]

I'm afraid I'd have to pick Royal St. George's if forced to choose based on my rather incomplete sampling of only seven or so English links courses. My choice would be for two reasons:

1) In 15 rounds I might just about have an idea where to aim on every tee shot. Maybe. Except on thirteen where I'm not sure there is any correct answer.

2) It is in my opinion the best links course I've ever played. Second-best might be a tough choice between a couple of others but they're all a fair distance behind Royal St. Georges in my estimation.

Ideally I could do my 15 rounds over a period a several weeks. Not sure 15 rounds in 8 days or some such would be possible before the course wore me slap out. It's a tough, tough course.

[Mark Bourgeois]

You don't have to have played a course before - in fact it might be more interesting to hear such rationales - and would your answer change if your rounds had to be combined to a one-week period?

[Brent Hutto]

I think if it were 36 a day for eight days or some such I'd move right over the Deal and play Royal Cinque Ports. A much less taxing walk, for starters, and a wholly less intense visualization and execution experience (fewer blind and semi-blind shots and so forth). I'd find the clubhouse more relaxing between rounds, as well.

I hesitate to say much about courses I haven't seen, sorry. Although I might speculate that Royal West Norfolk would be a heck of a location for a truly intensive links immersion experience! It certainly passes my "day at the beach plus a good day of golf" definition easily.

[Mark Bourgeois]

It's interesting that you'd look for sensory relief. I was thinking people might be looking for courses that revealed themselves only upon close examination. Which relates to your point.

[Michael Whitaker]

Hmm... if you were going to spend that much time at one course there better be a good variety of eateries and social gathering spots to keep one from getting bored off the course. Sandwich doesn't fit the bill. Neither does Deal for that matter. I'll need to give this one some deep thought.

[Ross Tuddenham]

Does anyone have a good idea of how many plays of a course you need to have before you are sure your assessment of it will not alter significantly?

What conclusions do you draw about a course, when after many plays - say 15 given the thread - of the course it; gets better, stays constant (could stay very good, average or bad etc) or gets worse?

[BHoover]

The only links that I've ever been on was Royal St. George's.  Unfortunately, I was there not to play but to watch the third round of the 2003 Open (won by fellow Ohio boy, Ben Curtis). Anyway, I guess I would have to pick St. George's solely for that reason. It seemed to be quite a quirky course, so I would probably need 15 rounds to figure out all the different ways to play it. Another reason to pick it is that I could also hop over to Deal and Prince's, which wouldn't be too shabby.

[Thomas Dai]

Perranporth! Nicely affordable and when played, never, ever forgotten.

A couple of edits -

Unless that is, the 1 English links is one club/location when Saunton (36), Formby/Formby Ladies (36), Burnham & Berrow (27), Rye (27?-36?), St Enodoc (36), Trevose (27+), Princes (27) might come into the equation as playing the same 18-holes, irrespective of quality, for 15 rounds might get a little bit claustrophobic, even dare I say it boring, especially if playing with the same playing partners every time.

I also recall reading a comment attributed to Harry Vardon that when he retired he'd like to live in Braunton village and play golf all the time at Saunton.

All the best

[Sean_A]

Not sure, check that, I am positive that I have no interest in schlepping 36 round a course 7 days on the trot.  Let me spread my 15 rounds through 5 weeks and my choice would have to come down to one of: St Enodoc, Rye, Formby, Silloth, West Cornwall, Brancaster or Perranporth.  

My immediate thought is Rye, but I am not sure I want the challenge for 5 weeks; maybe come back t this one later.  

West Cornwall appeals because it is easier and its beautiful, but I wonder if there is enough happening to hold my interest for such a concentrated period of time.

Brancaster interests me because I didn't get the wow sense of greatness that others seemed to experience; must be more to it or you lot are either nuts or hung up on the olde worlde aspect of the course and club - could be a combo of both.

St Enodoc is my favourite English links and for that reason alone it demands strong consideration.

Playing Perranporth this summer after a very long break rekindled some memories.  So much about how the course is maintained is very appealing, but it is Up and Down.  The course is also very affordable and may even do monthly rates  .  

Silloth, would like to play it several more times, but the thought of a 4-5 weeks in Silloth is depressing me as I type.  The course is worthy of my time, the town is not.

I have played Formby enough to know it belongs in a select group of quality links.  I love the variety of terrain, sequencing of holes and its often heathland feel.  Not sure about the area though...and it would cost many pretty pennies for this happy jaunt.  

More to come.

Ciao

[Jon Wiggett]

I have always liked Royal Birkdale and having played there quite a bit know that it retains its interest even after multiple play. Having said that either Deal or St. Enodoc are equally good calls.

Jon

[Adam Lawrence]

Sandwich for me. IMO England's greatest course.

[Mark Pearce]

Tricky.

One of Silloth (Sean, it's no distance to drive into the Lakes), Saunton, Deal or Brancaster for me, I think.

[Mark Chaplin]

Mike you must be in the wrong Deal. Try The Ship, Deal Hoy (for burgers as well), The Albert, The Kings Head and my favourite the Just Reproach for socialising. Black Douglas, Pop Up cafe and Elzora for good coffee and snacks. The Dining Club, 81 Beach St, Three Compasses, Victuals and Seasons for British dining.  

[Jaeger Kovich]

Rye, no doubt about it.

[Jon Wiggett]

Mike you must be in the wrong Deal. Try The Ship, Deal Hoy (for burgers as well), The Albert, The Kings Head and my favourite the Just Reproach for socialising. Black Douglas, Pop Up cafe and Elzora for good coffee and snacks. The Dining Club, 81 Beach St, Three Compasses, Victuals and Seasons for British dining.  

Yeah, and there are some well nice B&Bs there

Jon

[Mark Bourgeois]

What if we confined our thoughts to the golf course alone? Which course or courses would you grow least tired of? Which ones would reward successive plays and how / why?

[Rich Goodale]

I'm with Mike on this one, as I think it is impossible to evaluate a course outside of its context.  Sandiwch is to me by far the most interesting and challenging of the English links (in fact of all links), but I wouldn't want to be restricted to spending 15 staight days in that part of the world, at that club.  If I had to choose a course with both character and context I'd choose either Hoylake or Littlestone.

[Thomas Dai]

Apologies in advance for taking this slightly OT, into Scotland in fact, but didn't Bobby Jones say something about just playing TOC for the rest of his life?
All the best.

[Brent Hutto]

I'd rather stick to just the course per se.

I've had enjoyable times staying at Number One in Deal and playing Royal Cinque Ports or staying in the Dormie House at Formby and playing Formby. And both courses would reward repeat play (indeed have rewarded repeat play, I'm probably in the double digits of rounds at Deal and Formby combined by now). I'm picturing checking into the Formby Dormie, heading out to the course early one morning and saying "Just boot me out when I get to 15".

But after three rounds at Formby and after eight or nine at Royal Cinque Ports I feel that I have a decent handle on most holes at each course in terms of what to expect and how best to get around them. In both cases I'm not that far from getting to the point I am at my home course where success comes down to execution. Not to that point yet, of course. But that point seems within view.

I mentioned Royal St. George's because like very few other courses I've played it's hard to imagine after even 15 rounds feeling like one is starting to get a handle on the course. The blindness (and semi-blindness) of some shots combined with the angles and tall dunes in play with the wind from various directions makes forming a mental map or a coherent strategy quite vexing.

P.S. Begging for a moment the question of whether Ganton qualifies as an English "links" I'd like to say that as much as I enjoyed my six rounds there over three days, it would not necessarily reward 2-1/2 times that much play in any short period. In fact, it is probably the ideal destination for a six-round junket in that it is plenty interesting over that many rounds but I did not leave after three 36-hole days feeling I had barely begun to apprehend the course. As much as I'd love to return, having played it intensively first I would not probably choose for the rest of my 15 rounds there to be a couple rounds at a time over a decade or so if nothing else to experience the maximum variety in weather and course setup/conditions.

[Gary Slatter]

Mark, 15 rounds on one links course would be a killer to my wrists!   However I'd enjoy playing 15 rounds at Hoylake, Lytham and Birkdale.
I would prefer 15 rounds at Sunningdale, easier on my body and better surrounds (food).

[Duncan Cheslett]

Last year I spent a week in Tenby with my extended family and played the course every day before breakfast. I could happily have stayed another week.

Not sure it counts as an English links, though!

[James Boon]

I would choose Burnham & Berrow.

I'm certainly missing the place now I'm no longer a country member after 7 or 8 years of reasonably regular golf there. When I think about the course, there are challenges that I want to take on at every hole and several that I certainly want to get back to as I never quite managed to get on top of them!

I love other English links, specifically Brancaster, Silloth and Deal, but it's Burnham I really want to keep going back to!

Cheers,

James

[Ally Mcintosh]

Hoylake.

Haven't played it yet but it's exactly the kind of place that I think would benefit from repeat plays. In short, I'm more inclined to believe the ecstatics rather than the indifferents. The history would swing it for me also.

[Sean_A]

Not sure, check that, I am positive that I have no interest in schlepping 36 round a course 7 days on the trot.  Let me spread my 15 rounds through 5 weeks and my choice would have to come down to one of: St Enodoc, Rye, Formby, Silloth, West Cornwall, Brancaster or Perranporth.  

My immediate thought is Rye, but I am not sure I want the challenge for 5 weeks; maybe come back t this one later.  

West Cornwall appeals because it is easier and its beautiful, but I wonder if there is enough happening to hold my interest for such a concentrated period of time.

Brancaster interests me because I didn't get the wow sense of greatness that others seemed to experience; must be more to it or you lot are either nuts or hung up on the olde worlde aspect of the course and club - could be a combo of both.

St Enodoc is my favourite English links and for that reason alone it demands strong consideration.

Playing Perranporth this summer after a very long break rekindled some memories.  So much about how the course is maintained is very appealing, but it is Up and Down.  The course is also very affordable and may even do monthly rates  .  

Silloth, would like to play it several more times, but the thought of a 4-5 weeks in Silloth is depressing me as I type.  The course is worthy of my time, the town is not.

I have played Formby enough to know it belongs in a select group of quality links.  I love the variety of terrain, sequencing of holes and its often heathland feel.  Not sure about the area though...and it would cost many pretty pennies for this happy jaunt.  

More to come.

Ciao

Mark

If I am going to an area to play a course for a month, the last thing I want is to be a 30 minute drive away.  I want to be able to pop in for a handful of holes hee and there.  I doubt I would limit my play to 18 hole rounds.  

Looking at St Enodoc, Rye and Brancaster as the three main candidates, I have played St Enodoc a lot already.  I know it pretty well in different winds and seasons.  Brancaster is the course I don't know very well, but I am not convinced there is a lot to know!  For a well known course that will usually mean my experience is woefully inadequate. I am definitely more impressed with Rye as a course.  The use of the two dune lines is very, very clever.  I like par 3s a load and Rye is tough to be beat on that score.  I think there is a greater diversity of holes at Rye than at Brancaster.  On the other hand, I like the easy approach of Brancaster as a club.  Both areas are lovely, but Rye has the superior nearby town by quite a margin.  

In the end, I have to go with Rye.  No place can be the perfect choice, but as a course, Rye does tick a lot of boxes.  I'll wait for Craig to roll into town then play with him for a month!

Ciao  

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