Musings from links season

[Ben Sims]

Somewhere a few hundred miles southwest of Reykjavik, I’m having some deep thoughts about this years trip to the links.


1) blindness is overrated. Most of our trip included repeated plays and I found shots like the tee shot on 17 at Dornoch, tee shot on 15 at Cruden Bay, and the approach on 7 at Machrihanish to be pretty uninspiring. The charm wears quickly. Conversely, I found shots where you can see your target but can’t perfectly see the result of the shot, like the tee shot on 17 Cruden Bay, or 14 at Machrihanish to be very charming. Not all blindness is equal.


2) one playability weakness I find on links courses is the lack of break on putts inside 10-12 feet. This isn’t a just UK links, it happens at American links courses too. More heavily contoured greens and greens surrounds for some reason result in long putts with lots to think about but shorter putts of a straight nature. I hope someone can help me solve the “why” behind this. Oddly, the largest breaks on putts inside 10 feet were found during an emergency round at Kilspindie last night.


3) overall course length is a useless variable in golf architecture. Yes Dunaverty and Kilspindie felt short. Brora, however, felt abut right and RDGC, Cruden Bay, and Machrihanish felt downright long at times. Peep the cards and you’ll see some rather low total yardage figures. Terrain and its use, bunker positioning, and green shape can serve to really subvert lengths’s importance in how a hole plays.


4) the greens were a touch slow for my liking. Incredible greens were rather simple two putt affairs for most of the trip. Wind affected some putts and that’s a welcome thing. I think perhaps the cold and wet conditions this spring and early summer had something to with it.


5) best part of the trip was realizing just how much these courses are a product of environment and circumstance. We don’t do that at most places in the US. We spend lots of money overcoming negative environmental factors. In Scotland, the native and roughs were crazy lush. Is what it is. Fairways were fluffier than I remember. No matter, it’s just what the course is this season.  Next season will be different.


There’s no need to delve into what lived up to hype and what didn’t. I’ll just offer, Cruden Bay hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting, even with its reputation.

[Jeff Schley]

2) one playability weakness I find on links courses is the lack of break on putts inside 10-12 feet. This isn’t a just UK links, it happens at American links courses too. More heavily contoured greens and greens surrounds for some reason result in long putts with lots to think about but shorter putts of a straight nature. I hope someone can help me solve the “why” behind this. Oddly, the largest breaks on putts inside 10 feet were found during an emergency round at Kilspindie last night.

Ben good report.  Curious how many courses do you classify as links in the USA?

[David_Tepper]

"one playability weakness I find on links courses is the lack of break on putts inside 10-12 feet."

As a broad generalization, I suppose that is true, but there are certainly some exceptions. The greens on #3, #4, #8, #10 & #17 at Royal Dornoch can have some pretty sharp breaks on putts inside 10 feet. #2, #7, #14 & #15 can have more break than you expect, depending where you are putting from and to.

[Tommy Williamsen]

"one playability weakness I find on links courses is the lack of break on putts inside 10-12 feet."

Isn't that just the product of wanting to speed up play? There are plenty of places the super could have pinned the greens with lots of break.

[Tim Gallant]

Ben,


You're spot on that conditions change year to year, and while we all love our links to be firm with the ball running, the conditions are often a byproduct of the weather. As you say, this year has been frightfully wet, hence the long rough and lush fairways.


Re: blind shots, I don't think I ever tire of blindness. 14 at North Berwick is just as much of a thrill now as it was the first time I played it. Did I get the distance, wind and direction right?! Am I a foot, or am I on the beach. It's especially fun if I forget to look at the pin from 4 tee and just hit in true blindness. I find it exhilarating!

[Sean_A]

Ben,

You're spot on that conditions change year to year, and while we all love our links to be firm with the ball running, the conditions are often a byproduct of the weather. As you say, this year has been frightfully wet, hence the long rough and lush fairways.

Re: blind shots, I don't think I ever tire of blindness. 14 at North Berwick is just as much of a thrill now as it was the first time I played it. Did I get the distance, wind and direction right?! Am I a foot, or am I on the beach. It's especially fun if I forget to look at the pin from 4 tee and just hit in true blindness. I find it exhilarating!

North Berwick was in the best summer nick I have seen it, perhaps ever. Firm, but not silly. Easy to find balls in rough. Greens running true. Maybe the course likes wet winters 😎

Ciao

[Ben Sims]

Ben,

You're spot on that conditions change year to year, and while we all love our links to be firm with the ball running, the conditions are often a byproduct of the weather. As you say, this year has been frightfully wet, hence the long rough and lush fairways.

Re: blind shots, I don't think I ever tire of blindness. 14 at North Berwick is just as much of a thrill now as it was the first time I played it. Did I get the distance, wind and direction right?! Am I a foot, or am I on the beach. It's especially fun if I forget to look at the pin from 4 tee and just hit in true blindness. I find it exhilarating!

North Berwick was in the best summer nick I have seen it, perhaps ever. Firm, but not silly. Easy to find balls in rough. Greens running true. Maybe the course likes wet winters 😎

Ciao

For what it’s worth, rough and native in East Lothian and even in Aberdeenshire were distinctly different than the rough and native in Sutherland and Kintyre. The entire group noticed it. 

[Thomas Dai]

Blindness is what it is. Best not even thinking about it. View the hole from other holes before you play it and observe how other groups in front play the hole.
Pin positions. Play enough links golf and you’ll appreciate how the wind changes during the day and the impact this can have on playability.
Course length. A good tip is, if your permitted to, which is another subject, play into or severe cross-wind holes from further forward tees.
Green speeds, see wind above.
Product of the environment and circumstance. In decades way gone bye there wasn’t the money nor the machinery to move masses of earth/sand so nature determined more. As things have turned out, this has probably been for the better.
Hope you didn’t miss the St Olaf course when at Cruden Bay.
Atb

PS I presume you mean Sutherland not Sunderland.


PSS This is likely watching if you would like to see a couple of pros think/discuss and manipulate their ball around a quality links course in a nicely decent wind - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8_08LDFjbGg - you’ll also see from close-up some of details, features and recent changes at B&B.

[Sean_A]

Ben,

You're spot on that conditions change year to year, and while we all love our links to be firm with the ball running, the conditions are often a byproduct of the weather. As you say, this year has been frightfully wet, hence the long rough and lush fairways.

Re: blind shots, I don't think I ever tire of blindness. 14 at North Berwick is just as much of a thrill now as it was the first time I played it. Did I get the distance, wind and direction right?! Am I a foot, or am I on the beach. It's especially fun if I forget to look at the pin from 4 tee and just hit in true blindness. I find it exhilarating!

North Berwick was in the best summer nick I have seen it, perhaps ever. Firm, but not silly. Easy to find balls in rough. Greens running true. Maybe the course likes wet winters

Ciao

For what it’s worth, rough and native in East Lothian and even in Aberdeenshire were distinctly different than the rough and native in Sutherland Kintyre. The entire group noticed it.

The rough in Aberdeenshire was much worse than NB.

Ciao

[Niall C]

"one playability weakness I find on links courses is the lack of break on putts inside 10-12 feet."

Isn't that just the product of wanting to speed up play? There are plenty of places the super could have pinned the greens with lots of break.

Tommy


I very much doubt pace of play comes into the equation. I think more practical and over-riding reasons are;


- lack of resources in terms of budget and staff ie Machrihanish has two greenkeepers


- variability of weather on links courses makes management of quick greens more problematic


- you tend to water and feed links greens less in order to promote/maintain fast and firm conditions which I imagine makes them more prone to being stressed


That's not to say that on occasion the greenstaff don't work overtime as well as the odd miracle to get the greens flying for the years big event such as the club championship. When I was at Moray the Moray Open week was the big event and I recall hearing of a conversation a visitor had with a member where the visitor suggested that the member had the advantage as he knew the greens, to which the member retorted that he only ever saw the greens like that once a year ! I never played in the Open week but I always enjoyed playing straight after it when a putt that would normally have 3 to 6 inches of break might have 3 feet of break.


Niall

[JC Urbina]

Ben,


What an enjoyable read regarding your links experience.


1 I find blind shots to be exhilarating, sometimes using clues other than the width of  fairway mowing lines  and a target bunker  as mundane as 150 yardage posts


2- The lack of break on putts can be both a pleasure and a nuisance. Windy days can wreck a day on links greens.


3- Max Behr said it best and I am  paraphrasing, an architect who uses the natural surrounds to its fullest are the best designs. I will get the exact quote when I land.


4- I like the idea that greens can be as variable as the seasons allow. The crux   with American Golf Courses is the  demand to have the greens perfect everyday no matter the season or the year weather wise.
That puts a lot of stress on greens and the superintendents who care for them.


5- I agree , take the links as they are presented and if  they are not to your liking wait till you return,  they may be different,  one way or the other. 


I really enjoyed your synopsis. I look forward to my return to the links lands of Scotland and Ireland someday. I miss what they have to offer.

[Ben Sims]

I guess I should clarify. It isn’t ALL blindness that is overrated in my opinion, it’s the hit and hope variety. I much prefer more subtle blindness where I can select a more distinct target and then see most of the ball flight and then discover which low area it went to or if I found a something I didn’t expect. It’s the blindness like a shot at 15 Cruden Bay or 17 Dornoch that I think wears thin after a few plays. Even though the semi-blind 16th is my second fave one-shotter of the trip.


We were lucky to run the gamut in conditions this trip, other than it being a bit cold almost every day. I really enjoyed that this years’ trip had a distinct feel compared to last. I’m sure links vets have been noticing that seasonal and annual difference for a long time now. But as a primarily American golfer that plays in similar conditions nearly all the time, it’s a massively welcome change.

[Ira Fishman]

Ben, thanks for the posts which made me reflect even more carefully on our recent trip to Ireland. I appreciate your clarification about blindness, but remain a fan in all of its forms. Jim's choice of "exhilarating" is apt for me. I played The Island Club and Lahinch for the second time, and I was curious to learn if now number 6 at the former and 3-5 at the latter remain favorites. They do.


Regarding the breaks on 10-12 footers, that really forced me to stretch my memory even though the trip was only two weeks ago. Your statement holds for several of the greens at The Island and Rosses Point (although not on longer putts), but I do not remember straight putts at Baltray, Carne, or Lahinch (or Mulranny). You could hit putts firmer because of the green speeds so could play for less break.


Thanks again for the posts and glad that you enjoyed the trip.


Ira

[Charlie Goerges]

I guess I should clarify. It isn’t ALL blindness that is overrated in my opinion, it’s the hit and hope variety.

You're in good company with this. Many of the best architects have said similar things, from MacKenzie to the the moderns. I generally like it as a hazard, but it can be overdone. And I draw a distinction between different types of hit and hope. If there is just a rise between me and the target that makes it totally blind, I'm fine with it, but if it's 6 stories uphill, I'm not as big a fan. I also don't want too many instances of total blindness per round. Limit it to 3-6 depending on terrain.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Blindness has to come with an element of fairness.


Therefore I first like there to be a landform, saddle or hint of where the best line is. Blindness is most fun when you execute the shot and wait to see just how good it turned out. It is not fun when you execute the shot and find you chose the wrong line and it is now lost off the narrow fairway, or to the right of a skinny green with trouble all around. Blindness needs width.

[Tommy Williamsen]

The very first time I played R County Down, they did not have a caddie for me. The blind tee shots were baffling, even with directional help in the fairways. I lost many golf balls. It was not fun.

[JohnVDB]

Blindness has to come with an element of fairness.


Therefore I first like there to be a landform, saddle or hint of where the best line is. Blindness is most fun when you execute the shot and wait to see just how good it turned out. It is not fun when you execute the shot and find you chose the wrong line and it is now lost off the narrow fairway, or to the right of a skinny green with trouble all around. Blindness needs width.

17 at Dornoch has that issue. If you hit it to the right of the pole and you are a longer hitter, you run out of fairway quickly.  When I played with Ben there last week, I did something I rarely do and hit driver. As it turned out I hit it perfectly to the left of the post and had about 105 yards to the hole.  But if I’d been right of of the post with that length there’d have been a good chance it would have been gone.


The best part of the blindness of 17 is the second shot. That is one of the most exciting blind shots anywhere to me.  You can see the top of the flagstick and if you hit it left, it will bounce down the hill towards the hole full of anticipation as Ally mentioned.

[Ben Sims]

Blindness has to come with an element of fairness.


Therefore I first like there to be a landform, saddle or hint of where the best line is. Blindness is most fun when you execute the shot and wait to see just how good it turned out. It is not fun when you execute the shot and find you chose the wrong line and it is now lost off the narrow fairway, or to the right of a skinny green with trouble all around. Blindness needs width.

17 at Dornoch has that issue. If you hit it to the right of the pole and you are a longer hitter, you run out of fairway quickly.  When I played with Ben there last week, I did something I rarely do and hit driver. As it turned out I hit it perfectly to the left of the post and had about 105 yards to the hole.  But if I’d been right of of the post with that length there’d have been a good chance it would have been gone.


The best part of the blindness of 17 is the second shot. That is one of the most exciting blind shots anywhere to me.  You can see the top of the flagstick and if you hit it left, it will bounce down the hill towards the hole full of anticipation as Ally mentioned.

Holy smokes John, you hit the nail on the head. I’ll be honest and say I don’t love the tee shot on 17. For reasons you mentioned. I think I like the similar tee shot on 8 better. Maybe. Hard to tell.

But….the blindness on the approach to 17 is my idea of fun. Theres a bit more to look at and you can’t really see the result, but you have an inkling before walking up and over. I think you just made a better explanation of what kind of blind I like.

Hope you’re well.

[Thomas Dai]

Should those amateur golfers short in height receive an additional shot on their hcp as they aren’t able to look over as many blind features as those who are taller? Just asking.
Atb

[Mark Pearce]

It’s the blindness like a shot at 15 Cruden Bay or 17 Dornoch that I think wears thin after a few plays. Even though Cruden Bay 15 is my second fave one-shotter of the trip.

This doesn't make sense.  The only distinguishing feature of 15 at Cruden Bay (in my book the worst hole on the course by a very considerable distance) is the blindness of the tee shot.  If you don't like the blindness, then 15 is a nothing hole.  It's certainly less good than 16 (far more interesting green site) and far less good than 4 (tremendous par 3).


So how can 15 be your second favourite par 3 of a trip, when you don't like the blindness?

[Ben Sims]

It’s the blindness like a shot at 15 Cruden Bay or 17 Dornoch that I think wears thin after a few plays. Even though Cruden Bay 15 is my second fave one-shotter of the trip.

This doesn't make sense.  The only distinguishing feature of 15 at Cruden Bay (in my book the worst hole on the course by a very considerable distance) is the blindness of the tee shot.  If you don't like the blindness, then 15 is a nothing hole.  It's certainly less good than 16 (far more interesting green site) and far less good than 4 (tremendous par 3).


So how can 15 be your second favourite par 3 of a trip, when you don't like the blindness?

Oof. Bad typo there. I meant 16. There’s an element of discovery to Cruden Bay 16 I enjoyed. It’s certainly not blind like 15, but on a back pin we didn’t  have a good idea of where our balls were until we got up there. I agree with you, I’m not a massive fan of the hole before it, though I wouldn’t go so far to say that it’s the worst hole there. I think 10 at Cruden Bay is the weakest link on the course.


By the by, Brora 6 was my favored par-3 of the trip but that’s not for discussion here.


Sorry Mark, I can see how confusing that was.

[Ira Fishman]

Ben,


Do you mind sharing the list of courses that you played?


Thanks again for a good thread.


Ira

[Ben Sims]

Ben,


Do you mind sharing the list of courses that you played?


Thanks again for a good thread.


Ira

Yeah I don’t mind. I don’t really want to delve too much into specific course or hole evaluation on this more generalized discussion about links golf. I have an idea for threads about holes on great courses that we don’t discuss.


Cruden Bay (2)
Royal Dornoch Championship (2)
Brora
Machrihanish (4)
Dunaverty
Kilspindie 

[Mark Pearce]

Thanks, Ben, that does make sense now.

[Ben Sims]

More musings from first day at The Open…


I’d say lateral misses of putts are 2-1 in favor of high side misses. These guys are conditioned for putts to dive as they lose speed and that just doesn’t happen on links greens.


I’m a bit surprised at how many players are missing the first fairway. Hurting crosswinds are a bear no matter the level of player.


If my first few plays back stateside are any indication, adjusting and readjusting from links golf isn’t something you can do in a matter of days.