Full Answer
What are the different types of golf courses?
1 Links course. First up is the most famous type of golf course, the links course. The term derives from the Old English word hlinc meaning rising ... 2 Parkland course. 3 Heathland course. 4 Sandbelt course. 5 Stadium/Championship course. More items
What are the best links golf courses in the US?
Whistling Straits is a popular links golf course in the United States in Wisconsin. The course has hosted the PGA Championship 3 times and a Ryder Cup. Another popular links golf course in the States is Pebble Beach Golf Links, which has hosted several major championships and major tournaments.
What are the best golf courses similar to the Old Course?
Tom Doak’s homage to C.B. Macdonald, complete with replicas of several of his template holes, is as close to the Old Course you’ll get on this side of the pond. 2. Bandon Dunes The original Bandon course, by Scotsman David Kidd, has no steep hills and dales but endless dips and ripples, just like the best Scottish links.
What makes a links golf course look like?
The links’ look is very natural and golfers play to the contours of the land. Many links golf courses are found in coastal areas. Pebble Beach, which is located in California, overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The coastal location helps to create the hills, ridges and fairways.
What is the opposite of a links golf course?
While a links course is very natural, a parkland course is one that has been manicured and heavily constructed by a course architect. A parkland course will have flat fairways compared to the rolling ones on a links course. The flat, well-manicured fairways make for gentle bounces. The fairways are also very forgiving.
What are the different types of golf courses called?
Landscape StyleLinks Course. Golf originated in Scotland, and links golf, too, has its roots in Scotland. ... Parkland Course. ... Desert Course. ... Executive Course. ... Regulation Course. ... Municipal Course. ... Daily-fee Course. ... Semi-private Course.More items...•
How many styles of golf courses are there?
14 Types Of Golf CoursesPar 3. A par 3 golf course is made up of nine or eighteen holes of short par 3s. ... Links. If you have ever watched a British Open Championship, you will have an excellent idea of what a links-style golf course is. ... Desert. ... Executive. ... Stadium. ... Sandbelt. ... Heathland. ... Parkland.More items...
What is the difference between a links course and a regular course?
When discussing links golf vs regular golf, the difference in wind is one of the biggest differentiators. Because links courses are on a coastline, strong sea winds blow in off the water. Links courses rarely have any trees because the land that they are built on isn't suitable for large plant life.
Is Augusta a links course?
MacKenzie and Bobby Jones, both having studied the Old Course, created Augusta National on the links principle of giving players options.
What is a lynx style golf course?
A links golf course is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and also sometimes to open parkland.
Is Whistling Straits a links course?
Whistling Straits is one of two 36-hole links-style golf courses associated with Destination Kohler, a luxury golf resort owned and operated by the Kohler Company in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Why are some golf courses called links?
Links course The term derives from the Old English word hlinc meaning rising ground or ridge and refers to sandy area along coast. While many courses claim to be links, call themselves links-style, or have the word links in their name, the category is more specific than that.
What makes a golf course a links course?
Today, a links golf course is more broadly defined as a golf course with a natural and open lay-out, lying on sandy soil that is heavily affected by the wind. It has few to no trees, but with thick rough grasses.
What is a downland golf course?
Downland. Downland courses are characterised by hills, big changes in elevation that work out the legs and test distance control on your shots. Colour-wise, these vary immensely, but usually sit somewhere between the scorched earth colours of the common links track and the richer greens of a well-manicured parkland.
Is Pebble Beach a true links course?
In fact, less than 1% of all the golf layouts in the world would be defined as “true links,” with just a handful in the U.S. Many of the most famous American golf destinations – including Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits and the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – are links-style courses.
What is a sandbelt golf course?
The sandbelt region of Melbourne boasts a fabulous group of golf courses that epitomise the golden age of golf architecture. These highly ranked layouts are built on land in the southeast suburbs ideal for golf and conveniently located within a short distance of each other.
What does TPC stand for?
Tournament Players ClubTPC — which stands for Tournament Players Club — means that a golf course is part of a prestigious network of golf courses around the world.
What are short golf courses called?
An "executive course" or "executive golf course" is a course that's shorter than a standard golf course in one or more respects. It has a lower par because it's usually comprised of more par-3 holes than are found on a typical golf course.
What is a smaller golf course called?
Approach course: An approach course is one that is even shorter than a par-3 course, one designed primarily to allow experienced golfers to practice pitching and chipping, or intended for use by beginners.
What do you call a golf course without trees?
When most people think of links-style golf, they are picturing golf that can be played along the ground with lots of undulation, plenty of dunes and little to no trees. These courses also usually feature pot bunkers as opposed to the larger sprawling American-style bunkers.
1. Links Course
One of the most common golf course types is a links course. But, if you find yourself asking “what is a links golf course?”, you’re hardly alone. A links golf course is one of the oldest styles you’ll find. These originated in England and Scotland, where the game was first played.
2. Heathland Course
Heathland golf course aren’t all that different from links courses. These are also most common in Europe. For the most part, they embody a lot of the same characteristics such as sandy soil and bunkers that won’t quit. Again, a lot of what defines these types of courses is where they lay on a map.
3. Parkland Course
Parkland golf courses are what most Americans usually play. This type of course carves its way through a natural landscape and is surrounded with trees, which serve as the biggest hazard. Parkland courses use what is available to them. If the area is hilly, you have a hilly course.
4. Desert Course
Desert golf courses are, you guessed it, found in the desert. This doesn’t mean they are all sand, but that the land surrounding it is. Depending on the course, the desert terrain can be 5 yards or 50 from your intended tee-to-green path.
5. Championship Course
A championship golf course comes less from design features and more of what the course is all about. While it’s not easy to define, a championship golf course is almost something you know when you see it—or someone tells you about it.
6. Par-3 Course
When a course has only par-3 holes, it is a par-3 course. These courses can also be referred to as pitch and putt courses. Most golf course types have names that aren’t as descriptive. A par-3 course is all par-3’s (with the rare exception).
7. Executive Course
Want to play a shorter course with some hole variety? Then you want to play an executive golf course. An executive course is like a par-3 course in that many of the holes are par-3’s, but this option lets you take the driver out of your bag a couple times. Additionally, an executive course with 18 holes is also fairly common.
What is the most famous golf course in England?
Heathland Golf Courses are another style typically found in England. The most famous of them all is Sunningdale Golf Club. Other examples include The Berkshire and Walton Heath. In a way, they are like inland Links Golf Courses due to their brownish colour, gorse bushes and sandy soil. They may lack the same wind levels of links golf, but you will have much tighter fairways and many more trees to navigate.
What is an executive golf course?
Executive Golf Courses consist exclusively of par-3 holes. That does not mean they are ‘ pitch and putt ’ courses. Many of them consist of full-length par-3 holes. Nor does it mean they are guaranteed to be easy, some executive golf courses are more challenging than their traditional full-length counterparts.
What is Parkland Golf Course?
A Parkland Golf Course is the opposite of a Links Golf Course. While Links’ are built on the coasts and blend into the wild terrain, a Parkland course is built inland and is clearly maintained by man.
Is there a golf course in the desert?
It should come as no surprise to learn that Desert Golf Courses are built … in the desert! If Parkland Golf Courses are artificial, well, Desert Golf Courses take it up a notch. But in a good way, they are like a beautiful lush green oasis in a sea of yellow and white sand.
Is Pinehurst a hybrid?
It is important to note that some of the courses fitting these styles are often hybrids. For example, one can argue that Pinehurst Number 2 or even Augusta National are both Parkland and Woodland/Forest Golf Courses.
Where are links golf courses?
Links golf course. Links golf courses were first found in Scotland. The country is regarded as the ‘home of golf’, and the first courses were all links style courses. Links courses are seen all over Scotland and there are many more around the world. In the United States, Pebble Beach is classed as a links course.
What is links golf?
According to the BBC: “links courses are all about being one with nature”. It is this attempt to be one with nature that gives the look and feel of the course. The links’ look is very natural and golfers play to the contours of the land.
Why are links golf courses so difficult to play?
Due to the lack of human modification of a links golf course, golfers may experience far more difficult shots.
What is the most famous parkland course in the world?
Perhaps the most famous parkland course in the world is Augusta National. Augusta is a perfect example of the style and golf fans can see the parkland course type at every Masters tournament.
Why does the score climb in a golf tournament?
There is also a wind element that blows the ball around and can cause scores to climb during a golf tournament.
Where are desert golf courses located?
The only grass found on this type of course is on the tee box, fairways and putting greens. These courses are mostly found in the American southwest and in the Middle East.
How to contact College of Golf?
If you want to learn even more about the history of golf and how to get started with a career in golf, contact College of Golf today at 888.355.4465 / 561.478.5500.
How are golf courses grouped?
Golf courses are generally grouped in three ways: By access (who can play them), by size (number and type of holes), or by setting and design.
What are some examples of parkland golf courses?
So named because of the park-like setting. Most PGA Tour courses are good examples of parkland courses. Desert course: A course built in the desert, natch, where the teeing grounds, fairways and putting greens are lush but might be the only grass in the area.
What is an approach course?
Approach course: An approach course is one that is even shorter than a par-3 course, one designed primarily to allow experienced golfers to practice pitching and chipping, or intended for use by beginners. Holes on approach courses might include some holes of around 100 yards in length, but most of them will be shorter, some even just 30 or 40 yards. Drop a ball, pitch it to the green, putt out (which is why these are also called pitch-and-putt courses).
How many holes are there in a 9 hole golf course?
9-hole course: A 9-hole course is exactly that, a golf course with mostly par-4 holes plus a few par 3s and par 5s but only nine holes, rather than 18 holes, in length.
What is an issue in categorizing courses by setting/design?
An issue in categorizing courses by setting/design is that many courses do not fit entirely, or even easily, into one or other groups (aside from desert courses, which are pretty easy to spot). Some may mix elements of both parkland and links.
Where did golf originate?
Golf first developed on the links of Scotland. Parkland course: A parkland course is one that is lushly manicured with verdant fairways and fast greens, with plenty of trees, and typically located inland. So named because of the park-like setting. Most PGA Tour courses are good examples of parkland courses.
What is a public golf course?
Public courses: A public golf course is one that is open to the general public. Everyone who plays golf is welcome at a public golf course. Within the public category, there are two main sub-types - the municipal course and the daily fee course. Municipal courses are those owned by cities or counties and run for the benefit of the local citizens ...
What is the best style of golf course to play?
Links golf courses are an important part of golf’s history and are the best style of golf courses to play in my opinion.
Why Are Links Golf Courses Popular?
There are several reasons for links golf courses and why they are popular, but the main reason is because of the challenge and uniqueness of the course.
What are the different types of golf courses?
There are links, parkland, and desert golf courses and even executive courses. The type of golf course that I am going to talk about today is a links golf course.
What is a link golf course?
What is a Links Golf Course? A links golf course is regarded today as a golf course that has few trees, a lot of wind, thick grasses or thick heather, and a lot of bunkers. They are built on sandy soil and in most cases are on a coastline of a body of water. The term “links” actually has Scots origins and means “rising ground” or “ridge”.
What does "links" mean in golf?
The term “links” actually has Scots origins and means “rising ground” or “ridge”. The reason for this is because links courses really do play true to the contour of the course and is not usually very flat. Some people might argue that links golf courses have fewer or more characteristics, but that seems to be the general consensus ...
Which is flatter, a golf fairway or a links fairway?
The fairways tend to be more forgiving and flatter when compared to the rolling fairways on a links golf course.
Where did golf originate?
The country of Scotland is where golf originated, and it has a ton of history with the game of golf and its traditions. Flash forward to today, and there are links golf courses all over in the United States and in Europe. The majority of links golf courses are usually on the coastline of major bodies of water.
How many links courses are there in the world?
Using these criteria we came up with a list of 246 links courses in the world.
Who designed the Bandon course?
The original Bandon course, by Scotsman David Kidd, has no steep hills and dales but endless dips and ripples, just like the best Scottish links.
How many yards from the tips is a link?
Links golf on steroids—7,827 yards from the tips, with greens that have more pronounced sweeps and swales than anything you’ll see in the UK.
Is Bermuda soft or hard?
The bermuda is soft by virtue of gross over-irrigating. Even it were allowed to be played firm/fast there are virtually no links-like features to the holes. Fairways are all dead level with no natural contour. The only touch that could be links-like would be the natural sandy areas with dunes grass.
Why are links golf courses called links?
One reason the game originated on this type of land was because it suited play. Course designers had limited resources for moving earth to shape a course. Many modern links-style courses are not necessarily coastal and have been shaped to take on traditional links characteristics.
Which country has the most links golf courses?
Andrews. Ireland, Wales and England also have true links courses, but Scotland is believed to have the most.
What are the most famous links courses in the world?
St. Andrews, Royal Troon, and Royal Dornach are considered three of Scotland's most famous and most traditional links courses. In Ireland, there are also traditional links, including Waterville, Ballybunion and Lahinch. The United States also has several famous links courses. One of them is the highly ranked Pebble Beach. Sinnecock Hills in New York and Bandon Dunes in Oregon are also traditional links.
What are the characteristics of a links course?
A links course is along the sea, consists of sandy soil and has little vegetation other than tall sea grasses and gorse, a hearty low-growing evergreen plant. The natural terrain is used to develop the golf holes. Many of the bunkers were once natural windswept dunes. The layout of the holes is also part ...
Why is golf played closer to the ground?
Generally, the game is played closer to the ground. Since the terrain on a links course is naturally firm , players employ more bump-and-run shots. Putting from close off the green is also encouraged. And keeping your ball flight low helps to lessen the effects the usually brisk coastal winds have on your ball flight.
When did golf courses start?
Links History. In Scotland, where golf is believed to have originated in the 15th century, the first courses were developed on stretches of land known as links. Farmers deemed these coastal lands useless because of the sandy soil, so golf course designers began to make use of them. There are a number of true links courses still open ...
Do links courses have trees?
Most are developed by designers to look like traditional links courses. There are no trees or very few, and the land has subtle rolling terrain. However, many links-style courses are not built along the coast.
2. Whistling Straits (Kohler, Wisconsin)
Framed by two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, the Pete Dye designed Straits course at The American Club Resort is a masterpiece with imported fescue grasses, rolling dunes topped with tall grasses and amazing links-style bunkering. If you want even more authenticity, there are sheep roaming on the property.
3. Ocean Course at Kiawah Island (Hilton Head, South Carolina)
Site of the upcoming 2021 PGA Championship, 2012 PGA Championship and the legendary “War on the Shore” Ryder Cup Match in 1991, this Pete Dye virtuoso design at the Kiawah Island Resort has everything you’d want in a links style golf experience. There are sometimes fierce Scottish-like winds and ten holes that play along the Atlantic Ocean.
4. Chambers Bay (University Place, Washington)
A walking only, links-style golf experience with a Puget Sound backdrop, this Robert Trent Jones II gem capitalizes on its stunning coastal setting, windswept dunes and native fescue grasses. Chambers Bay hosted the 2015 U.S. Open won by Jordan Spieth and 2010 U.S. AmateurChampionships.
5. Nags Head Golf Links (Outer Banks, North Carolina)
While it may only measure 6,126 yards, the constant winds at Nags Head make it play much longer. Some holes are routed along the Roanoke Sound and rolling dunes and wild sea grasses add to its links-style personality.
6. The Prairie Club (Valentine, Nebraska)
Situated on the rim of the Snake River Canyon, this Tom Lehman/Chris Brand design has dramatic elevation changes, high grasses and innovative rugged bunkering. When the wind blows, as it often does in this part of the Cornhusker state, you can close your eyes and swear you’re in Scotland.
7. Erin Hills (Hartford, Wisconsin)
Site of the 2017 U.S. Open, Erin Hills is a major challenge, especially if you don’t play the correct set of tees for your skill level. Luckily there are 7 sets of tees, so no excuses for a scorecard dotted with double bogeys on this walking-only layout. The entire course is fescue grass with wavy rough framing the greens.
8. Streamsong Resort (Near Lakeland, Florida)
Step onto the back terrace of the Streamsong clubhouse, and the scene in front of you doesn’t look like Florida the wild, exotic sand mounds– some as high as 75 feet– conjure up images of Ballybunion in Ireland or the somewhat bizarre Tobacco Road in Pinehurst. The unusual terrain looks ominous, but it’s definitely an inviting setting for golfers.
Links Course
Heathland Course
- Heathland golf course aren’t all that different from links courses. These are also most common in Europe. For the most part, they embody a lot of the same characteristics such as sandy soil and bunkers that won’t quit. Again, a lot of what defines these types of courses is where they lay on a map. Heathland golf courses are inland, away from the se...
Parkland Course
- Parkland golf courses are what most Americans usually play. This type of course carves its way through a natural landscape and is surrounded with trees, which serve as the biggest hazard. Parkland courses use what is available to them. If the area is hilly, you have a hilly course. If the land is flat, architects can get a bit more creative, but the course is still flat. While links and othe…
Desert Course
- Desert golf courses are, you guessed it, found in the desert. This doesn’t mean they are all sand, but that the land surrounding it is. Depending on the course, the desert terrain can be 5 yards or 50 from your intended tee-to-green path. If you’re playing a desert course, goal number one is to have fun. Just kidding, it’s to stay on the grass and off the sand. Keep yourself on the grass and …
Championship Course
- A championship golf course comes less from design features and more of what the course is all about. While it’s not easy to define, a championship golf course is almost something you know when you see it—or someone tells you about it. Championship golf courses have a variety of definitions. To help with your understanding of the basic types of golf courses, we’ll walk you thr…
Par-3 Course
- When a course has only par-3 holes, it is a par-3 course. These courses can also be referred to as pitch and putt courses. Most golf course types have names that aren’t as descriptive. A par-3 course is all par-3’s (with the rare exception). Pitch and putt courses are ones with holes so short pitch shots are all it takes to get around. If there is one distinction to make between the two, pitc…
Executive Course
- Want to play a shorter course with some hole variety? Then you want to play an executive golf course. An executive course is like a par-3 course in that many of the holes are par-3’s, but this option lets you take the driver out of your bag a couple times. Additionally, an executive course with 18 holes is also fairly common. When this type of course began popping up, it was through …
What Are Most Pro Courses?
- Nearly all professional golf tournaments are held at links or heartland courses. Besides being the oldest and most common types, these courses are tweaked to be a tougher test of player ability. With only the rarest of exceptions, any time you watch a pro tournament in Europe, it will be on a links course. Watch the players tee off in the United States and the ratio is a bit different. If it’s cl…
Golf and The Occupied Environment
- As you can see, types of golf courses are more than if it’s 9 or 18 holes. Much of what determines the type of course is the environment around it. Unlike sports with standard courts, fields, and tracks, golf has more freedom. Every time you step onto the first tee of a course, you get something different. Much like no two rounds are ever the same, no two courses are the same. F…
The Famous Three Styles of Golf Course
- Links Golf Courses
This is truly the original style of golf course. Whenever you play a Links Golf Course, you play golf as it was invented to be played. To qualify as a Links Golf Course, it must be located within sight or sound of the sea. Golf links have open layouts with very few trees, rolling undulating landscap… - Parkland Golf Courses
A Parkland Golf Course is the opposite of a Links Golf Course. While Links’ are built on the coasts and blend into the wild terrain, a Parkland course is built inland and is clearly maintained by man. Playing a Parkland Golf Course will feel like you are playing golf in a park. They have lush, green, …
Some Lesser-Known Styles
- It is important to note that some of the courses fitting these styles are often hybrids. For example, one can argue that Pinehurst Number 2or even Augusta National are both Parkland and Woodland/Forest Golf Courses.
Heathland Golf Courses
- Heathland Golf Courses are another style typically found in England. The most famous of them all is Sunningdale Golf Club. Other examples include The Berkshire and Walton Heath. In a way, they are like inland Links Golf Courses due to their brownish colour, gorse bushes and sandy soil. They may lack the same wind levels of links golf, but you will ...