How Well Do You Play On Links Vs Parkland Courses?

Atlantic1

Just wondering how well those of you who normally play parkland courses get on when you take your game to the seaside..............

I play parkland normally but manage a fair bit of links golf during the summer. I seem to be able to manage one or two of the links courses ok but, generally, I struggle and leave the ProV1's at home.

Anyone else in the same boat?

The_Kew_Tour

When I was younger really I could only play in Parkland courses as Links never suited my game as I was poor with irons and wild off tee and the courses I played like Ballybunion where there was small greens and short fairways killed me at times.

However I have played Links bit more over years and find that if I play on courses with wide fairways and big greens say St Andrews which I was lucky enough to play I played much better as I got away with few lets say push or pulled shots. My Iron game is better too so since I played Ballybunion last year my scores have been better.(as my short game is still my strength)

I still rather Parkland myself but at times the beauty of links has be enjoyed.

f22

Love both, but to be honest I will take a good links course every time. With that added breeze it takes every shot you have in the bag to get a score.

You just can't beat it!

Mister Sifter

Links is nice for a change, but i wouldn't like to play it all the time.

I enjoy the challenge, but i definitely find it much harder. Prett much all my 'wild' scores in the past few years have been on links courses.

JohnMatthews

Links courses are all about the short game. In terms of length, links courses seem to play fairly short.

f22

JohnMatthews wrote: »

Links courses are all about the short game. In terms of length, links courses seem to play fairly short.

Wouldn't agree with you there, get knee high in the rough and you won't even see a green for a few shots.

mag

grew up on links & will always prefer them

JohnMatthews

f22 wrote: »

Wouldn't agree with you there, get knee high in the rough and you won't even see a green for a few shots.

I think the knee high rough thing is a myth. I have played the majority of the best links courses in the last two years, very few have rough above the ankles.

It would slow down play as well as annoying the average golfer as he loses a ball ever other hole.

brianrcarney

links and gusting wind any day - i forget about technique or swing thoughts, pick a target and let her rip - way golf should be played!

SuprSi

I can play a links course when the wind isn't too bad, otherwise I suffer as I hit the ball quite high. To a lesser extent the same can be said about parkland courses but I have always preferred playing on them to links.

Mister Sifter

JohnMatthews wrote: »

I think the knee high rough thing is a myth. I have played the majority of the best links courses in the last two years, very few have rough above the ankles.

It would slow down play as well as annoying the average golfer as he loses a ball ever other hole.

I'm with F22 on this... stray at all with the driver on a links course and you're in trouble. Take Royal Dublin for example, a slight cut into the rough alongside the 7th or 8th and you're hacking out sideways and taking a double. Hit the same shot on your average parkland and you'll probably get away with it.

mag

JohnMatthews wrote: »

I think the knee high rough thing is a myth.

did you play the european club?

f22

Depends on where you are playing really. Portmarnock links this week was 7000 yards with a howling cross wind, you really had no choice but to take the driver out virtually everywhere. On a calm day it may be different, but those days are very seldom.

You really have to alter you game to the conditions and play shots you never have to play in parkland.

In terms of rough, not sure where you're playing lately but the countless guys searching for balls (including pros) didn't have the luxury of ankle high rough where I was.

Miley Byrne

JohnMatthews wrote: »

I think the knee high rough thing is a myth.

Try playing the Cashen in Ballybunion so. Their inter scratch cup is usually held on the Old Course but this year its was held on the Cashen. A yard off the fairway or behind the greens was crazy rough. Lucky to get any contact

sweetswing

Atlantic1 wrote: »

Just wondering how well those of you who normally play parkland courses get on when you take your game to the seaside..............

I play parkland normally but manage a fair bit of links golf during the summer. I seem to be able to manage one or two of the links courses ok but, generally, I struggle and leave the ProV1's at home.

Anyone else in the same boat?

i lost 6 balls in the first 5 holes in portmarnock a couple of weeks ago , i managed to steady the ship and finish out the round with my 7th . now i have only started playing links a short while but i find them much much harder ,almost a different game for me . here in ireland we are blessed with some of the best links , i had the pleasure of playing carne this year and my god what a track, i look forward to playing more of irelands beautys over the coming years

JohnMatthews

sweetswing wrote: »

i lost 6 balls in the first 5 holes in portmarnock a couple of weeks ago ,

What is the tax to play the old course these days?

f22

JohnMatthews wrote: »

What is the tax to play the old course these days?

e120 for the Winter, which is quite a liberty in my opinion. Realistically they don't really want greenfees.

JohnMatthews

f22 wrote: »

e120 for the Winter, which is quite a liberty in my opinion. Realistically they don't really want greenfees.

Yeah that is a bit steep alright, the place is full of retired doctors anyway.

You can play the hotel course for €40 midweek.

f22

JohnMatthews wrote: »

Yeah that is a bit steep alright, the place is full of retired doctors anyway.

You can play the hotel course for €40 midweek.

I agree, and e50 at the weekends. I thinks it's also a more challenging course too.

rafared

I always find that a good Tee shot is a must for good links golf. My home course is parkland and its possible to be wild off the tee and still play from the other fairway. Played Laytown and Bettystown this summer and the rough was very tough. The course was set up for their centenary year with long rough and narrow fairways. You could loose a ball every hole if your game was anyway off.:rolleyes:
My dads home course is Wicklow and it is very linksy in places. I play with him and some of his mates fairly often and they realy keep the ball in play.
Good links layers seem to hit a lower ball with a boring flight to keep it out of the wind and maximise roll on landing. They also are masters of the bump n run shot and will putt from well off the green if thats the correct shot.
Personally I prefare parkland golf but enjoy the challenge of links whenever I get the chance to play it.

Johnny_Fontane

my home course is parkland golf but played about 8 links rounds this year - I have a low boring ball flight on my driver and irons and am pretty straight so it very much suits my game. Ball runs for miles, its great. I also love the consistency of the sod when hitting iron shots. I tend to take large divots with irons on parkland but on links the ground doesnt allow this and for this reason I dont mis hit as many irons.

so yes, I play better on links than parkland -

Atlantic1

Thanks for all the replies. There's no links course in Co. Cork but I have friends who're members in Ballybunion, Ceann Sibéal, Tralee and Dooks so I get to play with them for around €25 per round on their courses. Great value considering the full green fee some of them charge.

Did you know that Ireland has 50 of the 151 true links courses in the world?

http://golf.suite101.com/article.cfm/links_golf_and_irelands_tradition

jimmystars

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

. I also love the consistency of the sod when hitting iron shots. I tend to take large divots with irons on parkland but on links the ground doesnt allow this and for this reason I dont mis hit as many irons.
-

I found this myself on my only outing on a links course. Almost feels like the ground has a spring under it and the ball fizzs of the club. Loved the feeling myself. Was thinking that as my playing partners i hacked balls out of the nearly waterlocked rough on my home course.
Have they brought in placing in the rough in any courses yet. Must be considered soon.

doc_17

I never play well when it's too windy or the rough is too high on a links. I love it when you can just bang it about on a wide open links course and go find it again! In gneral I'd prefer parkland and usually play better too, but then again I' a member of a parkland course.

Myksyk

Atlantic1 wrote: »

http://golf.suite101.com/article.cfm/links_golf_and_irelands_tradition

Not sure you can rely on that article. It says we have over 400 courses for our 12 million people!!! Didn't know there was over 8 million people living in Ulster!;)