Where the Game Was Born
Long before manicured fairways and cart paths, golf was played on linksland — the rumpled strips of sandy, dune-covered ground that link the beach to the fertile farmland inland. That soil was too sandy to farm but drained beautifully and grew hardy fescue grasses, which made it useless for crops and perfect for golf. Shepherds knocked stones into rabbit holes across it, and the game took shape.
The word itself comes from the Old English hlinc, meaning a ridge or rising ground. So “a links” literally names the terrain — which is why golfers say a round is played “on the links,” and why not every seaside course truly qualifies.
Why “links” is singular and plural
Because links describes the land, the word stays the same whether you mean one course or many — you play “a links” and you play “the links.” It is not short for anything, and it has nothing to do with holes being “linked” together, a common myth.
What Makes a Course a True Links
Plenty of courses sit by the water, but a genuine links has a specific recipe. The more of these boxes a course ticks, the more “linksy” it plays:
| Feature | What it looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sandy, seaside ground | Firm, fast, treeless | The ball bounces and runs — no soft landings |
| Wind | Near-constant, changing | Knocks down high shots; the course plays different every day |
| Pot bunkers | Deep, revetted, small | Steep faces often force a sideways escape |
| Undulating fescue fairways | Humps and hollows | Awkward lies and unpredictable bounces reward creativity |
| Large, firm greens | Open at the front | Invite a running approach instead of an aerial one |
Links vs Parkland — Two Different Games
The easiest way to understand links golf is to hold it against the style most Americans learn on: parkland golf — the tree-lined, green, inland course.
On a parkland course the turf is soft and lush, you fly the ball through the air to a receptive green, and trees frame every hole. On a links the turf is firm and fast, the wind is always a factor, there are almost no trees, and you win by playing low, running shots that use the slopes. One rewards a precise aerial game; the other rewards imagination and a flighted-down ball.
The Ground Game
This is the heart of links golf. Because the greens are firm and the wind swats high shots down, you can’t always fly the ball to the flag and expect it to stop. Instead you play the ground game — the bump-and-run, the low punch, landing the ball well short and letting the firm turf feed it toward the hole. A putter from 30 yards off the green is not a gimmick on a links; it’s often the smart shot.
That variety is exactly why links golf is so beloved: there is rarely one “correct” shot, and the same hole can ask for a wedge one day and a running 6-iron the next depending on the wind.
Where to Play the Famous Links
The great links are clustered in Scotland and Ireland — the Old Course at St Andrews (the home of golf), Royal Dornoch, Carnoustie, Royal County Down and Ballybunion. The Open Championship rotates among links such as Royal Birkdale, Muirfield and Royal Troon. In the United States the standout is Bandon Dunes in Oregon, a true links-style resort built on sandy ocean ground.
New to the terminology of the game? Brush up with our plain-English guides to golf scoring terms, what par means, and what a golf handicap is.