Ready to conquer the legendary links courses? Forget everything you think you know about golf because playing on an authentic links course is a whole different ball game. The golfer who tries to play it like their home course is in for a day of frustration. But don’t worry, with a few key adjustments, you can navigate these challenging courses and have the round of your life.
The Wind: Your New Playing Partner
It’s not your enemy, it’s your ball flight. One of the biggest challenges on links courses is the wind. Trying to hit your usual high, floating ball flight into a 25-mph crosswind (or any wind, for that matter) is a recipe for disaster.
So, what’s the solution? The knockdown shot. This is your secret weapon. Take one or two clubs more than you normally would, grip down an inch, position the ball back in your stance, and make a three-quarter swing with a shortened follow-through. The goal is a low, penetrating ball flight that cuts through the wind and releases forward upon landing. Practice this at home! Hit 50 knockdown 7-irons on the range until you feel comfortable. On a links course, this is your new stock shot. The golfer who can flight the ball low owns the links. The one who can’t will lose a dozen balls to gorse bushes and tall grass.
Forget Target Golf, Embrace Zones
At your home course, you probably aim at flags. You think in terms of precise yardages and landing spots. Links golf doesn’t work that way. The greens are massive, contoured, and usually very firm. The fairways may be twice as wide as you’re used to, but there are contours that funnel balls into terrible spots. You can’t fly it to a number and expect it to stop. The ball is going to bounce and roll, maybe 50 or more yards after it lands.
Instead of aiming at the pin, aim at zones. Where’s the widest part of the fairway? What side of the green gives me the easiest two-putt? If I miss, where’s the miss that still leaves me a chance? Links golf rewards strategic thinking over precise execution. The golfer who plays conservatively to the fat part of every green will shoot better than the one firing at tucked pins all day.
Embrace the Ground Game
On links courses, the turf around the greens is mowed tight. There’s no thick rough to worry about. That means when you’re 40, 60, or even more yards from the green, you can take a 7-iron or 8-iron, land the ball well short, and let it release up onto the putting surface.
This is golf the way it was played for hundreds of years before modern agronomy made soft greens possible. And honestly? It’s way easier than trying to hit a high lob wedge into the wind. Get comfortable hitting these running shots before your trip. Go to the chipping green, grab a mid-iron, and practice landing the ball on the fringe and letting it roll out. You’ll use this shot a dozen times per round and it will save you strokes.
Your Putter: The Ultimate Weapon
On a links course, you’ll putt from off the green more than you ever have in your life. Thirty feet off the green on a tight fairway? Putter. Fringe, fairway, even some light rough? Putter. The ground game applies to everything, and your putter is the most reliable club for keeping the ball low and controlling distance.
When in doubt, putt it. You’ll be shocked at how often this works.
Final Thoughts
Links golf isn’t harder than “regular” golf; it’s just different. The golfer who accepts that, adjusts their strategy, and leaves their ego in the clubhouse will have the round of their life. Stop trying to overpower it. Play smart, stay below the wind, and embrace the ground game. Learn to love the links.
What do you think? Do you agree with this approach to links golf? What strategies have worked best for you on these challenging courses? Share your thoughts in the comments below!