| Free Golf Tips on Playing Links Courses |
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Links Golf Courses lie on often-remote stretches of land close to the sea. Playing a links is an exhilarating but demanding experience. You are exposed to extreme weather conditions and usually play in winds far stronger than you experience inland.
From a distance such a course looks flat and quite featureless, but once you set foot on a links you discover the ground is a mass of humps and hollows – many of the tee shots you face are semi-blind.
Hard, fast-running fairways can cause the occasional unpredictable bounce. Your ball may shoot forward on the first bounce, while the same shot pitching into a hump stops quickly. If you’re very unfortunate a ball flying down the middle of the fairway kicks into the rough.
The short grass and closely mown fairways on a links course can remove some of the fear from your mid-range approach shots to the green. A crisply struck iron shot generates a great deal of backspin because very little grass comes between the clubface and the ball at impact. |
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| Watch the wind |
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| Strong wind is an important feature of links golf, so make sure you use it to your advantage whenever possible. Try to forget the distance you usually hit the ball – wind drastically alters your normal club selection. |
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| Into the wind |
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| Demands a precise strike. Always take plenty of club and swing shorter than normal. A three-quarter shot helps you hit the ball lower to give you more control in the wind. Remember that playing into the wind exaggerates the spin off the links turf and you can stop the ball even on firm greens. |
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| Wind behind |
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Should encourage you to hit the ball higher to gain maximum distance on the shot. With luck you can reduce long par fives to a comfortable four strokes and for birdies on par fours. Downwind it’s difficult to put enough backspin on the ball to pitch and stop it neatly on the green. Take less club, swing smoothly and let the wind carry the ball well short of the green and expect plenty of run on the shot.
Cross winds force you to aim way off line and allow the ball to be blown back on target. Depending on the strength and direction of the wind, select a spot to one side and set up to hit the ball straight at it. Swing normally and let the wind do the rest. |
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| Short Game Strategy |
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Many golfers forget that wind affects the short game as well as the longer shots. This is especially true on a links course.
When you chip from close to the green your main thought must be to keep the ball near the ground. A low pitch and run is always a safer shot when in wind than a high lob. A seven iron is the ideal club for the shot. The ball runs twice the distance it travels in the air, so select an area to pitch the ball on a visualise it running up towards the hole.
Grip down the club and position the ball towards the centre of your stance. Swing the club as you do with a long putt – the arms moving back and through together with very little wrist break. Make sure you keep your hands ahead of the ball throughout to promote a crisp strike.
Bear in mind that a long putt on a large sloping links green can often take two or three different breaks. It’s important to study the slope of the green carefully. Look at a putt along the ball-to-target line and then from side on to give you a better perspective. Wind also affects the roll of the ball.
Set yourself realistic goals – occasionally a long putt drops but you should never be disappointed to get you down in two strokes. |
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| Deep Trouble |
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Bunkers are hard to spot in the humps and hollows of a links course and devilishly difficult to escape from. A yardage chart comes in useful if you’re not familiar with the course – it can perform the role of an experienced caddie.
Study the chart and lay up short of bunkers if necessary. Don’t take risks – it’s fine to sacrifice distance particularly if it keeps you on the fairway.
When you land in a fairway bunker it’s unlikely you have a direct route to the green – concentrate on making sure your next shot isn’t from the same spot. The powdery fine sand is perfect for the high splash shot. Open your stance and keep the clubface open. Swing long and smooth on an out-to-in path.
Huge sandy dunes are punishing hazards that surround many fairways and greens. You’re bound to be faced with an awkward stance and the thick, wiry grass doesn’t let go of your ball easily.
Play your recovery with a sand wedge and grip the club tight. It’s difficult to achieve any distance, so don’t be too ambitious with your escape.
We hope these free online tips help when you play a Links course in the UK or Ireland. |
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| Read our Golf Tip for playing in the rain. |
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| Why not have a look at our golfing packages in the UK and Ireland and see what suits you best? Just click here |
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