Types of Golf Courses
Types of golf courses vary tremendously across the world, offering diverse challenges with gorgeous landscapes that enhance the excitement of the game.
For beginners entering the world of golf, understanding the distinct golf course types provides a foundation for appreciating the sport’s rich traditions and strategic elements.
From links courses along coastal shores to manicured parkland golf courses inland, each style presents unique playing conditions for golf enthusiasts of all skill levels.
In this article, we’ll examine the most popular four types of golf courses to help you better understand how to play each course and why they are so important to the fabric of this great game.
Links Golf Courses
Links courses represent the original form of golf course architecture, dating back to the sport’s origins in Scotland.
Historical Significance and Characteristics
Links golf emerged naturally on the coastal strips of land connecting the sea to arable farmland, known as “links land” or “rising ground.”
These areas featured sandy soil that drained well and supported strong grasses but were unsuitable for farming.
The Old Course at St. Andrews, widely considered the “most famous links course” in the world, exemplifies classic links design with its shared fairways, double greens, and challenging pot bunkers.
Other famous links include Royal Troon, Turnberry, and Carnoustie, which regularly host professional tournaments, including The Open Championship.
These courses feature minimal artificial landscaping, instead showcasing natural hazards, sand dunes, and coastal elements.
Playing Strategy on Links Courses
Links style golf requires creative shot-making and adaptability, especially when dealing with unpredictable weather at these coastal location venues.
The firm turf on links courses creates substantial roll after landing, requiring different calculations than on softer courses.
Most links courses feature strategically placed deep bunkers and undulating fairways that demand precise placement rather than simply maximum distance.
For many golf enthusiasts, experiencing true links style play represents a rite of passage to golf’s initial home, testing every aspect of a player’s skill and mental strength in ways that more manicured courses cannot.
Heathland and Parkland Courses
As golf expanded beyond coastal regions, two distinctive inland course styles emerged: heathland courses and parkland courses.
Each offers a unique playing experience while accommodating the geographical constraints of areas without coastal access.
Heathland Course Features
Heathland courses were developed primarily in England on elevated, well-draining terrain similar to links land but located further inland.
Sunningdale Golf Club near London stands as perhaps the most famous example of heathland design excellence.
These types of golf courses feature sandy terrain and limited tree coverage, predominantly pines, creating a distinctive aesthetic and playing experience.
The defining characteristic of heathland courses is the presence of heather and gorse, which create visually striking hazards that severely punish errant shots.
Alwoodley Golf Club in Yorkshire, designed by legendary course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie, exemplifies the allure of heathland design with its unique ground shaping and strategic bunkering.
Parkland Course Design and How to Play Them
Parkland golf courses represent the predominant style found throughout North America and much of continental Europe.
Characterized by lush conditions and tree lined fairways, parkland courses create a distinctly different challenge from links or heathland venues.
Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament, stands as the most famous parkland course in the world, known for its immaculate grounds and elevation changes that look incredible on television.
These types of golf courses typically feature more abundant water hazards, sculptured bunkers, and receptive greens compared to links designs.
The parkland layout emphasizes aerial approaches rather than ground game strategies, rewarding players who can accurately carry hazards and stop the ball quickly on greens.
Other famous parkland courses include Winged Foot, Oakland Hills, and Congressional, which regularly host major championships and PGA Tour events.
Desert and Sandbelt Courses
Beyond traditional course types, desert courses and sandbelt courses offer distinctive playing experiences that challenge golfers in unique environments while showcasing remarkable scenery and design innovation.
Desert Golf Experience
Desert golf courses create dramatic visual contrasts between arid wasteland and verdant playing surfaces.
Located in regions like Arizona, Dubai, and parts of Australia, these types of golf courses feature striking transitions between irrigated playing areas and natural desert landscapes.
TPC Scottsdale, host of the Phoenix Open, exemplifies modern desert courses with its strategic use of desert waste areas and mountain backdrops.
Pete Dye’s stadium courses in desert settings, like PGA West, incorporate amphitheater-style designs that combine tournament functionality with spectator viewing areas.
Sandbelt Region Courses
The Sandbelt courses near Melbourne, Australia, represent some of the world’s most respected designs.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club, widely considered Australia’s finest course, anchors this collection of exceptional venues built on a bed of sandy soil that provides ideal golfing terrain.
Kingston Heath Golf Club stands alongside Royal Melbourne as one of the world’s finest courses, showcasing brilliant bunkering and strategic design despite modest length by modern standards.
Executive and Championship Courses
Beyond geographical classifications, courses can be categorized by their intended purpose and difficulty, with executive courses and championship courses representing opposite ends of the spectrum.
Executive Course Benefits
Executive courses typically feature shorter layouts focusing on par 3s and par 4s, providing excellent venues for beginners and time-constrained players.
These short courses allow newer golfers to develop fundamentals without the intimidation of lengthy championship designs, like at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
These executive courses emphasize accuracy and short game skills rather than distance, making them ideal for players developing their approach play and putting.
Championship Course Challenges
Championship courses are specifically designed to test the world’s elite players, featuring strategic challenges, undulating greens, demanding carries, and precise landing areas.
Venues like Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits, and TPC courses in the Tournament Players Club course family combine stunning scenery with tough layouts that challenge every aspect of a player’s game.
These courses regularly host PGA Tour events and major championships, with designs that can be adjusted to create supremely difficult tests for professional golfers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of golf courses are there?
There are four main categories of golf courses: links courses, parkland courses, heathland courses, and desert courses, with additional classifications like sandbelt courses and executive courses.
Each type offers unique playing characteristics, typically ranging from traditional to modern designs.
These different types of golf venues showcase the sport’s versatility across various landscapes and climates.
What is the classification of a golf course?
Golf courses are classified primarily by their terrain, design philosophy, and location. Classifications include links courses, parkland golf courses, heathland courses, desert golf courses, and sandbelt courses.
They may also be categorized by difficulty or length, such as championship courses or executive courses. These classifications help golf enthusiasts choose venues that match their preferences and abilities.
What is a golf course with no trees called?
A golf course with virtually no trees and only natural hazards is typically a links course.
Traditional links style golf emerged on sandy soil near coastlines in Scotland, where trees couldn’t thrive in the harsh conditions.
Modern interpretations of treeless courses include some desert courses and minimalist designs at venues like Sand Valley.
Why is it called a links course?
The term “links” derives from Old English “hlinc” meaning rising ground or ridge. It describes the coastal land connecting the beach to farmable soil, where early Scottish golf courses were built on sandy terrain.
The unique landscape of sand dunes and natural hazards creates distinctive playing conditions. The Old Course at St. Andrews exemplifies this tradition as the most famous links course in the world.
What’s the difference between a links course and a regular course?
Links courses feature few trees, natural hazards, and firm turf, significantly affecting ball roll.
Regular courses, typically parkland courses, have hand-crafted tree lined fairways, softer conditions, and more manicured hazards like water hazards and deep bunkers.
Links golf emphasizes ground game strategies and wind management, while parkland layout designs reward precision and controlled approach shots to find the heart of the greens.