A Guide to Links Golf: Britain's Finest Coastal Courses

Links golf is the purest form of the game. Played on narrow strips of sandy ground between the sea and farmland, links courses offer conditions found nowhere else in golf — firm, fast, wind-battered, and utterly unpredictable. For many golfers, a trip to a great British links is the single best golf experience available anywhere in the world. Britain has more true links courses than any other country, with Scotland alone home to over 100 (Scottish Golf, 2024).

What Makes a Links Course Different from a Parkland Course?

The defining characteristics of a links course are physical and climatic, not aesthetic. Links land is sandy, fast-draining ground that sits between cultivated farmland and the sea. The word “links” itself derives from the Old English word for the ridges of sand dunes that form this terrain.

True links courses share several characteristics:

Coastal location — typically beside the sea, on sandy, fast-draining soil
Firm, fast fairways — the ground runs the ball, rewarding the bump-and-run approach
Unpredictable wind — often the most significant scoring factor
Minimal trees — open to the elements in every direction
Natural undulations — humps and hollows rather than manicured contours
Pot bunkers — deep, steep-sided, often with a vertical revetted face

By contrast, a parkland course is typically inland, tree-lined, with softer turf and a style that rewards aerial approaches to greens. Britain has approximately 1,800 golf courses (England Golf, 2024); fewer than 250 of these are genuine links.

Where Are the Best Links Courses in Scotland?

Scotland is home to the greatest concentration of links courses in the world. The Fife coast alone contains a remarkable cluster — the Old Course at St Andrews is the most famous golf course on Earth, but Royal Dornoch in the Highlands is regularly cited by professionals as the finest natural course anywhere. Tom Watson described Royal Dornoch as “the most natural golf course I have ever seen.”

For golfers with more modest budgets, Brora, Golspie, and Cruden Bay offer world-class links experiences for well under £70 per round.

Top Scottish links courses:

Old Course at St Andrews (ballot required; £195 per round in 2024)
Royal Dornoch (visitor fees from £85)
Carnoustie Championship Course (visitor fees from £145)
Royal Troon (Open rota course; visitor restrictions apply)
Turnberry Ailsa Course (from £300; one of the most dramatic settings in golf)

What Are the Best Links Courses in England?

While Scotland dominates in sheer numbers, England has some extraordinary links courses of its own. The Lancashire coast — Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Formby, and Hillside — forms one of the great golfing corridors in the world. Royal Birkdale has hosted the Open Championship nine times and is consistently ranked among the world’s top 25 courses.

Further north, the Northumberland coast offers exposed, traditional links golf at clubs including Bamburgh Castle and Seahouses, with views across to Holy Island (Lindisfarne). Rye Golf Club in East Sussex — private, old, and rarely discussed — is arguably England’s finest links and one of the most unusual courses in Britain.

Top English links courses:

Royal Birkdale (Southport, Lancashire) — nine Open Championships
Royal Lytham & St Annes (Blackpool) — eleven Open Championships; visitor-friendly
Formby Golf Club (Merseyside) — world-class and underrated
Royal St George’s (Sandwich, Kent) — regular Open venue; visitors welcome

Does Wales Have Good Links Golf?

Wales punches well above its weight for links golf. Royal Porthcawl on the south coast has hosted the Amateur Championship and is regarded as one of Britain’s top ten courses. Golf writer Tom Scott rated it “one of the twelve finest courses in the world.” It is one of the few seaside courses from which you can see the sea from every hole.

Aberdovey in Snowdonia, where architect Harry Colt described it as “the course that my heart loves best,” is a classic example of traditional Welsh links golf. The course sits at the mouth of the Dyfi estuary, between the coastal dunes and the Cambrian Mountains, and spans 6,454 yards.

Top Welsh links courses:

Royal Porthcawl (Glamorgan) — Wales’s finest links; Regular Amateur Championship venue
Aberdovey (Ceredigion) — classic Snowdonia links; 18 holes, 6,454 yards
Nefyn & District (Gwynedd) — spectacular cliff-top golf on the Llŷn Peninsula

How Do You Play Well on a Links Course?

Links golf demands a different mental approach from parkland golf. The ground is your ally — use it.

Embrace the bump-and-run: Don’t always reach for a wedge. A low running shot often beats a high approach on firm links turf. Many professionals advocate keeping the ball below knee height on links courses.
Allow for the wind: The crosswind especially must be factored into every shot, particularly when putting. A 10 mph crosswind typically moves a 7-iron shot 5–10 yards off line.
Stay low when the wind picks up: On exposed links, the ball in the air is at the weather’s mercy. Club down and punch it through the wind rather than against it.
Use the ground: The fairways are not your enemy — a good links course uses every bounce and roll.
Plan bogey, celebrate par: Links courses reward patience. Accept double bogeys from impossible lies and play for the hole rather than the shot.

Frequently Asked Questions About Links Golf

What is the difference between links and links-style golf? A true links course sits on natural linksland — sandy, coastal ground formed by glacial deposits. A “links-style” course is an inland design that mimics links aesthetics (open fairways, pot bunkers, no trees) but lacks the true sandy subsoil and coastal exposure that define genuine links conditions. Many American and Australian courses describe themselves as links-style; very few are authentic links.

Why is links golf considered harder than parkland golf? The wind is the primary challenge — it affects every shot on an exposed links, including putts. The firm, fast ground also removes the ability to stop the ball precisely with spin, demanding more creative shot-making. Handicappers typically score 3–6 shots worse on a links course in windy conditions compared to a sheltered parkland.

Which UK links course is best for beginners? Aberdovey in Wales and Brora in Scotland are both excellent starting points — outstanding links golf in a welcoming, unpretentious environment, with modest green fees and no requirement for a handicap certificate.

Are links courses more expensive than parkland courses? Top-tier links courses — Open rota venues especially — carry premium green fees (£150–£300+). But the majority of British links courses are no more expensive than a good parkland, and many in Scotland and Wales charge under £60 per round.

Find links courses near you on GeoGolf →