Every golf course occupies a landscape, but the best courses are shaped by that landscape. The terms links, heathland, and parkland describe more than just the setting — they define the style of golf you'll play, the shots you'll need, and the way the course challenges your game.
Understanding these categories is the difference between showing up prepared and spending the first five holes wondering why your ball behaves so differently from home. Here's what every travelling golfer should know.
Links Golf: Where the Game Began
Links courses are the oldest form of golf course and the origin of the game itself. The word "links" comes from the Old English hlinc, meaning rising ground — the undulating, sandy terrain that connects the sea to more fertile farmland. In Scotland, Ireland, and parts of England, this was the land nobody could farm, so it became the land people played golf on.
What defines a links course
Links courses share several characteristics that set them apart from every other type:
- Coastal location — true links courses sit on sandy soil near the sea, often directly alongside the shoreline
- Natural terrain — the land was not bulldozed into shape; the dunes, hollows, and ridges were formed by wind and water over centuries
- Few trees — the exposed coastal environment means the wind is the primary defence, not tree-lined corridors
- Firm, fast turf — the sandy soil drains instantly, producing tight lies and fast-running fairways where the ball bounces and rolls unpredictably
- Pot bunkers — deep, steep-faced bunkers that penalise wayward shots severely
- Fescue rough — thick, wispy grass that swallows golf balls whole
What links golf demands
Playing links golf for the first time is humbling. The wind dictates everything. A 150-yard shot that's a comfortable 7-iron at your home course might be a punched 5-iron into a links headwind, or a soft wedge with a two-club tailwind. Ground-game shots — bump-and-run approaches, low stingers under the wind — are essential skills that many modern golfers never develop.
Where to play links golf
Links courses are concentrated along the coastlines of Scotland, Ireland, England, and a handful of locations worldwide where the terrain permits.
Scotland remains the spiritual home. The Old Course at St Andrews has been played for over 450 years and remains the most famous links on earth. Royal Dornoch in the Highlands offers raised plateau greens designed by Old Tom Morris. Carnoustie, where the Open Championship has produced some of its most dramatic finishes, is one of the sternest tests in links golf. Muirfield, Royal Troon, and Prestwick — where the first Open was held in 1860 — complete a Scottish links itinerary that could fill a lifetime.
Ireland is equally rich. Royal County Down, consistently ranked among the world's top courses, offers dramatic views of the Mountains of Mourne. Ballybunion Old Course on the Wild Atlantic Way is raw, natural links golf at its finest. Royal Portrush Dunluce Links, host of the 2019 Open Championship, is one of the most exhilarating courses in the game.
England contributes several exceptional links. Royal Birkdale and Royal St George's are Open Championship venues with distinct character. Royal Lytham & St Annes, unusually for a links, sits slightly inland but retains all the characteristics of true links turf.
Beyond the British Isles, authentic links-style courses exist at Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, Tara Iti in New Zealand, Bandon Dunes in Oregon, and Cabot Links in Nova Scotia — modern courses built on genuine linksland.
Heathland Golf: England's Inland Masterpiece
Heathland courses are the great inland counterpart to links golf. They developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries on the sandy, gorse-covered heaths south and west of London — and, later, on similar terrain in parts of Australia and continental Europe.
What defines a heathland course
- Sandy, well-drained soil — like links courses, heathland turf is firm and fast-running, unlike the softer ground of parkland courses
- Heather, gorse, and pine — the rough is punishing and visually distinctive, with purple heather in late summer creating one of the most beautiful settings in golf
- Undulating but not dramatic — the terrain rolls gently rather than featuring the severe dunes of a links course
- Strategic bunkering — heathland architects like Harry Colt and Herbert Fowler were masters of placing bunkers to challenge decision-making
- Defined corridors — fairways are typically framed by heather and gorse, creating natural boundaries without the claustrophobia of tree-lined parkland
The heathland belt
The stretch of sandy heath running through Surrey, Berkshire, and Hampshire — roughly 30 miles south-west of central London — contains the highest concentration of quality heathland courses anywhere in the world.
Sunningdale Old Course, designed by Willie Park Jr and refined by Harry Colt in 1901, is often considered the finest inland course in England. Walton Heath Old Course, built by Herbert Fowler in 1904, hosted the Ryder Cup in 1981 and offers expansive views across the Surrey Downs. Swinley Forest, Colt's personal favourite among his designs (1910), is a private club that accepts limited visitors. Woodhall Spa Hotchkin Course, in Lincolnshire rather than the London heathland belt, features some of the deepest bunkers in English golf — some large enough to lose a small car in.
Beyond England, Golf de Morfontaine near Paris, designed by Tom Simpson in 1913, is a heathland masterpiece consistently ranked among the best courses in continental Europe. In Australia, Royal Melbourne West Course, designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1926, and Kingston Heath, with MacKenzie's bunkering added to Dan Soutar's original 1925 routing, demonstrate how heathland principles translate beautifully to the Melbourne Sandbelt.
Playing heathland golf
Heathland golf rewards accuracy more than distance. The penalty for missing a fairway into heather or gorse is usually a dropped shot — the ball is either lost or unplayable. Position off the tee matters enormously, and the best heathland courses present genuine strategic choices: a shorter, safer line versus a longer, riskier one that opens up a better angle to the green.
Parkland Golf: The Most Common Canvas
Parkland courses are what most golfers picture when they think of a golf course: lush, green, tree-lined fairways with soft turf, defined landing areas, and manicured conditions. The majority of courses worldwide are parkland layouts — they can be built almost anywhere with enough land and water.
What defines a parkland course
- Trees — mature trees frame most holes, creating corridors and demanding accuracy and shot shaping
- Soft, irrigated turf — the ball sits up on the fairway, and approaches tend to stop more quickly on greens
- Water features — lakes, ponds, and streams are often designed into the layout as hazards
- More predictable conditions — less wind exposure and more consistent lies than links or heathland courses
- Elevation changes — many parkland courses use terrain for visual drama and strategic interest
Where parkland golf excels
The best parkland courses are spectacular. Augusta National, though famously private, demonstrates what's possible when vast resources are applied to parkland design. Wentworth West Course, home of the BMW PGA Championship, is one of England's most recognisable parkland layouts, redesigned by Ernie Els in 2010. Adare Manor in Ireland, rebuilt by Tom Fazio for the 2027 Ryder Cup, is among Europe's most impressive resort parkland courses.
In France, Le Golf National Albatros Course, host of the 2018 Ryder Cup, proved that purpose-built parkland courses can produce extraordinary theatre. Gleneagles King's Course, designed by James Braid in 1919 in the Scottish Highlands, blends parkland characteristics with mountain scenery.
In the United States, parkland courses dominate. Pinehurst No. 2, Donald Ross's masterpiece from 1907, sits on sandy soil in North Carolina's Sandhills — technically closer to heathland in character, but typically classified as parkland. TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course with its island-green 17th is perhaps the most photographed parkland hole in golf.
Playing parkland golf
Parkland golf favours a different skill set from links. Aerial approach shots — high, soft-landing irons and wedges — are the standard. Distance control is paramount because you're generally stopping the ball on the green rather than running it in. Course management revolves around tree placement and water hazards rather than wind patterns.
Beyond the Big Three: Other Course Types
While links, heathland, and parkland cover most courses, several other types are worth knowing.
Desert courses occupy arid landscapes in the American Southwest, the Middle East, and North Africa. Emirates Golf Club Majlis Course in Dubai and Wolf Creek in Nevada are striking examples — lush green fairways carved through dramatic desert terrain.
Coastal courses sit near the sea but lack the sandy linksland characteristics. Pebble Beach in California, Cape Kidnappers in New Zealand, and Kauri Cliffs are among the world's most spectacular coastal layouts. The ocean views are breathtaking, but the turf is typically closer to parkland than links.
Tropical courses thrive in warm, humid climates across Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. Nirwana Bali in Indonesia and Sandy Lane Green Monkey in Barbados combine golf with resort-style luxury.
Mountain courses use dramatic elevation changes for visual impact. Chapelco in Patagonia, designed by Jack Nicklaus, offers golf against a backdrop of the Andes.
How Course Type Should Influence Your Trip Planning
Knowing what type of course you're heading to changes how you prepare:
- For links golf, bring a low-trajectory game. Pack waterproofs and layers regardless of the forecast. Expect firm, bouncy conditions. Leave the lob wedge at home and bring a utility iron for running approach shots.
- For heathland, prioritise accuracy off the tee. A 3-wood that finds the fairway is worth more than a driver that drifts into heather. Study the bunkering — heathland bunkers are placed to catch the exact shot you want to hit.
- For parkland, play your normal game. Focus on distance control with approach shots, and expect softer conditions after rain. Shape shots around trees, and respect water hazards that can turn a birdie hole into a double bogey.
The best golf trips combine multiple types. A week in England could take you from the links of Royal Birkdale to the heathland of Sunningdale to the parkland of Wentworth — three fundamentally different tests of golf within a few hours of each other.
Understanding these differences doesn't just make you a better-prepared traveller — it makes you a more complete golfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between links and coastal golf?
Links courses are built on linksland — the sandy, undulating terrain between the sea and agricultural land. Coastal courses sit near the ocean but may be built on any type of soil and terrain. A course like Pebble Beach is coastal but not links; Royal Dornoch is both coastal and links.
Can you build a links course anywhere?
Strictly speaking, true linksland only occurs naturally along certain coastlines. However, modern architects have created courses with links characteristics on suitable sandy terrain worldwide — Barnbougle Dunes in Australia and Sand Valley in Wisconsin are excellent examples.
Which course type is hardest?
Links golf is generally considered the most challenging for golfers who haven't experienced it, primarily because of the wind factor and the unfamiliar ground game. Heathland courses punish inaccuracy severely. Parkland courses tend to be the most familiar and forgiving for regular club golfers.
Where is the best heathland golf?
The highest concentration of quality heathland courses is in the Surrey-Berkshire-Hampshire region south-west of London, including Sunningdale, Walton Heath, Swinley Forest, and Woodhall Spa. The Melbourne Sandbelt in Australia — Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath — rivals this cluster.
