According to the list that The Links Association has put together, there are only 247 true links courses in the world. Of which 211 are in the British Isles.
PRETTIEST OPENING HOLE: Hole 1 at Doonbeg on the West coast of Ireland is rated as the prettiest opening hole in golf by CNNgo.com. It’s a 566 yards (518 meter) par 5. Doonbeg is one of 58 Irish true links golf courses on The Links Association’s list. (Photo: The Migrant Golfer)
The Links Association have used the British Golf Museum’s defintiion for their list:
«A golf links is a stretch of land near the coast characterised by undulating terrain, often associated with dunes, infertile sandy soil and indigenous grasses such as marram, sea lyme and the fescues and bents which, when properly managed, produce the fine textured, tight turf for which links are famed. The course rota used for the Open Championship is made up of Links golf courses».
Scotland (85 courses):
England (53 courses):
Ireland (58 courses):
Wales (15 courses):
Contintental Europe (14 courses):
Australia and New Zealand (16 courses):
North America (5 courses):
| Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Oregon) |
| Highland Links (9) (Massachussets) |
| Old Macdonald at Bandon Dunes (Oregon) |
| Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes (Oregon) |
| Cabot Links (Nova Scotia) |
Africa (1 course):
Humewood Golf Club (South Africa)
 THE ONLY TRUE LINKS IN AFRICA: Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth. Designed by golf course architect Colonel SV Hotchkin in 1929, and the host of five South African Open Championships. (Photo: The Migrant Golfer) |
You can discuss the list at The Links Association’s Facebook-page.