Question, U.S. Scottish links courses?

[SuperDave]

I've watched my fair share of golf tournaments in Scotland (on tv, not in person). I watch the rounds, the shots and the roll that seems to go for miles. I want that. I know with that comes the difficulty of stopping the ball, but I just want the experience. So, my question is. Do we have anything close to those Scottish courses in the U.S. Thank you for reading.

[DaveP043]

I've played in Ireland and Scotland, and I really enjoy the different kind of challenge there.  From everything I've read, the geologic conditions that make those links special are pretty rare in the US.  I think they tried to get a similar feel at Chambers Bay, and I know Whistling Straits has a similar feel.  Maybe at Kiawah Island as well.  Beyond having the right soils, I think a part of it is public perception.  I think a great percentage of US golfers would really dislike the firmness and lack of bite around the greens, so a course that gets a reputation of "greens impossible to hold" would suffer for business.  We accept it if we go to Scotland, but not at home.  This is all to say that you should really try to find a way to go to Scotland or Ireland at least once in your life.  

[PlaidJacket]

Bandon Dunes. It's an incredible place. Lot's of guys around here have been. Including me.

[fozcycle]

There is a Pete Dye course in Lexington, KY (jusy 5 minutes from my Sister's home) that is a Links-style course..........very few trees and lots of windy conditions......This course was home to the Senior Tour back in the 1990's for 10 years.  Very affordable...$35 - $40 weekdays.

 

I play it every time I get to visit my sister. I shot a 43/43...86 in July this year.

[Kenny B]

Dave is correct in that there are plenty of courses around the US that try to emulate the links courses in Scotland and Ireland, but I think few can match them.  If you live in an area that has lots of trees, then the links style courses will be a real eye opener, especially when the wind is blowing.  There are lots of these types of courses out west, but I don't think the ground is close to what it's like in Scotland/Ireland, even Bandon Dunes.  I've played Bandon and it's fabulous, but I think the fairways are set up to be more like normal US courses.  If you want hard fast fairways, go to Scotland.

 

If you get a chance, go to Bandon Dunes.  You can fly there directly from Denver now.  The same architect that did Bandon Dunes, David McLay Kidd, has a new course called Gamble Sands,

 

http://gamblesands.com

 

It's out in the middle of nowhere along the Columbia River between Wenatchee and Spokane WA and they just opened a hotel.  It's supposed to be a very nice links course, but I haven't played it yet.  I'm hoping to make it there next month.

[DaveP043]

Dave is correct in that there are plenty of courses around the US that try to emulate the links courses in Scotland and Ireland, but I think few can match them.  If you live in an area that has lots of trees, then the links style courses will be a real eye opener, especially when the wind is blowing.  There are lots of these types of courses out west, but I don't think the ground is close to what it's like in Scotland/Ireland, even Bandon Dunes. 

Reading this just reminded me of playing at Kingsbarns, which is an outstanding, relatively new course close to St. Andrews, you see it at the Dunhill Cup every fall.  Its built in the links style, but the subsoils are simply not the same as a true links has.  Consequently, it plays differently.  Between the ground, and the design (fewer random bounces), I felt like the course played more "American" than most of the others we played.

[Kenny B]

Reading this just reminded me of playing at Kingsbarns, which is an outstanding, relatively new course close to St. Andrews, you see it at the Dunhill Cup every fall.  Its built in the links style, but the subsoils are simply not the same as a true links has.  Consequently, it plays differently.  Between the ground, and the design (fewer random bounces), I felt like the course played more "American" than most of the others we played.

Even out here on the desert courses, I don't see the roll like we see on the British links courses.  Maybe the course develops over time.  As an example, my home course is fairly new.  It was an old, short tree lined course originally, but was completely torn up and re-done.  Some big old trees were saved, but mostly it's open.  When it first opened about 20 years ago, the fairways were crap for several years.  Now they are fairly firm and we get quite a bit of roll, but not nearly like I see on the true links courses.  Might be really good in a hundred years!!  

[MmmmmmBuddy]

Dave is correct in that there are plenty of courses around the US that try to emulate the links courses in Scotland and Ireland, but I think few can match them.  If you live in an area that has lots of trees, then the links style courses will be a real eye opener, especially when the wind is blowing.  There are lots of these types of courses out west, but I don't think the ground is close to what it's like in Scotland/Ireland, even Bandon Dunes.  I've played Bandon and it's fabulous, but I think the fairways are set up to be more like normal US courses.  If you want hard fast fairways, go to Scotland.

 

If you get a chance, go to Bandon Dunes.  You can fly there directly from Denver now.  The same architect that did Bandon Dunes, David McLay Kidd, has a new course called Gamble Sands,

 

http://gamblesands.com

 

It's out in the middle of nowhere along the Columbia River between Wenatchee and Spokane WA and they just opened a hotel.  It's supposed to be a very nice links course, but I haven't played it yet.  I'm hoping to make it there next month.

 

Gamble Sands is on my list....  8 f'n hours is a long way to drive to play golf.....  Especially where there is literally NOTHING ELSE there.

[Kenny B]

Gamble Sands is on my list....  8 f'n hours is a long way to drive to play golf.....  Especially where there is literally NOTHING ELSE there.

Check out Desert Canyon in Orondo, and Bear Mountain Ranch outside Chelan, but don't play Bear Mountain if the wind is blowing!!

 

If you make the trip, let me know.  I may join you.

[AH1980MN]

How about the Crenshaw course out in NE?

[revkev]

Jack Nicole is built an homage to the Old Course in Orlando. The holes are the same but I'm going out on a limb and saying they don't play the same. I think there's a little difference in the soil and grasses between Scotland and central Florida.

 

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