What Type Of Golf Course Produces The Best Players?

There really is something about seeing the best golfers in the world struggle. For me it’s the humanisation of the golfing Gods, missing greens, three putting, taking numerous attempts to get out of greenside bunkers, they are just like us! It really isn’t often we see the pros struggle, so when they do, we remember it.

For example, this year's AIG Women’s Open put the women through their paces on what is arguably the most famous links, the Old Course at St Andrews. Severe winds and grey overcast skies made the already challenging course all that bit trickier.

Links golf courses are always fan favourites for big tournaments because of the guaranteed spectacle, but many of the world's best did not grow up getting to play what is considered the most challenging form of golf. 

Before we take a closer look at the type of golf course the cream of the professional crop honed their skills, here is a quick breakdown of the different types of golf courses and what type of challenges they present.

Parkland

The clue is in the name, a parkland course feels like a beautiful stroll through a park type area, with tree-lined, lush fairways and often many water features. Typically, to play well on a parkland course you need to keep the ball straight and out of the trees. The greens tend to be a touch softer, which lends them to golfers being able to attack the pin. 

I think we can all agree the most famous parkland course in the world, Augusta National, always makes for an exciting watch. Every year I can’t wait to see what small changes and tweaks the course architects have made to maintain its reputation as the toughest parkland course in golf.

Championship

In a nutshell, think Wentworth, a phenomenal golf course layout with long challenging holes. Every championship venue strives to create a course that will feel near to impossible to the average golfer. But the ambiance is so spectacular, from the clubhouse to the next level practice ground, you won’t mind feeling a bit of a fool, as it’s a great experience to just be there and be part of it. Championship venues make them a natural choice when it comes to hosting big tournaments.

Links

With the most famous links, The Old Course, dubbed as the Home of Golf, this is arguably golf in its truest and purest form. Links courses are laid out on the coastline and feature all that comes with being so close to the sea, rolling hills, sand dunes, rugged terrain, very few, if any trees, which makes you exposed to the elements, and the wind is always a key contributing factor when it comes to links golf. 

As the fairways are laid on sandy turf, this makes them firm and fast, and let’s not forget the pot bunkers and the damage they can do to a card, as well as the large, lightning fast greens. It’s this combination of challenges that makes links golf what many would consider the most challenging form to play.

Heathland

If a links golf course and a parkland course fell in love and had a baby, you would get a heathland. These courses are inland and can feature a great combination of the characteristics found on links and parkland, which is what makes them so entertaining to play. 

On a heathland course you can expect to be treated to sandy fairways, gorse, coarse, thick rough, undulating fairways and big challenging greens. Many of the UK’s best golf courses are heathland, such as Sunningdale and Woodhall Spa to name but two.

Sandbelt Courses

The Sandbelt region in Melbourne Australia is home to eight courses belonging to this category. The challenge of sandbelt golf can be found in navigating the undulating fairways, firm greens, and steep edged bunkers. The mild climate helps to maintain the playability of the courses to a consistently high standard all year round, thus making them an ideal place to host prestigious events. Royal Melbourne is considered the cream of the crop.

Short Courses 

Shorter and par-3 courses are often public/municipal courses, meaning you don’t have to have a formal membership or be the guest of a member to play. Or they are found as an additional course at championship venues. They come in the style of any course type, but the layout is a shortened version and the holes will be primarily made up of par-3s. They are a great test of golf and will certainly put you through your paces with the shorter clubs in hand.

Now let’s get back to the business of looking at where a selective few of the best players started out…

Just from the above small sampling, many of the best players started out on parkland courses, which isn’t too surprising as it is the most common course type across Europe and America. Parklands also lend themselves to juniors starting out playing the game as they tend to be slightly shorter which is ideal for little legs and reward accuracy and keeping it in play.

When I have asked the question to fellow industry colleagues, “What type of golf course produces the best golfers,” the answer is always a very definitive, “Links”. And it will be followed up with claims along the lines of; links produce the best ball strikers, links create the most versatile players, the best putters, the list of skills people attribute are endless. But with only 247 true links courses in the world, according to the Links Association, with 85% of these being found in the UK, the odds of starting out at one are unlikely.

While there is no doubt some world class golfers started out on links courses, like Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen, the skills of playing quality links golf can be developed and learned and that it is actually far more important to be at a club that is welcoming, friendly and encouraging that matters the most when it comes to fostering world class talent.

I could never claim to be anywhere close to being a world class talent, but I did play to a high level as an amateur. I started out on a small parkland course surrounded by chimney pots, a shout out to Upton-by-Chester. I could walk there from home, and the layout of the course lent itself to being played in multiple hole combinations, so regardless of available time, I could always fit in some golf. Looking back now. I wasn’t the only good golfer this small gem produced from the late 90’s era, many juniors went on to play to a high level or become PGA professionals.

With years of coaching experience under my belt, I believe more than ever that Matthew Syed’s book, Bounce, The Myth of Talent, and the Power of Practice is spot on when he writes that having the right opportunities and environment to flourish is what matters, along with some circumstantial timing and luck. 

So often golf clubs go through eras of strong junior talent development, having other children to compete against and play with really makes all the difference. Just take where Tiger Woods started out, the course was by no means the best, but his work ethic and access to the course are what made him a super star. 

So wherever you find yourself at the beginning of your golfing journey, it's far more important to make the most of where you are and have your sights set on where you want to go.