Playing here again on Friday...

[ManchesterGolfer]

...Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club - History

This is one of my favorite courses, a true links course which neighbours Royal Birkdale. The Ryder cup was played here in 1933 & 1937 if only they had some more land they could stretch it out and play it again one day.

It's great to play this kind of course at this time of year. Half price green fees & there built on Sand based land so the drainage is superb meaning your ball lands & runs out as though it's summer! If you get a crisp winter's mornin' your in for a treat!

Here's some pics from my last visit.

Just before the Sun disapeared over the dunes.



It'll be dark in ten!!!



A real links train goes past.

[flomarilius]

Manchester I have a question for you. Is it just me or does the TV not reflect the true beauty of the golf courses across the pond? For some reason all the courses look like they have no rough, the only rough are 3 foot weeds. I would love to play a course like that someday!

[SiberianDVM]

What's the weather across the pond right now? It was 21°F here in Augusta this morning!!!!

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by flomarilius

Manchester I have a question for you. Is it just me or does the TV not reflect the true beauty of the golf courses across the pond? For some reason all the courses look like they have no rough, the only rough are 3 foot weeds. I would love to play a course like that someday!

I supose you only get to see a links course when the Open is on? Links courses look there best in Spring & Autum, look nice in Winter but in summer the fairways get scorched in the sun as we don't have irragtion for fairways (at most courses) & the rough gets trampled down pretty bad by spectators. When you see the world match play at Wentworth in autum that looks superb, apart from the weather!!!

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by SiberianDVM

What's the weather across the pond right now? It was 21°F here in Augusta this morning!!!!

Superb!!! For the past week or so it's been settled Winter weather. Very cold over night leading to a ground frost but climbing up from 0 to 7*C. No Wind or rain at the moment, real crisp Winter mornings!

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by flomarilius

Manchester I have a question for you. Is it just me or does the TV not reflect the true beauty of the golf courses across the pond? For some reason all the courses look like they have no rough, the only rough are 3 foot weeds. I would love to play a course like that someday!

Many of the courses in Scotland were exactly like that. Tee shots went one of four places:

1. Short grass
2. Bunker
3. 1-3 feet tall fescue, i.e. a lost ball
4. Gorse

Number one was the preferred option ().

There really wasn't "rough" the way we think of rough over here. There was rough bordering the greens, but not on the fairways.

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by Eracer

Many of the courses in Scotland were exactly like that. Tee shots went one of four places:

1. Short grass
2. Bunker
3. 1-3 feet tall fescue, i.e. a lost ball
4. Gorse

Number one was the preferred option ().

There really wasn't "rough" the way we think of rough over here. There was rough bordering the greens, but not on the fairways.

The 'Rough' on a links course is more like straw, you can normally see your ball but the knee height grass wraps around the shaft and you normally don't get as far as you'd imagine. Our park land courses have more lush thick rough where your ball settles right down more like the stuff we see over your side of the pond.

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by ManchesterGolfer

The 'Rough' on a links course is more like straw, you can normally see your ball but the knee height grass wraps around the shaft and you normally don't get as far as you'd imagine. Our park land courses have more lush thick rough where your ball settles right down more like the stuff we see over your side of the pond.

Yeah, I didn't play any parkland or heathland courses while I was there.

The "straw" you speak of - that's fescue, right? Funny, I remember searching for many of my errant tee shots (you know, the ones blown offline by the 40mph "breezes") and never finding them. Bent the rules a lot, as I didn't fancy the idea of hitting three or four provisional balls into the same "straw".

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by Eracer

Yeah, I didn't play any parkland or heathland courses while I was there.

The "straw" you speak of - that's fescue, right? Funny, I remember searching for many of my errant tee shots (you know, the ones blown offline by the 40mph "breezes") and never finding them. Bent the rules a lot, as I didn't fancy the idea of hitting three or four provisional balls into the same "straw".

LOL, you must have played when it was very lush. Normally you can find your ball quite easily in the whispy stuff it's the heather & Gorse where it's reload time!

[SilverUberXeno]

Question: What defines a "links" course? I hear people talk about X course being a "real links course", but I never know what that means in comparison to other golf courses.

[xmasgolf]

Hi Manchester,? for you.I was wondering if you have played any course in Lincolnshire?I was born there and would like to hear ANYTHING about ANY golf courses there.Thanks

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by xmasgolf

Hi Manchester,? for you.I was wondering if you have played any course in Lincolnshire?I was born there and would like to hear ANYTHING about ANY golf courses there.Thanks

I played Forest Pines in October. It's near Brigg/Scun-thorpe. Very nice course, it's been called the Woburn of the North.

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by SilverUberXeno

Question: What defines a "links" course? I hear people talk about X course being a "real links course", but I never know what that means in comparison to other golf courses.

It's basically where a course is built on the sand dunes. So always sand based and normally right on the shore although Royal Lytham St.Annes is quite a way from the shore (but is built on old sand dunes).

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by SilverUberXeno

Question: What defines a "links" course? I hear people talk about X course being a "real links course", but I never know what that means in comparison to other golf courses.

1. You seldom see your tee shots land, and when you get to where you "think" the ball is, you see only grass, or gorse, or knee-high fescue that you didn't see from the tee box. The ball is 50 yards away, having kicked off one of the dozens of sidehill lies within view.

2. Bunkers so deep you could hide an Abrams tank in them, and still have room for an NBA player standing on the turret on lookout duty.

3. Wind that will have you playing five perfect 4 iron shots into a par 5.

4. Sun, rain, hail, sun, rain, hail...repeat.

5. Magnificent views.

6. 30 yard putts from in front of a green that are the right shot.

7. A tremendous appreciation for our friends across the pond who can master these devilish conditions.

[xmasgolf]

Originally Posted by ManchesterGolfer

I played Forest Pines in October. It's near Brigg/Scun-thorpe. Very nice course, it's been called the Woburn of the North.

Thanks so much for responding.Thing is...my wife and I are taking of a 20th. wedding anniversary trip and Lincolnshire came up.Never know........keep fingers crossed for me please