A Friendly Guide to Exploring the World’s Greens
One of the most beautiful things about golf is that unlike tennis or basketball, our playing field is never standardized. Golf is played in nature, and nature offers incredible variety. Stepping onto a windswept coastal dune feels entirely different than teeing up in the middle of a lush forest or a rocky desert.
If you’ve mostly played your local municipal track, there is a whole world of golf architecture waiting for you to explore. Understanding the different types of golf courses isn’t just interesting trivia; it’s essential for planning golf trips and knowing how to adjust your game when you arrive.
Let’s explore the most common, and a few unique, types of courses you might encounter, along with a basic strategic guide for tackling them.
1. The Original: Links Courses
This is where it all began. True links golf is rare, accounting for less than 1% of the world’s courses, mostly found in the UK and Ireland.
- The Vibe: Ideally located on coastal land connecting the sea to arable farmland. The soil is sandy, draining quickly, making the ground firm and fast. You won’t find many trees, but you will find tall, whispy fescue grasses, deep “pot” bunkers, and plenty of wind.
- Famous Examples: The undisputed king is the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland. In the US, Bandon Dunes in Oregon offers a genuine links experience. Royal County Down in Northern Ireland offers breathtaking coastal views alongside brutal challenges.
- Strategic Guide: Forget the high, floating shot that lands softly. Links golf is played on the ground. The wind is often too strong for high flights. Accept that bounces won’t always be fair – it’s part of links golf’s charm. Embrace the “bump and run” shot around the greens. Putt from off the green whenever you can, and do whatever it takes to avoid those deep pot bunkers – they are often a one-shot penalty.
2. The Standard: Parkland Courses
If you grew up playing golf in America, this is likely what you know best.
- The Vibe: Imagine golf played in a beautiful, well-maintained park. These courses are situated inland, usually on rich soil. They feature lush, green fairways, manicured rough, and most importantly, lots of trees lining the holes. Greens are typically softer and receptive to high shots.
- Famous Examples: The most famous is arguably Augusta National, though you can’t play it. A stunning accessible example is Valderrama in Spain.
- Strategic Guide: Accuracy off the tee is paramount. The trees are the primary hazards; if you drive it into the woods, you are punching out sideways. Because the greens are softer, this is “aerial golf.” You can fly iron shots all the way to the pin and expect them to stop quickly.
3. The Hybrid: Heathland Courses
A beautiful blend that offers the best of both worlds, often found in Southern England.
- The Vibe: Inland courses built on sandy, acidic soil. They feel open like a links course, often bordered by purple heather, vibrant yellow gorse, and Scots pines. They drain well and play firm.
- Famous Examples: Sunningdale Golf Club and Walton Heath near London are spectacular examples.
- Strategic Guide: Similar to links, the ground is your friend here. The firm conditions reward strategic positioning over power. However, the primary defense is the heather. It looks pretty, but it is incredibly thick and grabby. If your ball lands in it, take your medicine and wedge it back to the fairway. Do not try to be a hero from the heather.
4. The Visual Stunner: Desert Courses
Popular in the American Southwest and the Middle East, these offer striking visual contrasts.
- The Vibe: Picture brilliant green ribbons of fairway zigzagging through harsh desert landscapes of sand, rock, and cacti.
- Famous Examples: TPC Scottsdale, home of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and the ultra-exclusive Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. Emirates Golf Club in Dubai pioneered Middle Eastern golf.
- Strategic Guide: This is “target golf” in its purest form. There is very little playable rough. You either hit the green grass, or you are in the desert waste area, which is usually unplayable. Accuracy is far more important than distance here. Bring plenty of extra golf balls!
5. The High Life: Mountain Courses
Be prepared for breathtaking views and tricky club selections. Thinner air means shots fly farther, while slopes create uneven lies and challenging approaches.
- The Vibe: Carved into rugged terrain with significant elevation changes. You’ll encounter uneven lies, dramatic uphill and downhill shots, and often, incredible scenery.
- Famous Examples: The Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada is iconic, while The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs delivers high-altitude challenges.
- Strategic Guide: The biggest challenge is trusting your yardage – every 1,000 feet of elevation adds roughly 2% distance. Furthermore, shots played severely downhill will fly even further, while uphill shots require significantly more club. Pack layers since mountain weather changes rapidly. A good rangefinder with slope adjustment is incredibly helpful here.
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A Note on Designations
You will also hear terms that describe the purpose of a course rather than its geography:
- Championship Courses: These are designed to challenge the best players in the world with extreme length, strategic hazards, deep rough, fast greens, and demanding shot-making. Pebble Beach combines coastal links with championship difficulty, while Bethpage Black offers a brutal public golf experience.
- Executive and Par-3 Courses: Don’t overlook shorter courses! Executive courses (usually par 60-65) and par-3 layouts offer excellent practice opportunities, faster rounds, and family-friendly golf. They’re perfect for beginners, working on your short game, or squeezing in golf when time is limited.
- Resort Courses: Designed for vacation golf. They emphasize fun and speed of play, usually featuring wider fairways, larger greens, and less punishing hazards.
The Future of Course Design
Speaking of unique designs, technology is changing how we view golf architecture. We are now seeing incredible concepts born entirely digitally. You really should check out our fascinating articles about AI-generated versions of several types of golf courses in our Longer Reads section in the menu at the top of this page. It’s a glimpse into the future of golf imagination!
Ready to Conquer These Courses?
Exploring different types of golf courses keeps the game fresh and exciting. However, showing up to a Scottish links course with a Parkland mindset will lead to a frustrating day.
To truly enjoy these varied landscapes, you need a plan.
Don’t step onto the first tee unprepared. Request your Golf Course Intel Strategy Guide today. We can help you create a personal, hole-by-hole strategy tailored to your game and the specific type of course you are about to play.
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