Strategic, yet beautiful! These three words are sufficient to explain the golf courses. Undoubtedly, golf courses are one of the most important things about the game of golf, and the link courses are a prime example. The Open Championship’s home has always been Britain’s best link courses in the world, some of them going back to as old as five hundred years. With this year’s Open Championship set to take off from July 28 to 21, at the Royal Troon, you must be wondering what is so special about this one. Well, see for yourself!

How do Link Courses make The Open even better? 

Whether it is the wind or the lack of trees, all these courses have something in common with each other. The Open Championship and Links courses are like two old friends and have been inseparable since. Golf played on link courses is defined as the “purest” form of the sport, and the British Open is a celebration of the history and connection. 

Imagine playing golf on a course that’s been shaped by the forces of nature. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it is. The golfers have to overcome natural roadblocks like the wind, the rain, and the unpredictable terrain. These challenges demand the golfer to play strategically. The players have to be careful of the bunkers as well. Bunkers are like dangerous traps that can catch you off guard. The famous pot bunkers at St. Andrews are super tricky and can be really hard to get out of, but some players have proved otherwise!

These legendary courses have seen some of the best players win the British Open since its inception. For instance, Willie Park Snr. won the first Open back in 1860. After that, several players have proved themselves to be experts on complicated greens, some of them being Harry Vardon, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

The Open Championship has been played on links courses for over 150 years, and this tradition continues to this day. Some of the popular link courses to host the tournament are the Royal Troon, the Royal Portrush, and the Royal Liverpool. One must know what link courses are to better understand their specialties, so let’s move forward, shall we?

What are link courses?

Links courses are a unique type of golf course that first originated in Scotland. These courses are defined by the individuality of their locations, like coastal land, sandy soil, dunes, and wind, which are one of the reasons for the Open to be held there.

The link courses in Scotland, England, and Ireland are the ones to host the last of four majors every year. The Open Championship is currently played on a ‘rota’ or rotation on the ten out of fourteen golf courses. You might be wondering which course hosted the first Open Championship. Well, the answer is right here!

The first course to host the first British Open in 1860 was the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. The course is one of the four courses that do not host the tournament anymore. The club held the tournament for the next thirteen years, and after that, The Old Course at St. Andrews came into play, which has seen some epic golf action for six centuries. The Old Course is still hosting the game to this day; how amazing is that? With the tournament’s history going back centuries, it has seen the sport evolve for the better.

With players like Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler competing for the 2024 Claret Jug Trophy, who do you think will win the 2024 Open Championship? Do let us know in the comment section below!