Golfers should use these 5 tips when playing links for first time

Playing links golf in Ireland or the United Kingdom is unlike any other golfing experience, one that every golfer should try and do at least once in their lifetime.

Call it a pilgrimage of sorts.

I recently took this otherworldly voyage to Ireland to play links golf for the first time. I played two fantastic links in County Louth—just north of Dublin—and three breathtaking courses in Northern Ireland, including Royal County Down, which will host the Irish Open in September. Each course offered spectacular vistas and a stern challenge, and we received tremendous hospitality only found on the Emerald Isle.

But boy, did I struggle. And this is coming from a single-digit handicap who routinely shoots in the mid-to-high-70s. I have had the good fortune of playing a few top 100 courses in the United States, some of which have hosted the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, or even the Ryder Cup—shoutout to Oak Hill and Bethpage Black. Yet nothing in the U.S. compares to the links-style courses beside the sea in the British Isles. Wind and rain can certainly play a factor, and most often do. But the different grasses and the notorious pot bunkers that swallow any misfire stumped me all week, too.

So, based on my experience, here are five tips—with a few anecdotes sprinkled in between—that will help golfers playing links golf in Britain and Ireland for the first time:

5. Pack rain gear in your bag and bring extra gloves

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You never know when the rain will blow in off the sea when playing links golf. Look no further than this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon, which saw blustery and wet weather turn Saturday’s third round into a fight for survival. It made the pros look like amateurs, a welcome sight for those watching at home but a horror show for those in the thick of it.

Nevertheless, the same applies to Ireland, and I unfortunately experienced it firsthand at Ardglass.

Ardglass Golf Club is an absolute gem in County Down in Northern Ireland that touts itself as having the oldest clubhouse in the world—a castle-like fortress built in 1405. The course sits right along the coast, exposing all 18 holes to Mother Nature. But each hole has some of the most picturesque holes I have ever seen. Every single one has a spectacular view until a “Shark” roars in off the coast.

Our caddy, Daniel, the brother of Ardglass Head Pro Paul Vaughan, explained to us how the rain comes off the sea so quickly that it attacks you like a shark. Hence, these quick, breezy, and torrential downpours take after the sea’s most famous predator.

So, our first ‘Shark-attack’ came on, what I would argue, the most challenging hole on the course: the downhill, 195-yard par-3 12th. The green is exposed to the sea and guarded by bunkers on the left and right. The wind wreaks havoc here, too, and it undoubtedly did during this brief monsoon.

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

After putting on my rain gear and sheltering under my umbrella, it was my turn to hit. I pulled a 4-iron, which is my 210-yard club. But this tee ball did not go anywhere close to 210, let alone anywhere near the green. It was a sharp, drastic duck-hook—a right angle that started left and continued in that direction. The clubface had completely closed in my slippery hands because I did not have any rain gloves.

Luckily, my ball was findable, and I salvaged a bogey four, but I will never forget to bring rain gloves and rain pants to Ireland again. You always need them because you never know when Mother Nature will strike, even on a sunny day.

And… always put them in a convenient, easily accessible location in your bag. Ruffling through your bag for your rain gear in a driving downpour does no good.

4. Buy a yardage book if available

PGA Tour pros use their yardage books everywhere, referencing their notes, slopes, and sightlines to get around a course every week. Yardage books assist the pros, and they help amateur players, too, especially on an unfamiliar layout in the British Isles.

If you are playing a course in Ireland, and if that course offers a yardage book, buy it. You will not regret it.

The book will help you get around the course and serve as a reflective keepsake for years to come. You can flip through all the holes you played, remembering both good shots and bad.

But during the round itself, it will guide you across the links, as many holes in the British Isles feature blind tee shots. Sometimes, you have no idea where to hit, and the yardage book can serve as your roadmap on where to play.

With that said, the unfortunate reality is that yardage books are a dying breed. Many golf courses in the United States and Europe have ditched yardage books altogether, instead opting for GPS technology in golf carts or mobile phones. Yardage books are sometimes expensive, costing the club a good chunk of change to produce. So it’s no wonder that most courses no longer have them, which is even more of a reason to buy one when you see it.

3. Avoid pot bunkers at all costs

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The pot bunkers scattered across the British Isles are little holes of hell, swallowing up any misfire, often leading to a bogey or worse. You have to avoid them, but if you fail to do so, good luck getting out.

On County Louth Golf Club’s par-5 2nd, an easy hole that moves gently from right to left, I found the devilish little trap that sits to the right of the fairway, 297 yards from the back tees. Two other bunkers lurk left, about 260 yards from the tips, which puts a premium on finding the short grass. Alas, I did not, leaving me with no choice but to chip out. I got out of there with a sand wedge, advancing the ball only about 40 yards, leaving myself with a short iron into this par-5 from about 160 yards.

Then, my third shot found the sand again, settling in one of the two pot bunkers that guard the front left part of this green. My round turned into an utter disaster right then and there. It took me FOUR tries to get out of that trap, pictured above, which left my tail between my legs as I walked off this birdieable hole—perhaps the easiest on the course—with a dreadful quadruple-bogey nine.

My problem was that my downswing was not steep enough, so I took too much sand, which did not elevate the ball above the riveted face. So, if you find yourself in a greenside pot bunker, try not to make the same mistake I did. Open your sand wedge as wide as possible, exposing the face to the sky. But do your best to generate a steep backswing, taking enough sand to keep it around the green but not too much to ruin your round. Of course, catching too much of the ball will lead you to send it into oblivion, 50 or 60 yards over the green. I did that at Seapoint Golf Links, the stunning step-brother that sits adjacent to County Louth, the following day. I walked away with an eight.

That said, avoiding these little baths of mischief is the prudent play. But all golfers, including Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, occasionally find themselves in a pot bunker. It happens. So when you are there, just do everything you can to get out, or a big number awaits.

2. Play the ball low, use the ground to your advantage

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Most American golf courses employ target tactics. You have to hit the ball into the fairway, avoiding deep rough and bunkers on either side. Or, sometimes, you must avoid water hazards, creeks, and ponds that sit between—or lie next to—you and your target. Then, you launch an iron or wedge onto the green, hoping it has enough spin to keep it on the putting surface.

This is a stark departure from how you play links golf in Ireland and the United Kingdom. You must play the ball low and keep your shot down to avoid the gusty winds, which often turn a 140-yard shot into a 180-yard prayer.

The turf in the British Isles differs significantly from the grass used by American golf courses. It’s primarily fescue grass, a firm surface that allows players to use the ground to their advantage.

The courses welcome that strategy, too. Large ponds and penalty areas do not exist. Instead, pot bunkers line the fairways and surround the greens, which appear pretty natural among the seaside topography. The contours, mounding, and slopes across the course are hazards in and of itself, another attribute not often seen in the United States.

With that said, a golfer can play a bump-and-run into seemingly every green, which invites lower shots. Higher flighted approaches can sometimes bounce a couple of times and skip over the green—like a ball ricocheting off concrete. That’s how firm some greens are in the British Isles. As a player who hits a higher ball flight, I experienced this firsthand numerous times.

So, how do you keep the ball down and hit a lower trajectory?

For starters, the best way to try and do this is to move the ball farther back in your stance while moving your hands slightly forward. Then, you should try to make your normal swing. It will feel weird at first and could lead to some nasty hooks, but you need to practice this shot. You can do so on the range at home before your trip or in the warmup session before your round. Either way, do not try to hit a lower-flighted approach without some practice.

When hitting the ball off the tee, I tend to tee the ball lower to avoid hitting a higher trajectory. I also try to hit a draw, bringing my swing path from the inside. A right-to-left ball flight has a much stronger trajectory that pierces the wind and rolls further. In my opinion, a low draw is the ideal shot shape for links golf.

Anything related to golf is much easier said than done, though. But it certainly does not hurt to try these tips before playing in Ireland.

1. Plan your trip well in advance

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

Perhaps the most important tip about planning a golf trip to Ireland, Scotland, or England is to do so at least 12 months in advance.

So many of the top golf courses around Ireland have over 1,000 members, meaning they occupy most of the tee sheet on any given day. Irish clubs also do a remarkable job of incorporating the entire family. You will notice that men, women, and children of all ages will tee it up, a perfect metaphor for the inclusive culture that Ireland prides itself on. I was especially impressed with County Louth, as I saw children as young as five lug their golf bags all over the course all day.

As great as it is, the reality of having large memberships and a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere is that most clubs have limited tee times for guests throughout the day. You can play pretty much anywhere, as private clubs like we have in the United States do not exist. But you must plan ahead because those guest tee times are so valuable and limited in quantity. I would strongly encourage calling the pro shop one year from when you want to play or contacting Golf Ireland.

So, cheers to your first links golf experience. You will have the time of your life and take home memories that will last forever.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.