golf1804

many people believe that the word 'links' refers to the way the end of one golf hole defines the beginning of the next - rather like the links of a chain. this is not so but it actually comes from the Old English word 'hlinc' meaning a stretch of flat ground along the seashore. And that is exactly what it is like. Sea on one side, land on the other (often the houses on the edge of the town form the boundary). It is a naturally occurring terrain usually on a well drained sandy soil.

The parkland course on the other hand is 'purpose built' and is often much more hilly and varied in terrain than the links course. Also, the presence of trees offers a different kind of hazard from those found on a links. Each course has its own type of problems and challenges but the links course probably calls for rather more 'invention' or 'adaptation' in the way the shots are played.

Parkland courses are usually set in an area not infrequently wooded to some degree and often with heather, gorse, sand bunkers and sometimes water in the form of ponds or lakes. However, the main difference between links and parkland is that the latter is much more obviously manufactured. this is not said by way of criticism since inland courses by definition have to be manufactured. The quality of the course though is more to do with the skill of the designer and how much this "manufactured-ness" shows. The optimum use of the space available and the incorporation of existing natural features - woods, trees, water, ups and downs - are where the architect can bring his creative powers to bear.

A links course on the other hand is usually a much more rugged proposition. It's a completely natural setting - too 'natural' for some people - where the wind from the sea plays a much more prominent part in the game. The nature of the terrain forces you to adapt your shots to the prevailing conditions and the lie of the land. one great advantage though is that being on sandy soil it does tend to drain well and very quickly so the surface remains firm and playable all year round.

Nevertheless it is no place for the complaint 'It's not fair'. Life isn't fair on a links and you have to brace yourself for that. You could hit a perfect drive straight up the fairway only to have it finish up on a hanging lie with three huge bunkers between you and the green two hundred yards away.

The distances on your scorecard will be accurate but useless. I have played at Turnberry where one of the par threes is an eight iron in the morning but a three wood in the afternoon - and it was nothing to do with the port at lunch.

playing out of the rough is a different game; the whins and other grasses can twist your clubhead and make the ball behave in quite a different way when trying to chip on to the green from the rough. Don't expect to play to your handicap on your first visit to a links course - even in sunshine and no (apparent) wind. You need to be able to 'read' the elements and this comes only from experience. Why do you think so many canny golfers chip and run from so far off the green?

Unlike the parkland course where the course is manufactured, the links course demands that the shot is manufactured.

But all in all it's a great challenge - never the same from one day to the next. one compensation however for these difficulties is that you will not encounter many trees. Which brings us back to parkland golf.

Essentially, unlike the natural design of the links, this is down to the skill of the architect. Everybody accepts that golf courses are 'constructed' but the trick is to make them look as natural as possible and, in the case of some of the great inland courses, it works! It requires a number of criteria to be fulfilled: first and foremost it must be a challenge to the world's best - and must be accepted as such. It must have variety - every hole must be individual but the 'whole' must have a personality. It must be fair and not just playable by top championship players and, lastly, it must be aesthetically pleasing. Such a course would be Sunningdale - a club blessed with two of the great courses where every hole is a world unto itself. So whether your preference is for links or parkland I hope you manage to get the round you've dreamed about on the course of your choice.

Good golfing!

Peter makes playing golf more interesting by enlightening his readers with little known facts about the history of the game of golf. He also provides a feast of valuable golfing tips and online golf lessons all learnt from playing golf for five decades!

# posted by 26146 : 1:33 PM  0 comments

It has now been confirmed with scientists, meteorologists and climatologists that the Pacific ocean is heating up and we can expect El Nio season whether on the Pacific coast during the winter of 2006 and 2007. We all know that El Nio brings lots of rain to the West coast and can cause droughts in the Midwest.

This means that in the united States we need to be prepared. Places like california need to worry about their reservoirs, canals and dams. Those people that live in Malibu california will need to worry about landslides and those that live in low-lying areas will get some flooding this year.

El Nio also causes havoc for the Midwest and droughts can hurt crops such as corn to make ethanol and crops to feed livestock. Often it very much hurts our American farmers and those towns in Middle america. There is not much we can do now to change the coming El Nino trend, it is coming and we will have to deal with it once again.

El Nino can also be a problem as it causes vegitation to grow quickly and therefore it grows up tall, but then that means more to dry out later causing more fuel for late summer wildfires and the fire season that follows.

Some even believe that El Nino affects plate tectonics and can be at least a percentage of the cause of Earthquakes and shifts. So, El Nino is a force to be reckoned with and therefore we need to be prepared in advance in our civilization to handle Mother Natures normal climate shifts. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, washington

# posted by 26146 : 8:21 AM  0 comments