links
links
/lɪŋks/
A golf course built on coastal, sandy land with natural dunes and few trees.
A specific, traditional style of golf course. Many modern inland courses call themselves 'links' for marketing, but true links are coastal.
The story behind the word. In Anglo-Saxon times, 'hlinc' referred to the undulating sandy ridges that connected the sea to the arable farmland. Because this sandy soil was useless for agriculture, it was left wild. It became the perfect playground for early golfers, who used the natural dunes and hollows as their course.
Word relationships
- seaside course: Seaside course is a descriptive term, while links is the historical and geographic term.
- parkland course: A parkland course is built inland, featuring lush grass, mature trees, and artificial hazards.
Commonly confused with
- course: Course is any golf facility, while links is a specific geographic style of course.
Collocations
- links course
- coastal links
- traditional links
- play the links
Example sentences
- "The wind blew fresh off the sea, sweeping across the links with a salty tang." A classic description of a coastal course.
- "True links courses are found primarily in Scotland and Ireland, where the game was born." Discussing the origins of golf.
Memory hook
The links 'link' the sandy beach to the green farmland. Links link the land to the sea.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'hyperlinks' in computing or 'links' in a chain.
Fun facts
- Only about 1% of the world's golf courses are true geographic links courses.
Explore more words
Coastal, Boardwalk, free-range, authentic, mangrove, terrestrial
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.