What is links golf? Open Championship style, pot bunkers and more, explained

Links golf is a staple of The Open Championship, but what does that mean? Explaining links golf, pot bunkers and more at the British Open. 

Golf fans who have been connected to the game for any extended period of time have certainly heard of links golf. It’s one of the oldest styles of play. With The Open Championship being played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club this week, though, we’re hearing even more about the style, which tends to happen at the British Open.

Because of fans just tuning into the majors or, perhaps, just never really figuring out the meaning of it, there have been questions about what exactly links golf is.

If you happen to be one of the golf fans tuning into The Open Championship wondering exactly what all this entails, pot bunkers and all, we have the answers for you.

What is links golf? Open Championship style, explained

Links golf refers to playing a links course, or at least a links-style golf course. The term is derived from the Old English word “hlinc”, which refers to the ridge-full and sandy areas found along the coast, particularly in Scotland where the game of golf was born.

Most true links courses are found in the United Kingdom, particularly in Scotland, England, and Ireland. True links golf is played on coastal courses where the soil is sandy and there are wispy vegetation areas that can be hazardous for players known as “goarse”. Wind also is usually a key factor in these courses, which plays into their positioning on the coast and can make for truly difficult conditions.

More importantly, perhaps, the style of play when it comes to a links course stands out. Rather than players playing through trees into flat-ish landing areas, links golf plays into numerous ridges and dunes throughout the course, which can cause the ball to bounce oddly and run out extremely far as well. It’s a true test of judging the bounces, playing smartly and adapting to different conditions, particularly when these courses are dry and really running in these hilly fairways.

Another key aspect often seen in true links golf courses is the pot bunkers. So what are they?

What are pot bunkers at The Open Championship in links golf?

Pot bunkers are one of the unique and beloved features of links golf. Different from American bunkers that we see most often on the PGA Tour and otherwise, pot bunkers tend to be substantially smaller and less sprawling while also being much deeper with high faces that can be a nightmare for players to clear.

Need an example? Here’s what trying to get out of pot bunkers can look like if a player ends up too close to the face of the bunker.

Players, to avoid compounding mistakes, can often be seen hitting backward out of these pot bunkers to just take their medicine and get a better lie.

Another key aspect of these hazards is the fact that the sand is often flat at the bottom of the bunker, meaning that players won’t have the help of an upslope or, contrarily, the hurt of a downslope in the sand. It’s all about the lie and the position in the bunker to depend on what a player can do — though the depth of some of these bunkers ultimately means that players are up a sh*t creek no matter where they end up in it.

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