"And now, here's something we hope you'll really like!"......

[Southcitygolf]

Here are 11 (10 + Bonus) courses for you guys to check out. By no means is this a top-10 of what links has to offer, but just some crz's that came to mind when thinking of something for you guys to play while we wait for the U.S. Open. All the courses can be played at any speed. I'll be playing mc/fc but mc/mc should work for most all.
Have some fun with these courses and let us know if these were new to you, how did they play and if you enjoyed them.


(01) This first course gives you the visual your going to see with the two-tone fairways.

One South CC
by Michael Hamilton
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2050
Release Date: 2012-01-22 / FICTIONAL - TROPICAL
https://youtu.be/x9ouZOOGrUg
Appearance 7/10
The two-tone fairways are beautifully graduated - possibly the best I've seen of this particular design, and generally speaking the textures fade nicely into the background, which is really all you can ask of them.
Playability 6/10
Even on the first round, you'll appreciate some of the cleverness in this very understated design. There are very few in-your-face holes, barring the impressive 11th; the designer instead using clever pin locations and precisely-placed bunkers to provide the challenge.


(02) In course number 2 I give you the designer of Shinnecock Hills (also a two-tone course)

The Glen (two-tone)
by Robert Miller
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2130
Release Date: 2013-11-05 / FICTIONAL - LINKS
https://youtu.be/9rY-6DOUtxk
NOTE: The bundle contains two courses, one single toned fairway, and a two-tone fairway.
Playability 9/10
It's nice to see some restraint, and the few breather holes tucked in between the showboating ones are a welcome change. It's also a rare course where an extended trip to the bunkering can be said to be enjoyable! What I like most is the way the varying levels of rough have been judged and pitched - slightly off-line shots rarely get punished, but wild ones often do.
Challenge 8/10
At a fairly modest length and some eminently beatable Par 3s, The Glen should yield a few strokes each round. Sensible club selection off the tee will nearly always result in an easily approach for Par, given the relative lack of greenside hazards.


(03) This third course we find ourselves in Morocco, the name intrigued me and after playing, I fell in love. Fairways a little tight, but a great course.

Rabat Rouge
by Stephen Sullivan
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2270
Release Date: 2017-01-06 / FICTIONAL - WOODLAND
https://youtu.be/6sZ2BNIwHGg
Morocco’s King Hassan II – a real golf enthusiast – commissioned American-based architect Robert Trent Jones to design Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in the late 1960s on a massive 1,000-acre site located a mere fifteen minutes to the south of Rabat, Morocco’s Atlantic coast capital.
The result was that three layouts were carved out of the Zaers forest, creating one of the top golf venues in all of Africa. The 18-hole Red is the toughest of the three tracks at Dar Es Salam, measuring a whopping 7,372-yards with a par of 73


(04) We take a trip down under for this fourth course.

Wagga Wagga Country Club
by Wayne Hewitt
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=1448
Release Date:2004-05-28 / REAL - PARKLAND
https://youtu.be/3UixK6t2OYA
Please read the Links Corner Review from the download page. Great story about the course.
'The course is a real course situated in the city of Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It is also my home course.
The Course
Situated on the banks of Lake Albert, the course is fully watered with Kikuyu fairways and Bent greens. It is flat to undulating with a variety of established native and European trees and scrub. A tight championship layout. Rated in Top 100 country courses in Aust. by Golf Digest.


(05) I was checking designers to make sure I had all their courses. Saw this one. Played it. Kept it lol
Paul is a exceptional designer and this was the last course he released.

Llyn Pythmebyon ALPHA
by Paul Seaman
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2210
Release Date: 2014-09-21 / FICTIONAL - PARKLAND
https://youtu.be/sX6RJEisNoY
***SCG - Note It's a beautiful course but it did crash twice in the making of this video. Once 2nd shot, first hole and the second crash off the 9th hole tee. not too bad. It IS a ALPHA course. Have to test it sometime. ;-))
His other courses include, Dullatur Antonine 2005, Black Rose Valley, Adams Tree, Candlestick Blue, Wraith Canyon, Bardgate House Golf Club, Duine Mara, Carlyon Lakes 2012
A great course designer and really, all these courses deserve a place on your PC.


(06) Go figure my only Sage Vanni on the list. Outstanding work building this course. All the bells and whistles. Best of all, fun to play.

Sequoyah National Golf Club
by Sage Vanni
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2764
Release Date: 2023-09-02 / REAL - WOODLAND
https://youtu.be/XuV9y-vFXWM
Sequoyah National Golf Club is located 45 minutes west of Asheville, North Carolina in Cherokee nestled among the oak, fir and flowered valleys in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Owned by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, this Robert Trent Jones II design is open to the public and offers golfers an idyllic 18 hole journey, filled with panoramic vistas on every hole, beautiful landscapes and a fun mountain golf experience. Hope everyone enjoys..........Sage


(07) We jet off to Spain for number seven. Not the hardest course. Your on vacation, relax ;-))

Real Club de Golf Campoamor 2011
by Mark Austin/Stephen Sullivan
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=1997
Release Date: 2011-03-30 / REAL - WOODLAND
https://youtu.be/_S8cgmBhyLg
A 6800 yard Par 72 course located on the Costa del Sol in Spain.
This is an update of the 2001 version by Mark Austin
In true resort-golf style, there really is only one style of play here: big and vicious wins the day.
As long as you don't tangle with the trees, there's little in your way to easy pars and birdies here. The heavy rough is tight up to the fairway, but because most of it is pretty flat, there are easy bail-outs all the way. Big hitters will relish setting up the Eagles, which can happen on nearly half the holes of the course.
Real Campoamor golf course is an 18 holes run through two connected valleys surrounded by low, gently undulating ridges which protect it from the wind and create a special microclimate which allows people to play golf all the year round.


(08) From Costa del Sol, just inside the straights of Gibraltar, we take you 3 hours over to the west side of the rock, to the province of Huelva and Costa de la Luz for this designers first course. Grab another drink, your still on vacation ;-))

Islantilla Green Course
by Victor M. Sevilla
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=1536
Release Date: 2005-01-06 / REAL - PARKLAND
https://youtu.be/KKjA5IzuAd4
From The Course Notes: This a real Spanish Golf course, situated in the province of Huelva, between the villages of Lepe and Isla Cristina, in the heart of Costa de la Luz, without a doubt the most important tourist destination in the province of Huelva. The golf club is placed in a privileged position amongst cliffs and a woodland of pine trees and incredible views on the sea.
The Basics: This is Victor Sevilla's first course for Links. It is a real course, designed in the early 90s by Enrique Canales and Luis Recasens and has played host to a number of European Tour events, including the 1993 PGA Spanish Championship 1993, the 1993 European Challenge Tour and the 1995 Turespa a Masters Open of Andalucia 1995. The real course features three nines, making for three 18-hole layouts -- the Blue, Yellow and Green. Victor chose to recreate the Green course for Links 2003. The course measures 6,698 yards and plays to a par of 71.


(09) Glenn did a great job with the 2024 Host of the RBC Canadian Open. Have you ever seen Canada? It's one Big National Park. Sure, you got some people living around the U.S. border, but the rest of it? All National Park. Beautiful

Hamilton Golf and Country Club
by Glenn Braden
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2797
Release Date: 2024-05-29 / REAL - WOODLAND
https://youtu.be/RmqK-0JKUrs
I had dreamed about playing Hamilton G&CC ever since I first stepped foot on the golf course in 2003, the year the club hosted the Canadian Open for the first time in over 70 years.
I finally got the opportunity to play this highly-esteemed Harry S. Colt course on a cold, dreary day in mid-May.
The course sits on a dramatic piece of property on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment and is a classic, parkland design.
After a benign start, your pulse starts racing on the 3rd hole, a 408 yard par four. The hole is an absolute stunner, with an elevated tee shot that is hit down to a two-tiered fairway that is lined by trees on both sides. From there, you have to navigate a creek that runs through the fairway about 100 yards from the green, with the putting surface sitting well above fairway grade, making the approach, shown below, play about one club longer than the yardage. The green slopes sharply from back right to front left and is protected by bunkers in front and behind. A world-class hole, one that sets the tone for the entire day.....
Please go the video description to continue story


(10) A delightful and very British course, this is about the nearest you could get to popping down to your local club for a quick 18

Esker Field 2009
by John Aherne
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=1884
Release Date: 2009-03-25 / FICTIONAL - HEATHLAND
https://youtu.be/0wQVN1P_doA
Playability 9/10
As you spend time admiring the scenery, it's unlikely that you'll notice the time slip by. Most holes guide you gently to a par, despite the potential for finding one of the many pot-bunkers, due to some very gentle - almost flat - greens. The Par 5s are easy enough and encourage you to play on rather than allowing you to get complacent. The gameplay at Esker Field is very understated, which could be a lot of the reason for its charm.
Challenge 5/10
This course pretty much plays itself. Par will be the overwhelming score for most holes, thanks to wide but angled fairways and flat greens. A smattering of birdies will be easy on most of the Par 5s, and bogeys are not at all easy to achieve. The challenge of Esker Field is its weak spot, and more could have been made of making this fictional course a tougher test, perhaps with more careful hazard placement and greater OB areas.
Overall
Quite simply one of the best looking courses available. It doesn't reach out and slap you when it comes to gameplay, though, and you leave the course having not apparently applied any thought to the round.


(Bonus) This course is just a lot of fun to play. The floating green is what sold me but getting there is just as much fun.

Coeur d'Alene Tournament Edition
by Dan DeShaney
https://linkscorner.org/courses/course.php?crz=2781
Release Date: 2023-11-25 / REAL - WOODLAND
https://youtu.be/n9Y8CUQ19tI
COURSE NOTES Hi fellow Linksters,
Welcome to The Coeur d'Alene Golf and Spa Resort course "tournament" version
The course is best know for it's famous "floating green". The only floating and movable green in the world. The course is built on the edge of Coeur d'Alene Lake and has some spectacular views of the surrounding pine trees and lake.

[Southcitygolf]

Eleven reasons to play Links 2003 - Day 1

I only recorded the third course Rabat Rouge but I start with the scorcards of the other two courses. Three rounds today. I think I'm getting use to this retirment thing. Wake up, eat a spicy breakfest, play three rounds of golf and wait for the baseball game tonight. That's too much. I'll need a nap before tonight lol

Day 1
01. One South CC 66 (-6)
Wide fairways. Greens had some curves to them but nothing overwhelming. Good course to learn a new swing with.

02. The Glen (two-tone) 61 (-9)
Skinny fairways but no trees. He chopped them all down to make you walk the planks. Deep U.S. Open style rough and bunkers with wood plank shoring EVERYWHERE lol.

03. Rabat Rouge 66 (-6)
AKA - Royal Golf Dar Es Salam (Red course)
The King and I. If it's good enough for Morocco’s King Hassan II, It's good enough for me. Narrow tree lined fairways. Just enough dog-leg to keep you off your driver. Mild greens. Good opportunities for birdies under 20ft.

Video link to Rabat Rouge
https://youtu.be/o9ENS0VxxIM

[dwg]

Thanks for pointing out that Rabat Rouge is based on a real course, I had missed it.

Des

[Pinseeker]

Thanks bud, I played Rabat before but have to check out the others.

[Southcitygolf]

Thanks for pointing out that Rabat Rouge is based on a real course, I had missed it.

Des

When I did my first video on Rabat Rouge, I was looking for reviews of the real course and ran accross this...

Review by Javier Pintos
Mar. 6, 2024

Last week I attended the Tropheé Hassan II for the Champions Tour and caddied for Angel Cabrera.

ProAm plus 3 Rounds of a lifetime experience from watching a Two Time Major Champion hit it as good as always. And watching his Course Management was a lesson on how to approach each hole and each shot, try to be less impulsive and give it a few seconds to plan properly each shot.
The Course is a beast, at least from the back tees. It demands curving the ball both ways, the carries are always 250+ yds and if you miss lateral the chances of getting an open shot are really slim.

Course has huge bunkers, not only greenside but cross bunkers as well, missing there will sometimes demand a layup shot even from short range.

Greens were redone some years ago and they are very dramatic, huge slopes and tiers, level changes, some small platforms where if the pin is located there getting it close is only for extremely good golfers.

Sand in the bunkers I wouldn't say was bad, because they were consistent but this red material with some rain became hard and quite tough to stop the ball.

Holes to highlight?

590yds par 5 with a very difficult green makes it a beast for the common golfer. I saw El Pato hit the green with a 3 wood from 285yds ... unreal!

185yds island green par 3 9th ... the breaks on the green are not that clear from the tee ... a narrow miss can lead you to a very tough 40ft putt.

Par 5 12th has a crazy green, a narrow miss can bring back the ball 20yds to the water.

Reachable Par 4 17th ... I loved it. Saw eagles (By el Pato, jeje), birdies and doubles ... even laying up will not guarantee a par.

I was not aware of how good golf in Morocco is, both courses at El Salam are unreal and well worth a trip. and set up for Tournament made the Red Course Great.

[Southcitygolf]

Eleven reasons to play Links 2003 - Day 2

I decided to record Llyn Pythmebyon because I really like Paul's courses, but the work Sage and Leo put into Sequoyah National, what a wonderful course.


Video link to 05 - Llyn Pythmebyon
https://youtu.be/cMjZ3VdyafI


04. Wagga Wagga Country Club 67 (-5)
A championship golf course. She doesn't give up her birdies easily. Tree lined fairways, dog-legs and a wondering river that makes it's presents known on many holes


05. Llyn Pythmebyon 67 (-5)
I'm starting to see a pattern here in that the golf courses are progressively getting harder. A sterner test this one. Paul's fairways are not flat. This is the best way to keep golfers from posting up your pins, make your fairways push and pull you. His greens do the same. Nothing flat. Yardage is a number. Even the wind, you can give a number. Lies? a variable at best. Very nice golf course and no crashes except on 17 into the water hehe.


06. Sequoyah National Golf Club 69 (-3)
The course was cut right out of a forest with a few hole along the foothills. A lot of eye candy as the course is laid out before you. Contours to the fairways make getting close to the pin a challenge. The greens are of tournament quality. Several 30+ yard elevation changes. Your not walking this course unless your a billy goat. Several reachable par 4's (five or six I counted). Sage and team nailed this one.

We still have to go to two courses in Spain, one in Canada, to the grassy fields in jolly old England and the Grand Finally in Idaho?

[dko]

Sequoyah is a very interesting course. Got caught in the deep rough a few times and got some interesting bounces. The combination of five par 3s and five par 5s and the huge elevation changes made shot selection interesting.

I shot 67, but only because I eagled the first and holed my second shot on 16 from the rough for another eagle. I only birdied one of the other short par 4s (18, from the rough again.)

Thank you for the suggestion, Thomas.

(BTW, your retirement planning is impeccable, especially the )

[dwg]

I played Rabat Rouge today.

Quite a decent course. I did play it as MC/MC, and the greens played well, unfortunately (for me) I left Links set to "Windy" and ended up in some trouble with the result of a +2 score.

Another course where it comes in handy being able to shape the ball, but the fairways are not all that wide and the rough can be penal.

Des

[Southcitygolf]

Eleven reasons to play Links 2003 Day 3 - 09. Hamilton Golf and Country Club


Video link to Day 3
https://youtu.be/4vozdCxmYsc

07. Real Club de Golf Campoamor 2011 68 (-4)
This is very much a resort golf course. You might think you'll have a easy time banging away at the wide fairways but this course has a secret weapon. It's greens. You will not find a level putt anywhere. These greens won't be pushing you all over the place or leaving you 35-40ft away from the hole but you will be hard pressed to get your birdies inside 10 ft.. Just keep reminding yourself, your on vacation, in southern Spain, on the edge Mediterranean as the balls roll past the cup.


08. Islantilla Green Course 63 (-8)
This course was cut out of a coastal forest. With narrow fairways much until the back 9 when it starts opening up, his resort style greens do ease the tension. Much kinder than on the other side of the mountain. The 9th hole had a lot of pretty flowers around the tee boxes and being a first time designer, kinda got quirky with 16. After your drive on a dog-legged par 5, you have to negotiate a tree in the middle of the fairway. I picked a low flying iron and hit a 2/3rds shot and run it up onto the green (missed the putt lol). As you can see by the score, I was on holiday ;-))

After spending the morning in Spain this brings us to an afternoon in Canada and our spotlight course of the day here in Day 3 - Eleven reasons to play Links 2003 course number

09. Hamilton Golf and Country Club 68 (-2)
Host of the RBC Canadian Open in 2024 this course is deceptive. Looks harmless
enough. I was looking for more trees but they were not going to be my problem.
PGA style rough. Uphill slopes protecting greens, but if you land on top, the ball rolls
away. Not so hard getting birdies but real easy to get tripped up and come face to
face with a bogie or two. Could be a very difficult course in the wind.

Don't forget to join us for Day 4 when we go to a old school, grassy field links style
course with deep bunkers and a resort in Idaho which boasts about there floating green. Can't wait to show you, Till then

[Southcitygolf]

And now, the course you've been waiting for....

Eleven reasons to play Links 2003 Day 4 Presents -
Coeur d'Alene Tournament Edition


Video link to Day 4 - Coeur d'Alene Tournament Edition
https://youtu.be/Zv7pbFpHPZQ


But first, a quick look at number 10 on our list

10. Esker Field 2009........ 63 (-7)
Even though Esker Field is a fictional design, it is partially based on a real course,
Esker Hills Golf Club in Ballykilmurray, Ireland. Esker Hills is one of Ireland's finest golf courses, designed by Christy O' Connor Jnr. and home to European Tour professional Shane Lowry (Aye). Because of this, the course has a realistic feel to it, and when playing, it is very much like a course that you would see being used in a tournament in real life.

The subtle elevation changes and fairway undulations in each hole design was really nice, while the pin placements was definitely one of the masterstrokes in regard to the overall course strategy. The challenge of Esker Field is its weak spot, and more could have been made of making this fictional course a tougher test, perhaps with more careful hazard placement and greater OB areas.
With wide open fairways, a wonderful double green that both Hole 9 and 18 share, and a very nice clubhouse to finish, Esker Field is a true tournament style design that many people will love to play.


Bonus. Coeur d'Alene Tournament Edition........ 57 (-13)

This is a resort and it lived up to it's reputation.
And – here is what you get for your money:

You get a pre-round warm-up sports massage….You get a personalized souvenir bag tag. You get unlimited balls at the driving range. And…..you get a forecaddie.

As we were checking in we asked about the course – looking for some insight to enjoying our round. The first thing the Pro-shop staff filled us in on was the floating green.Then they highlighted that the course was designed to be a good scoring course. It was the course designer’s goal to ensure those who played the course enjoyed their round. They also told us that our forecaddie would help us with every hole.

Early in the round, I felt like I was a professional golfer. At least that’s what I think it must feel like to be a professional golfer, because the course was perfect. Every tee box, fairway, sand trap, and green was in pristine condition. I didn’t see any greenskeepers out working. They were not on the greens just in front of me trying to get it done before I hit a ball. They weren’t cutting fairways while we were playing. Everything was already done.

There were many beautiful holes. There were two back to back par 3s on the front that, for me, were amazing. The tee boxes were elevated and the greens were guarded by sand. A lofted ball would be held up by the wind coming off the lake, dropping it down on the green. I love elevated tees on par 3s or 4s. I think they make the course feel grand and that I am on top of the world

This course was built for better scoring. But, not in an insulting way. You still had to hit good shots to score well. However, if you hit a poor shot, you were not out of the hole. You would be able to recover. You were always hitting off grass. Even under the trees, the branches were cut up a bit and the second cut grass went all the way up to the tree. So, you may only have to punch out or miss a couple of other trees. But, your lie was good.

The signature hole was 14. A par 3 floating green.

The only floating green in America. Cables can alter the yardage everyday. Our forecaddie said the day’s yardage is not determined offhandedly. Instead, the lake’s depth is the deciding factor. What is most impressive in my mind is that it is not a short hole. Today, it measured 197 yards.

You get 2 shots to land the green. It is a resort, and they want you to have fun. Local rule is two balls off the tee. If you miss with both balls, it is a drop on the green. But only one of the balls off the tee counts. Gotta love local rules.

Once you are done teeing off, you take your putter and board a small boat (named the Putter) to get to the green. Which by the way was very well stocked with swing juice and snacks. It is just a quick boat ride to the dock leading to the green.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course was a bit pricey. But, at the end of the day they lived up to everything you would expect from a high end golf resort. Great service from all of the staff, a course that was in perfect shape, fun holes, great caddies, and an all around fun golfing experience. I wouldn’t spend this kind of money on golf often. I don’t even think I would do it once a year. But, we will probably never be here again, so paying the price for a once in a lifetime course is ok.