For golf sickos and links golf appreciators alike, July is the greatest time of year to watch the best players in the world tackle links courses. This week, we get to feast our eyes on the Genesis Scottish Open (at Renaissance Club) followed a week later by the Open Championship (Royal Troon).
For those of you who aren’t professionals, though, but are still headed to Scotland and Ireland for golf trips and don’t have a fleet of equipment trailers and technicians to dial you in, we’ve compiled a gear-tweaking cheat sheet to help you best handle links golf conditions.
Here’s what you’d be wise to pack:
Driving iron or low-lofted hybrid
Golf on proper links means playing next to the ocean, and with ocean currents comes Mother Nature and ever-changing winds. Sure, higher lofted fairway woods are great for getting the ball up into the air and landing soft, but having the ability to keep the ball low and running along the ground reduces variables and gives you more control to avoid bunkers and fescue.
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Look no further than Todd Hamilton’s set when he won the 2004 Open Championship at Troon in a playoff against Ernie Els.
Hamilton navigated the course with a 17-degree Sonartec MD hybrid bent down to 14 degrees, allowing it to serve as his 3-wood and a handy-dandy chipper all in one.
Low bounce lob wedge
Firm links turf doesn’t require a short-game overhaul but the harder ground makes it naturally more difficult to take divots around the green, especially if you’re a golfer used to playing in softer conditions.
One club many pros switch out during the links swing at the Scottish Open and Open Championship is their lob wedges to a lower bounce option to keep the leading edge lower to the ground. A lower leading edge in firm conditions allows for an aggressive approach to the ball with much less risk of hitting a skulled shot.
Examples of low-bounce wedges you can find on the market are the Titleist Vokey Low Bounce K-Grind, which offers a low bounce angle with a wider sole; the Vokey T-Grind, which offers low bounce and a thinner sole for those that want a bit more versatility; the Callaway Jaws Raw Z-Grind; and the TaylorMade MG4 LBV.
Adjustable driver / fairway woods
Adjustable drivers, fairway woods and even hybrids offer the opportunity to fine-tune ball flight for your swing and course conditions. In the case of playing in windy conditions on firm turf like those found on links courses, a lower loft helps to produce a lower launch angle with less spin, which is ideal for reducing dispersion.
Change your golf ball
Once you’ve made all the possible adjustments to your gear, the last thing to consider is your golf ball.
Changing your golf ball to a model designed to spin less and apex lower through its flight can further help increase accuracy and precision when playing in various wind conditions and could be the difference between rolling up on the green or ending up in a dreaded pot bunker.
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