Golf is one of the oldest sports still being played. There is evidence that golf was played by the Ancient Romans who used a leather ball filled with rags. They are possibly the ones who brought the game to the British Isles. It’s not clear where it came from, but the roots of the game as played now are fairly clear. It developed over several years in the UK. There are still many golf courses now that date back to the early days of modern golf.
Links Courses
These oldest golf courses tend to be links courses. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic word “hlinc”, which means gently rising ground. That’s basically what a links course is. It is composed of undulating ground that gently rises and falls. They tend to be built on coastlines as well. Some of them are maintained very rigorously by a grounds crew that keeps everything in its place. Other older courses are allowed to grow somewhat more naturally. Such maintenance techniques will change how the game is played from day to day.
If you are looking for cheap golf weekends, you should consider some of the old links courses. They require less maintenance than some of the newer, more carefully designed courses. Such lower maintenance means that they cost a little less for a golfing weekend. Links courses will allow you to reconnect with the roots of golf.
A typical links course is built with nine pairs of holes. You play nine holes that stretch away from town. Then you play their counterparts, which end with you heading back into town.
Executive Courses
Though they have become something of a rarity recently, some executive courses still exist. These are courses that take much less time to play. The pace of play can be increased either by lowering the part of the courses or by shortening the course itself. Some golf clubs have an executive course that is nine holes.
The nine holes have the typical mix of par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes. They’ve fallen out of favour since many people just choose to play the front-9 or the back-9 at an 18-hole course. There are other executive courses that are 18 holes, but they have a much lower par. They tend to be a series of par-3 holes that are designed to be played faster.
Executive courses are great for those who don’t have as much golf skill as they would like. Such courses give them the opportunity to practice on a golf course that’s not quite as daunting.
Famous Courses
When you’re planning your golfing holiday, you should make sure you schedule in any famous courses you’d like to play. Unlike many other sports, golf has very notorious fields. Since the field of play is the actual opponent in golf, many people like to play where the masters of the sport have played. Such courses give them a connection to the expert players, and allows you to see how you would measure up.
A golf holiday doesn’t have to be expensive. Choosing the right venues is key.