Pre-Trip Prep: Put on a Links Golf Clinic
Links golf is a completely different game. For many of your members, the courses in Scotland, Ireland, and England will present challenges they’ve never faced before. From navigating the wind to playing bump-and-run shots, the style of play required is unlike anything they’re used to at home. I'll be the first to attest: even experienced players need time to adjust.
Thanks to my role at H&B, not to mention an internship at Adare Manor in Ireland, I’ve had plenty of experience with links courses. But it still took me some time to get the hang of it. Every time I'm across the pond, I have to resist the urge to pull out my 60-degree wedge around the greens and instead embrace the bump-and-run. Your members will face the same learning curve, and a pre-trip clinic can help them overcome it faster.
By focusing on the shots your members will need most, you can set them up for success and ensure they enjoy their limited rounds overseas to the fullest.
What to Cover in the Clinic
- Bump & Run: Around the greens, links golf is all about the ground game. Teach your members how to hit effective bump-and-run shots using a lower-lofted club. This technique will be their go-to around the tightly mown fringes of links courses.
- Keeping the Ball Low in the Wind: The wind is a constant factor on links courses, and learning to flight the ball lower is essential. Show your members how to adjust their setup, swing, and club selection to keep the ball under control in breezy conditions––or worse.
- Lag Putting on Large Greens: Links greens are massive, and long lag putts will be a regular occurrence. Practice putting from long distances, including from off the green, to help your members get comfortable with the speed and slopes they’ll encounter.
- Recovering from Heavy Rough: The rough on links courses can be thick and punishing. Teach your members how to adjust their technique and club selection to escape trouble and minimize damage.
- Escaping Pot Bunkers: Pot bunkers are deep, steep-sided, and unavoidable on links courses. They can also completely wreck a scorecard. Show your members how to escape them safely in one shot.
Tom Gilbert, PGA with his Gulph Mills Country Club members on a frosty morning at Royal County Down.
Why Host the Clinic?
- Make Every Round Count: Your members only have a handful of rounds during their trip, and you don’t want them leaving the 18th green of their final day saying, “I finally figured it out!” A pre-trip clinic helps them master the unique skills of links golf sooner so they can enjoy every round to its fullest.
- Build Camaraderie: A pre-trip clinic is also a great opportunity to bring the group together. Sharing laughs and learning together fosters connections that will carry over into the trip itself.
- Show Your Value: Hosting a clinic highlights the value you bring to the trip as their PGA Professional. It shows your dedication to ensuring they have the best possible experience throughout the entire journey.
In closing, a pre-trip links golf clinic is a simple yet impactful way to prepare your members for the unique challenges of golf across the pond. By equipping them with the right skills and strategies, you’re setting them up for success and ensuring they enjoy every moment of your journey together.
More Pro Tips
Begin Your Journey Here
To learn more about the PGA Professionals Travel Program from Haversham & Baker, simply complete the form below or ask one of your colleagues on this list.