COURSE DEFINITIONS
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My comments about the various courses include descriptions of the type of course, so here are my own definitions of what I had in mind. Note, they are only mine and many might disagree with me.

HEATHLAND - such courses are usually old, having been built on marginal land unfit for agriculture other than perhaps sheep grazing. They are mainly undulating, with rocks around the course and most abound with plenty of gorse bushes, heather, pines and springy turf. In Scotland, I've tended to describe such courses as highland in nature as that's where they are often found.

LINKS - the original golf courses. By definition they are next to the sea, winding along and through sand-dunes. You don't normally see many trees - the wind is too strong for them, the 'soil' too poor. The fairways are often ill-defined, merging into one - another or separated by  tall, waving grasses of rough - a natural feature of these courses. They are not very pretty - except to a golfer to whom they offer some of the best golf anywhere.

PARKLAND - many large country estates feature a golf course in their boundaries, as private clubs or leisure facilities. Because the estates are very old, the courses feature many large, splendid trees like beeches and oaks. The fairways and greens are often very well maintained. To my dismay, lakes will be found on these courses. 

PASTURE - there has been a lot of golf course construction in the U.K. in recent years, many have been built on redundant farm land. At the top end of the scale, imaginative use has been made of the available land, landscaping carried out, good fairways built and fine clubhouses provided. At the worst level, no landscaping has been undertaken other than to build tees and greens - play takes place up and down the original fields with the hedge-rows still in place. Drainage is often rudimentary. It's golf - but... 

WOODLAND - some delightful courses have been hewn through forests. Because of this they are characterised by well defined fairways, beautiful greens set in amphitheatres of tall trees and not another fairway in sight. Stray off-line with the shot and you will be playing at woodpeckers amongst the trees. Who was it said 'I'm hitting the woods fine - it's getting out of them that's the problem'.

 

FINALLY - many courses don't fit into my thumb-nail definitions above. They are usually well-established custom - designed courses which have evolved over the years. They are often full of character and well worth playing.