World's greatest Links?

It just might be the best links on Earth. Certainly a Doak 10 and in the conversation for best links and, when playing firm/fast (which it does other than when there has been a bunch of rain for days) it is in the conversation for best course on Earth.

Of course, you must start with the greens. Not every one of them is an inverted saucer or bowl but many are. The good news is that, other than 10, there is a running approach option to get your ball on the green and hold it there. Being a strategic course, this option is only available from one side of the fairway but it is there. You must also hit the ball near the perfect line or the green will repel it; put it on line and it will feed onto the green.

Dornoch has a great set of par 3s; although you can make the case that they might be the most difficult set. Once again, there is a path on 3 of the 4; the 10th is protected in front by bunkers so it must be flown onto and held-not easy at all. What the 2nd and 6th have in common is run offs. If you aren't on the green or in front of it, then getting a ball to stay on the green from the side is a trick as the green will be many feet above you and not a lot of room to land the ball.

The par 4s have variety. It is an out/back links so the wind will help on half the wholes and harm on the other half. As for the holes themselves-there is the bunkerless 14th (Foxy). It would be a par 4.5. You need to approach from the left side of the fairway or it won't hold the green. You can always leave the ball left of the green and then you have a lot of green to use for your third. There are two great short par 4s-the 5th and 15th. The 5th demands you stay on the left for your approach as the green is open from that side. If not, there are bunkers and a thin green to hit. The 15th can be drivable if you can navigate the hill on your line. If not, then your approach can be difficult and you will be trying to save 4. The 17th leaves you a lay up option so you can see the green from up high. You can also let it go to the bottom part of the fairway for a shorter approach but a blind one.

Only a couple of par 5s but both can yield anything from a 3 to a 7. The 9th has a speed slot on the left that will give you more yardage and an easier approach. If coming from the right, you will need to be precise or leave the ball short left. 12 is also very good from a strategic viewpoint.

There is some variety in the greens; 8 and 17 are punchbowls, 7 doesn't have a saucer green (neither does 11, 16 or 18), 10 is the only one that demands an aerial approach and then the rest are the saucer variety. Once again, they have running approach or aerial approach options. The greensites are set in natural areas and offer all kinds of recovery-aerial, bump/run or putt-however, miss on the wrong side and you are stuck with aerial with a lot of spin.