In our search for True Links Courses, we have looked for information partly in the books below, but also online and eventually, in our research, we have leaned quite a lot on George Peper & Malcolm Campbell and their assessments in their masterpiece with the aptly titled "True Links". That book was very helpful when we finally agreed on which paths can be categorized as genuine links courses. And hopefully we've put them all up under the "Linksland" menu, where we present them country by country.

Of the world's round 34,000 golf courses, only about 34,000 are golf courses. 250 pieces that can be categorized as genuine links courses and the amazing thing is that six of these are in the Nordic region. In Norway a piece of golf and nature experience on the mighty Lofoten Golf Links,where at one o'clock at night you peg up, look beyond the sea and play golf in the midnight sun, in Denmark links tax Fanø Golf Links and four masterpieces we find in Skåne, namely the classic links course and Swedish golf history Falsterbo Golf Club,it is atmosphere and charm, character and tradition. Not far from there we find the irresistible Ljunghusens Golf Club,which borders a large nature-protected wetland heath and is located in a nature reserve. Just outside Helsingborg we find the small hidden and delicious linksoas in Viken. The panoramic views, where you can see the sea from all the holes, are absolutely amazing. Especially the view from the 3-, 7- and 8's tee or the 3rd and 6th greens is fascinating. And at the far end of the Bjäre Peninsula, with a wonderful view towards Halland's Väderö – where the waves and boating from the Kattegat meet the Scanian coast, lies the challenging and brilliant coastal gem TorekovsGolfklubb.

And perhaps that is why the development in Skåne is exceptional. The landscape is by far the leading hickory district in Sweden and indeed the World. There are, for example, hickory societies in Lund, Falsterbo, Helsingborg (Viken), Båstad, Ljunghusen, Flommen, Landskrona and Torekov.

When we searched, we vacuumed the Internet and looked mainly at books such as: Classic Golf Links of Great Britain and Ireland– by Donald Steel(1999), Golf on the Links of England: A Look at the Courses on the Coasts of England – by Robert F. Kroeger (2007), Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas: A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Ireland – by James W. Finegan (2009), Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens: A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Scotland – by James W. Finegan (2002),Links of Heaven: A Complete Guide to Golf Journeys in Ireland – by Richard Phinney and Scott Whitley (2007), Golf on the Links of England: A Look at the Courses on the Coasts of England – by Robert F. Kroeger (2007), Golf at the Water's Edge:Scotland's Seaside Links – by Brenda McGuire and John McGuire (1997),St Andrews: The Home of Golf – by Henry Lord, Oliver Gregory, Kevin Murray and Seve Ballesteros.

The greatest inspiration and guide in the links jungle were two relatively new and fresh books, which really made their mark while simplifying our links approach to courses outside Europe, namely Another Journey Through the Links – by David Worley and Peter Thomson (2010) and True Links – by George Peper and Malcolm Campbell (2010). You should definitely shop for these links books if you are interested in the choice of links books. They are hugely well written, thoughtful and loaded with incomparable images. It's illustrated guides that make any links golfer absolutely blissful. We had a lot of help from True Links in particular by George Peper and Malcolm Campbell,because they had managed to add some new courses that we completely missed, and that they convinced us when we were unsure, whether a course was True Links or not.

By the way, they make the interpretation that there are 246 True Links in the world and if they say it's 246, that's probably true (but we've found a few more), because it's hard to question their knowledge and authority on the subject. Peper is one of golf's most respected journalists, has written several books and was editor-in-chief of Golf Magazin for almost 25 years and is now editor-at-large of LINKS Magazine. Malcolm Campbell is the former editor-in-chief of Golf Monthly, has written several books, now author of the Encyclopedia of Golf and, like Peper, is an internationally respected golf journalist. He lives near St Andrews and is, among others, a member of the United States. Captain of the James Braid Golfing Society and member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

What determines a True Links?
Thus, when it comes to the choice of which tracks can be classified as True Links, we have largely based our starting line on the content of Pepers & Campbell's three ingredients, Terrain, Turf and Weather,the ingredients of which must be there for a course to be called True Links. And then most of the below questions should be answered with the right answer to be called True Links. According to Peper and Campbell, there are approx. 400 courses in the world that many want to categorize as Links, but if you answer the questions in their three selection principles, they have funneled it down to 246 True Links World Wide. As I said, there are lots of courses along all the earth's oceans, but they are thus mainly classified as seaside courses, not Links and therefore cannot be called True Links.

Terrain
How close is the course to the sea? Do the fairways run hard and fast? Do the greens favor a run-on approach? How natural? Is there a freedom from trees (planted or naturally occurring?) Is the invasion of gorse and bush controlled? How light is the environmental footprint on the land?

Turf
Is there a sand base? What grasses are dominant on the fairways and greens? Is the ruff managed (creating biodiversity from flora and fauna)? How well does the course drain?

Weather
How exposed is the site to the elements? What are the typical wind conditions? Does the course play hard and fast year-round? Must temporary greens and tees be used in winter? Is the course susceptible to winter closure?

In other words, a links has no trees, in exceptional cases one or some, is therefore naturally exposed and windswept, the soil is based on sand and reclaimed sea land, is extremely well draining and due to the lack of moisture, the grass is short, but has long roots and is therefore very durable. Several of the links courses are not watered, as a genuine links should have a dry, hard and firm playing surface, but greens can be "helpfully watered". The ruff consists of a pristine biodiversity of flora and fauna and the grass is usually stripy and long, the fairway naturally unwialded, with large, fast greens and well-kept green areas that really favor run-on and due to the sea winds deep and often peated bunkers, so the sand stays. The course should have a hard surface all year round and it should be possible to basically play all year round even on regular greens?

A links always offers drama, nature is constantly close and the sea winds make the course changeable day by day, bringing new gaming experiences – every round. Therefore, linksland courses are often the obvious choice for a true golfer. Real links = real golf.

Interesting links books
Sen är flera av nedan böcker verkligen intressanta av andra skäl, som t ex. Golf Courses: Fairways of the World – by Sir Michael Bonallack, Steve Smyers, David Cannon and Ernie Els, Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes – by Stephen Goodwin, Links Golf: The Inside Story – by Paul Daley / Peter Thomson (2001), Links: An Exploration into the Mind, Heart, and Soul of Golf by Lorne Rubenstein (1993)

• Classic Golf Links of Great Britain and Ireland by Donald Steel (1999)
• Masters of Design: The Golf Courses of Colt, Mackenzie, Alison and Morrison – by Peter Pugh and Henry Lord (2006)
• Journey Through the Links – by David Worley and Peter Thomson (2007)
• Another Journey Through the Links by David Worley and Peter Thomson (2010)
• True Links by George Peper and Malcolm Campbell (2010)
• Links Golf: The Inside Story – by Paul Daley and Peter Thomson (2001)
• St Andrews Links: Six Centuries of Golf – by Tom Jarrett, Peter Mason and Jack Nicklaus (2009)
• St Andrews: The Home of Golf – by Henry Lord, Oliver Gregory, Kevin Murray and Seve Ballesteros (2010)
• The Missing Links: America's Greatest Lost Golf Courses & Holes by Daniel Wexler (2000)
• Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes by Stephen Goodwin (2010)
• Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas: A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Ireland by James W. Finegan (2009)
• Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens:A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Scotland by James W. Finegan (2002)
• The Anatomy of a Golf Course: The Art of Golf Architecture by Tom Doak and Ben Crenshaw (1998)
• Golf at the Water's Edge: Scotland's Seaside Links by Brenda McGuire and John McGuire (1997)
• Golf Courses: Fairways of the World – by Sir Michael Bonallack, Steve Smyers, David Cannon and Ernie Els (2011)
• Scottish Golf Links: A Photographer's Journey – by David Joy, Kyle Phillips and Iain Macfarlane Lowe (2004)
• Golf on the Links of Ireland: A Father and His Sons Explore The Coastal Courses of the Emerald Isle – by Robert F. Kroeger (2006)
• Golf on the Links of England: A Look at the Courses on the Coasts of England by Robert F. Kroeger (2007)
• Links of Heaven: A Complete Guide to Golf Journeys in Ireland – by Richard Phinney and Scott Whitley (2007)
• Where Golf Is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland by James W. Finegan (2006)
• Ancestral Links: A Golf Obsession Spanning Generations – by John Garrity (2010)
• Links Golf. Eine Insider Story by Paul Daley (2002)
• Golf on the Links of England: A Look at the Courses on the Coasts of England by Robert F. Kroeger (2007)
• Links:An Exploration into the Mind, Heart, and Soul of Golf by Lorne Rubenstein (1993)
• Lost Links:Forgotten Treasures of Golf's Golden Age by Daniel Wexler (2003)
• Sunday Telegraph Golf Course Guide to Britain & Ireland – by Donald Steel and Jon Ryan (2004)