A
links is the oldest style of
golf course, first developed in
Britain. The word "links" comes via the
Scots language from the
Old English word
hlinc : "rising ground, ridge" and refers to an area of
coastal sand
dunes and sometimes to open parkland. Linksland is typically characterised by dunes, an undulating surface, and a sandy soil unsuitable for
arable farming but which readily supports various indigenous
browntop bents and
red fescue grasses, that result in the firm turf associated with links courses and the 'running' game. It also retains this more general meaning in the
Scottish English dialect. It can be treated as singular even though it has an "s" at the end and occurs in place names that precede the development of golf, for example
Lundin Links,
Fife.