PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that it what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions like.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

So-called “links golf” is a special thing.

According to the British Golf Museum, “a links course is a stretch of land near the coast characterized by undulating terrain, often associated with dunes, infertile sandy soil, and indigenous grasses such as marram, sea lyme, and the fescues and bents which, when properly managed, produce the fine-textured, tight turf for which links are famed.”

Links-golf is played mostly in Scotland and Ireland, plus a few other places.

In the U.S., not so much.

According to Links Magazine, “there are plenty of tracks that aspire to be links.  The first course in the U.S., Oakhurst Links, opened in 1884 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.  It had neither dunes, nor infertile soil, nor indigenous links grasses.

“And no one will confuse a view of the sea with one of a spring, or otherwise.  But Russell Montague, the golf pioneer who created Oakhurst, can be forgiven.  He admired the links courses of Great Britain and Ireland, so his choice of name was meant to be an honorific.

“The simply (and misleadingly) named Links Golf Club of Palestine, Indiana isn’t a links golf course, either.  You won’t be buffeted by sea breezes in the middle of the Hoosier State.

“The Links Golf Course of Paso Robles in California says that its course ‘boasts hard and fast Bermuda Fairways, lined by Bermuda and Rye rough.’  No.  Just no.

“Ballyneal in eastern Colorado touts itself as ‘a private, authentic North American, inland links golf experience.’  Ballyneal is a terrific course, but sorry.  There’s no such thing as an inland links.

“National Golf Links of America is a much-worshipped course—a Macdonald/Raynor beauty that many would sacrifice one or more digits to play.  Its setting on Peconic Bay in Southhampton, New York, and golf holes named for famous links forbears like ‘Alps,’ ‘Redan,’ and ‘Eden’ might almost earn it true links status were it not for the nature of its turf.  Sorry.  Awesome course.  But again, not a links as defined.

“Not even granting yourself the grandiose moniker of ‘Royal Golf Links’ will make it so.  The Las Vegas course of that name, with its replica Road Hole, Postage Stamp par three, and Swilcan Bridge, is still just a golf course.  Not a links.”

The Links Magazine writer, David DeSmith, was able to name six courses in the U.S. that qualify as “links courses,” if you are stickler for specific definitions.

In particular, I agree with the first two he mentions – Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes – on the Southern Oregon coast.

The brainchild of golf entrepreneur Michael Keyser, the two courses mimic very well golf as it is played in Scotland and Ireland.  So does a third course on the Oregon Coast – Old MacDonald – another Keyser creation.

Plus, a fourth course there, Bally Bandon, will meet a links-golf definItion as players become more familiar with it.  It just opened on June 1.

I have been fortunate to have traveled five time to Scotland, trips that enabled me to develop a supreme love for links-golf.

Why?

Well, given the lay of the land, often hard by the sea, the golf ball tends to run a lot on the ground.  Challenging to chart the twists and turns on such ground.

While in Scotland, depending, of course, on another factor – wind – I remember playing a 7-iron from almost 200 yards out from the green.  In the same round, I remember hitting the same 7-iron about 50 yards to reach a green.

That’s the draw and simplicity of links-golf.

It’s something pro golfer Phil Mickelson was able to conquer as he won the 2013 British Open (overseas, this is called “The Open”) because he said, he learned the skill of allowing the ground to direct his golf ball.

I will continue to have great fun playing links golf when I next have the chance to do so, which probably be at Bandon Dunes.