To the average person, a “day on the links” is a euphemistic way, albeit an older one, to refer to any type of golf outing.
In truth, links golf and its blustery seaside courses is an entirely different beast than the “parkland golf” that would describe most U.S. courses. And there’s only one time a year on the golf calendar when it truly comes to the forefront – the Open Championship in Great Britain – the 152nd edition of which tees off today at the legendary Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
American Brian Harman, a journeyman golfer who stunned with his 2023 Open victory, will attempt to defend the iconic Claret Jug on one of golf’s most historically challenging courses, including its famous “Postage Stamp” eighth hole, labeled as such because at 123 yards it’s the shortest hole of any course used to host the Open.
But aside from the eighth, for which golfers typically use a pitching wedge to tee off rather than a driver, Royal Troon presents all of the typical hurdles of a links course. The challenges fall into two categories: topography, which tends to be characterized by uneven fairways, thick rough, and small, deep "pot bunkers"; and climatic, dominated by windy conditions created by their coastal location and lack of trees, and frequent intermittent rain squalls.
As a result, links topography favors a controlled style of golf. Low and even bouncing shots allow balls to be skipped onto greens rather than high flights landed with strong backspin. Windy or blustery weather also calls for low, accurate shots. Damp conditions demand concentration and caution.
Why are these critical differences from the other three major championships, or any non-links tournaments? Because all of this natural nuance often forces golfers to change one of their most sacred customs – their pre-shot routines. Whether you take a step back after you tee up your ball or visualize your shot before you swing, the inexact conditions on the links may throw your typical game plan out the window.
In other words, it can make a game that requires a great deal of mental strength even more exasperating.
Mental health in general has become an issue of rising prominence over the past five years in golf on both the men’s and women’s tours. Never was it more so than last month when LPGA star Lexi Thomas, whose had 88 top 10 finishes on the tour since qualifying for the U.S. Open at the tender age of 12 in 2007, announced via Instagram that she was retiring at age 29.
On the course, however, technology can be a boon. Many of the golfers using or testing alphabeats presently focus on achieving the high alpha wave state produced by using alphabeats into their pre-round preparation, making their minds sharper and more malleable when the need arises to adjust to inconsistent course conditions.
That may not help players out of a pot bunker this weekend at Royal Troon, but it might help them avoid it in the first place.
Ready to elevate your game? Join us at alphabeats and discover how our neurofeedback and music integration can transform your mental training. Because when you train your mind, you can achieve anything.