A 'links golf course' refers to the type of soil and terrain on which it is built. Only 92 of the golf courses in Scotland (17%) are true links courses, although this includes most of the historical courses. Another 10% of Scottish courses are coastal with some properties of 'links' courses and moorland vegetation. Apart from links courses, the other main types of Scottish golf courses are parkland (61%) and moorland (17%).
 
A Links is any rough grassy area between the sea and the land and the word itself is derived form the Anglo-Saxon word 'hlinc', of about 931 AD, meaning a ridge. Later the word was used to denote any common grassy area in a town and now the term 'The Links' is used to refer to any golf course.

Montrose Links sand,  grass and gorse as links used to be

True links soil is sandy and because of the lack of its moisture, the grass tends to have short blades with long roots. The grass in the rough is often the wispy long grass which makes play very difficult even in a good lie. Links courses drain well and provide a very firm golfing surface all year round, and are thus the preferred choice of most good golfers.

Links land is common on the east coast of Scotland from Wick to Berwick, but it is also found in the south-west coast and the Hebridean islands, as can be seen from the distribution of links courses in the map below from Robert Price's book. Click picture for larger image.

The location of golf courses on links (blown sand), raised beaches and raised marine platforms.

Early golf developed on links land. In time the golf links were cultivated and the sand and burns (small rivers) that crossed the links were shaped into the hazards that they are today, especially the sand, putting it in holes called bunkers, a particular Scottish term. They may also have been inspired by the quarry pits which proliferated on some links, such as Aberdeen and Bruntsfield. When courses were created inland they incorporated the tradition of these hazards, as the Bunker and the Water Hazard.

Links terrain was ideal for golfing in the early days for several reasons.  The land is naturally undulating and extensive but of little agricultural value and thus very suitable for this kind of use. A form of golf was once played on the continent but died out, possibly because of the lack of such a suitable safe area on which to play.

Because there were no mechanical grass cutters before the mid-nineteenth century, golf was played in winter when the grass was naturally short by animal grazing. The links area on the east coast was accessible to the golfers of the time and coincides with the area of minimal rainfall in Scotland. With its better drainage, links land is therefore more suitable for winter play.

When golf was banned by royal decree from 1457 to 1502, the fact that golfers could retreat to the links, out of sight of the populace, would have made it easier for golf to be played despite the official prohibitions.  The same would also have true of Sunday golf during the period of religious persecution for Sabbath golf from 1580 to 1724.

In fact, the existence of the Links in Scotland may have been responsible for the creation of modern golf. As discussed on Oldest Sites, there appear to have been two types of golf played in the sixteenth century - a short target golf and a longer links golf. It is possible the latter derived from the former. There would have been no natural targets on the links at which golfers could aim, and this may well have led to the use of golf holes and flags as targets, though when and in which order we shall probably never know.

Montrose Links Hole 17 Typical Links Course

More details can be found in Robert Price's book 'Scotland's Golf Courses',  from which the above map is taken.