links
links — noun
- linkssingular
- linksesplural
1. a golf course built in the traditional links style, with open rolling ground, fe
a golf course built in the traditional links style, with open rolling ground, few trees, and many bunkers, and not necessarily located on the coast
The links at Troon are among the most famous golf courses in the world.
grammar: plural verb 'are' with 'links'
Cyrus played the famous links near Edinburgh and said the wind made every shot tricky.
These links are open to visitors every day except Sunday during the winter.
The club secretary announced that the links would close early because of the storm.
- golf course
the universal term; 'links' is more specific and traditional
文法句型
the + links
links + plural verb
用法筆記
Used as a plural noun ('the links are...'), not as a countable singular. This sense refers to the classic layout style — open, windswept terrain with natural hazards — that defines a links golf course, wherever it is built. Compare with sense 2, which specifies a coastal location, and sense 3, which means any golf course regardless of style.
常見錯誤
2. a seaside golf course built on natural sandy ground with few trees, where the wi
a seaside golf course built on natural sandy ground with few trees, where the wind and rolling hills make play more difficult
The Watanabe family booked a round at the famous old links in St Andrews.
collocation: famous old links
Femi wanted to play on a proper seaside links with tall dunes and sea views.
Strong wind made the links feel twice as hard for the visiting golfers from Japan.
The old links near the harbour has narrow fairways and deep bunkers near every green.
- golf course
a more general term — all links are golf courses, but not all golf courses are links
文法句型
a + links
the + links
用法筆記
This sense refers specifically to the type of golf course found along coastlines, originally in Scotland. In modern use, 'a links' often contrasts with 'a parkland course' (inland, wooded). Distinct from sense 1, which describes the classic links layout regardless of coastal location.
常見錯誤
3. any piece of land where the game of golf is played, with a set of holes, tees, f
any piece of land where the game of golf is played, with a set of holes, tees, fairways, and greens — used without implying a particular style or coastal location
Mira booked a tee time at the local links for Saturday morning with her brother.
collocation: local links
The groundskeeper at the municipal links mows the greens every day before dawn.
Charlotte learned to play golf on a small nine-hole links near her hometown.
After the rain stopped, the club manager opened the links again for afternoon players.
- golf course
the standard term in American English; 'links' is more common in British English
文法句型
a + links
the + links
用法筆記
This sense is a broader use of 'links' to mean any golf course, even courses not built on coastal sand. The distinction between a 'links' (seaside) and a 'golf course' (inland) is fading in everyday speech. Compare with sense 1 (classic links style) and sense 2 (specifically coastal course).
4. areas of low sandy hills that form naturally along a coastline, covered with tou
areas of low sandy hills that form naturally along a coastline, covered with tough grass and shaped by the wind and waves
The links along this coast are home to many rare seabirds and wild flowers.
collocation: links along the coast
Anjali walked across the sandy links to reach the beach at low tide.
Developers wanted to build houses on the links, but local people stopped the project.
The coastal links stretch for miles along the eastern shore of the island.
- sand dunes
the more common modern term for hills of sand formed by wind along a coast
文法句型
the + links
links of + place name
用法筆記
This is the original meaning of 'links' in Scottish and Northern English geography. It describes natural coastal features, not a man-made golf course. The word is always used in plural form with a plural verb.