shot 112 in 25mph wind yesterday, how do pros handle Troon?

[Mulligan_Mike]

Played my local muni yesterday in what the app said was 22mph gusts and I genuinely wanted to walk off after 9. Shot 112. Ball was moving on the green, my driver turned into a boomerang, the whole thing.

And then I watch these guys at Troon next week hitting 3 irons into a 30mph crosswind and sticking it to 8 feet like it's nothing. I know they're pros but like... how? Is it purely the low ball flight thing? Do they just aim 40 yards off line and trust it? Because every time I tried to "flight it down" I hit a thin rocket into a bunker.

Genuinely asking. Is links golf something you can actually learn or do you have to grow up on it? I've only ever played parkland stuff.

[PuttMaster]

22mph and you shot 112? Honestly that's not even bad. I played in similar wind last month and quit keeping score after 12.

The thing I've started figuring out (total beginner here, so grain of salt) is that "flight it down" doesn't mean swing harder with a lower finish. I was doing exactly what you described, thin rocket into the bunker every time. Someone told me to just take more club and make a shorter, smoother swing, and let the wind knock it down for me. Sounds stupid simple but it worked way better than trying to manufacture some punch shot I don't actually have.

Also I don't think you have to grow up on links golf. Half those guys learned in Florida or wherever and just adapted. But I do wonder if the real skill is accepting that a good shot in 30mph wind is landing 40 feet from the pin, not 8.

How bad were the greens though? Mine were rolling like a parking lot.

[SandTrap_Steve]

22mph and a 112, man I'd have taken that and run. I played in maybe 15mph last weekend and lost four balls in the same cornfield. Same cornfield. Four times.

The thing PuttMaster said about swinging easier with more club is the part I keep screwing up. My brain goes "wind = hit it harder" and then the ball goes straight up and comes back at my face. Every single time. I haven't tried the shorter smoother swing thing yet though, so that's going on the list for Saturday.

One thing nobody mentioned: are you playing a high spin ball? I was using some soft tour ball my brother gave me and a guy at the course told me that's the worst possible choice in wind. Switched to a cheaper low spin rock and it helped a little. Or maybe I just got lucky, honestly can't tell yet.