None at 14k feet. Years ago I had the pleasure to play Pebble Beach one year and St. Andrews the next. Better yet, neither round cost me a cent. I did spend some dollars on beverages.
They are goat trails. All of them. There are none around me that I know of and I'm sure they are just as fun to play but that doesnt change the fact that they look like canned ass. The only reason these tracks are on the schedule is because of the history of the game.
I think that's painting with too broad of a brush. It's old school, sure. It's being played where the game started. Is that the driving reason? No. I think not. It's R&A. There's more than a dozen that fall on the European Tour's schedules. It's important to note that these courses offer challenges you don't find in other layouts. In a sense, no different than the USGA's conditions found at the US Open's when compared to the PGA locations. You want a never ending argument. Try having a conversation with one of the old school golfers on what truly makes a true links course. Those that are real staunch will say there's only four in the states. There are four in my area within a half of an hour but some of the man made elements (irrigation, changing the layout with added ridges, etc.) make some strike those off their list.
