As soon as I stepped onto the first tee at Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, I instantly recalled just how much I love links golf (if I ever needed reminding!). The smell of the sea air, the thick knee-high rough framing the fairways, the pot bunkers, and of course... the howling wind! There is just something about the battle against the elements, and the creativity required in order to score well that makes links golf so enjoyable.

Golf has been played on these historic links on the Suffolk coastline for over 130 years, and the club continues to be invested in, hopefully to ensure it's future for another 130+ years!

I wouldn't normally play golf in 30+mph winds, but the sun was out and it was my only chance to play this weekend, and I couldn't turn down the opportunity to squeeze some links golf in. Luckily for me, the first 4 or so holes were playing downwind, so eased me into it as best it could!

Stood on the 6th tee, I was 2 under par following birdies at the 4th and 5th - definitely an unusual position for me to be in... but then I turned back into the wind! I managed to make it to the turn in even par... but then the wheels fell off on 11, and in the end I was hanging on for a round of +11 (approximately to my handicap).

Felixstowe Ferry has so many fantastic holes, often requiring different strategies to play well, often determined by the wind direction. Straying offline will often find you in trouble with penal rough, deep bunkers or winding burns.

If you love links golf, Felixstowe Ferry is a fine example of how the combination of natural beauty and the elements can come together to make a challenging yet incredibly fun test of golf.