In Part 1, we talked about the foundation of links putting. Read the land. Use the ground. Respect the off-green putt. Match speed and line. See the whole journey before you make the stroke.
Now comes the second layer.
As the game moves from the Genesis Scottish Open into The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, the putting test becomes more than a surface test. It becomes a patience test. It becomes a wind test. It becomes a nerve test. The best players in the world will not simply be trying to make putts. They will be trying to avoid the kind of putting mistakes that can turn a good Open round into a fight for survival.
That is where links putting becomes championship putting.
The average golfer can learn a lot from this, because most putting problems are not really stroke problems. They are decision problems, speed problems and emotional problems. Links conditions expose all three.
Wind Changes More Than Full Shots
Most golfers think about wind when they are standing on a tee box or choosing an iron into a green. They do not always think about wind when they are putting.
They should.
On exposed links greens, wind can affect balance, routine, focus and sometimes even the ball itself. A 35-foot putt into the wind may need more pace than your eyes suggest. A fast downhill putt downwind may feel like it barely needs a touch. A short putt in a crosswind can make the player feel uncomfortable over the ball, even if the ball does not move dramatically.
The biggest issue is often not the ball. It is the body.
When wind is moving around you, many players get tense. Their grip pressure increases. Their stance becomes rigid. Their stroke loses flow. They try to guide the putter instead of letting it swing. That is when speed control disappears.
The solution is to build a wind putting routine that emphasizes stability without tension:
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Widen your stance slightly. Do not overdo it. Just feel more connected to the ground.
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Soften your hands. Wind makes players squeeze. Fight that instinct.
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Keep your eyes quiet. Pick the line, then let the stroke happen.
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Hold your finish. A balanced finish is proof that you did not flinch.
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Accept small movement. Windy putting is rarely perfect putting.
This is a major Open Championship lesson. The player who stays calm over the ball often putts better than the player with the prettiest stroke.
Lag Putting Is the Open Championship Skill Nobody Talks About Enough
The Open is famous for creativity, flight control and awkward bounces. But putting, especially lag putting, is one of the quiet keys to surviving links golf.
On large, exposed, undulating greens, a 60-footer is not just a long putt. It is a strategy shot. The player has to decide whether to feed the ball over a ridge, use a side slope, die it near the hole or take a more direct line with firmer speed. The wrong decision can leave a six-footer that feels twice as long in the wind.
For everyday golfers, lag putting is one of the quickest ways to lower scores. You do not need to make many 40-footers to become a better putter. You need to stop turning 40-footers into three-putts.
The best lag putters do three things well. They read the biggest slope first. They match their line to their speed. They care more about the next putt than the perfect putt.
That last one is important. From long range, your goal is not always to scare the hole. Your goal is to leave the easiest possible second putt. On links greens, that often means leaving the ball below the hole or on the correct side of a slope, even if that means aiming away from the cup.
Smart lag putting is not passive. It is disciplined.
The Three-Putt Avoidance Mindset
One of the biggest mistakes amateurs make is treating every putt like a make-or-miss moment. Inside 10 feet, that might be fair. From 40, 50 or 60 feet, it is the wrong mindset.
From long range, the question should be: “Where can I leave this ball so the next putt is simple?”
That is how good players think in championship conditions. They are not afraid to make a putt, but they are also not reckless with speed. They understand that a stress-free two-putt can be a gained shot when other players are compounding mistakes.
Here is a simple way for everyday golfers to apply that idea:
On long putts, create a “safe zone” around the hole. If the putt is uphill, that zone can be smaller because the comeback putt will not scare you as much. If the putt is downhill or downwind, the safe zone should be bigger and more conservative. If the putt breaks hard, the safe zone may be on the high side, not directly behind the hole.
That is real putting strategy. Not every good putt finishes close by accident. Many finish close because the player knew where close needed to be.
Short Putts on Links Greens: Commit or Pay the Price
Long putts get the attention in links golf, but short putts decide scorecards.
A four-footer in calm conditions is one thing. A four-footer on a links green with wind, exposed footing and a little uncertainty in the read is something else. That is when commitment matters.
The key is to avoid over-reading short putts. On links-style greens, especially when wind is part of the equation, players sometimes give short putts too much respect. They see every little movement, every little slope, every possible miss. By the time they stand over the ball, they have three reads in their head and no stroke left.
For short putts, simplify:
Pick the start line. Pick the pace. Keep your head stable. Roll it.
That sounds basic, but it is exactly what pressure putting requires. The more uncomfortable the environment becomes, the simpler the routine has to be. A complicated routine breaks down when the wind is blowing and the putt matters.
Practice Drill: The Open Lag Ladder
Set putts at 30, 45, 60 and 75 feet. Use one ball from each station. Your goal is to get all four putts inside a three-foot circle.
If you miss the circle, start over.
Once you can complete the drill on a calm day, add a second version. Before each putt, identify the safest leave. Say it out loud: “Below the hole,” “high side,” “past the ridge” or “short is fine.” Then roll the putt.
This turns lag putting into decision training, which is exactly what links golf demands.
Practice Drill: The Wind-Stable Six
Place six balls around a hole from three to six feet. Before each putt, go through the same routine:
Set your feet. Soften your hands. Pick the start line. Roll it and hold the finish.
The goal is to make five out of six. If you miss, do not immediately blame the stroke. Ask whether you committed to the start line and held your balance. On windy days, those two things are often more important than searching for a mechanical fix.
Practice Drill: The Off-Green Two-Putt Challenge
This drill connects Part 1 and Part 2.
Place five balls off the green in different spots. Some should be on tight grass. Some should be slightly into the collar. Some should require you to putt over a slope or through a small valley.
Use only your putter. Your goal is not to hole the first one. Your goal is to two-putt all five.
This is a great links drill because it teaches touch, creativity and patience at the same time. It also reminds golfers that using the putter from off the green is not just about getting the ball close. It is about keeping the big number off the card.
What Everyday Golfers Should Take to the Course
If you are playing a links-style course, or even a firm course with tight surrounds, take these ideas with you:
Read the whole ground, not just the green. The ball’s journey may start well before the putting surface.
Use the putter from off the green when the path allows it. Simple is often smart.
Let speed lead the read. The line only works if the pace matches it.
Treat lag putting like strategy. The best leave matters.
Simplify short putts. Wind and pressure demand commitment, not extra thoughts.
Stay patient. Links putting can make good strokes look average and average decisions look terrible. Do not let one strange roll ruin your next decision.
Part 2 Final Roll
Links putting is not about being perfect. It is about being adaptable.
Part 1 was about learning to see the ground and use it. Part 2 is about handling what links golf adds on top of that: wind, longer putts, tougher leaves and the pressure of knowing that one careless stroke can turn into two or three.
That is why the Scottish Open and The Open Championship are such useful putting classrooms. They remind us that great putting is not only built on technique. It is built on awareness, imagination, speed control and nerve.
For the everyday golfer, that is encouraging. You do not need a Tour-level stroke to make smarter links putting decisions. You need better eyes, better pace and a calmer plan.
On links courses, the ground is talking.
The best putters listen.
