Buckle up for most interesting two events on PGA Tour

Instead of narrow fairways lined with thick rough and trees, links courses feature wide-open visuals off the tee with minimal trees and penalizing fescue lurking near the fairways. The properties don't have large elevation changes, but instead feature sprawling slopes and clever mounds that can kick the ball in any direction. These create multiple awkward lies from various angles during a round. 

With little trouble off the tee, links courses rely on penalizing pot bunkers to serve as their best defense. These bunkers are small, deep, circular sand traps that often force players to play out of them sideways or even backward. Players can sometimes take two or three hacks out of these traps before finally escaping. 

When you tune into the Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship, you'll notice the courses have a yellow tint instead of the fluorescent green typically on display at PGA Tour events. That's because links courses are meant to play firm and fast, giving players the option to run low shots onto sloped greens as the best avenue to get close to the hole. 

Players can't just bomb drives and hit full wedges to these greens like they can on parkland courses. Instead, they must shape shots with different trajectories based on the wind and pin locations. When they miss the green, they must be creative with low chips or long putts off tight lies instead of just hacking it high out of the rough.

Links golf is all about strategy. Players must hit a variety of shots off the tee, approaching the greens and around the greens. A creative mind is just as important as a pristine golf swing over the next two weeks. 

Buckle up for the most unique section of the PGA Tour schedule.