------By Mark Godfrey

The term "links", much like the similarly overused "superstar", tends to get thrown about with reckless abandon in China's golf scene with no attention paid to its real meaning.

For anyone familiar with the often long-winded traditions of golf, a person first has to ask: Does the Middle Kingdom actually have any true links?

Real links, such as the great coastal layouts found around Great Britain and Ireland, are built on low-lying scrub land between the sea and arable land. They are on land usually of no use for farming and the many bumps and hollows that annually confound and derail the world's best players at the Open Championship have largely been formed by the tides over the centuries. Sand is understandably in abundance and many of the slightly elevated greens found on links have been constructed by piling up this natural building material.

In a country where China's 300-plus courses are 90 percent resort and parkland style, what few examples there are of links are really links-style. That said, there are some excellent examples that are worth seeking out, remote though they often are. Dalian Golden Pebble Beach, or Jinshi Golf Club as it's known in Chinese, is connected to the ocean - but via a treacherous drop-off. Situated about 45 minutes north of the picturesque Liaoning province city, this layout is cliff-top golf that's as good as it gets in the country.

Down the coast in Shandong province, about 90 minutes north of Qingdao, is Tiger Beach Golf Links, a sister club to Scotland's famed Carnoustie. This impressive layout is Beta Soong's links tribute to his favorite style of golf. Built on previously flat farmland abutting the Yellow Sea, the Shanghai Silport owner spent three years lovingly creating 18 holes that take in the best elements of links to fantastic effect.

In the Shanghai-Suzhou area, swingers have a choice of four links examples.

Binhai Links, just south of Pudong Airport, features the fantastic Fairy Lakes course designed by Aussie great Peter Thomson. The five-time British Open champion has created an excellent challenge that can be played regularly with the club's inexpensive annual membership. Malcontents moan about its abundance of sand traps, but hey, it's golf - it isn't supposed to be easy.

Just north is Shanghai Links, a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18 holes that is wide open, always windy and relatively friendly. While the course is lined with some middle-American-style housing, the sort that is a favoured target of Midwest tornadoes, the 219-yard seventh jutting into water is an excellent par-three. The club also possibly has the best two finishing holes in the city, but sadly doesn't take advantage of its ocean view.

The most wild links-like experience in China is Suzhou Sun Island. The Nelson and Haworth design is Irish links and homage to such courses as Ballybunion and Port Rush, among others. The dunes here are hard, huge and treacherous and immensely memorable.

Close by, the Gary Player-designed Suzhou Jinji Lake features nine holes of Scottish links, along with parkland and forest nines. After playing the course, one wishes it were all links.

Further south, honourable mention goes to Bao'an on Hainan Island and the fantastic Kau Sai Chau and Clearwater Bay cliff-top layouts in Hong Kong. But while they are on the water, none of the above is a true links course.

So does China actually have a real links course? It does, but you will have to go to Fujian province to play it. The Trans Strait Golf Club in Fuzhou undoubtedly had designer Robert Trent Jones II drooling when he first viewed the property.

As far as a couple of kilometres back from its property line on the Taiwan Strait, white sand is in abundance. Jones did a pretty good job in taking advantage of the terrain, but sadly, like so many grand projects planned in China, the whole facility has fallen into disrepair.

The planned housing has never materialised 10 years after opening, and the course is truly beaten. Sand bunkers have formed next to the greens from electric carts driving over the areas too much. Its state is both comical and tragic. But after a multi-million-dollar renovation, China's original links layout will surely be recognised.