If you've ever been to North Berwick, however, the concept becomes more tangible. As Golf Digest's Jamie Kennedy detailed, work has begun to protect the course against coastal erosion, which it is particularly vulnerable to given how much of the storied links are nestled along the shores of the Firth of Forth. I was there in October to visit my son, who was studying at St. Andrews, and we played to a steady gallery of residents who know North Berwick as more than just one of the best courses in the world, but possibly one of the greatest dog-walking beaches as well.