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If one thinks about the
greatest golf course
architects of the modern
era the list would probably
contain names such as
Doak, Dye, Fazio, Hills,
Jones and Jones II and plus
perhaps players turned
architect like Palmer,
Nicklaus and Norman.
However there’s one more
name which should be
included, Californian Kyle
Phillips. Who is Kyle
Phillips, you say? American
golfers are not familiar with
the name nor the courses
Phillips has to his credit but
the list is impressive…it’s
just most of them are
outside the U.S.
greatest golf course
architects of the modern
era the list would probably
contain names such as
Doak, Dye, Fazio, Hills,
Jones and Jones II and plus
perhaps players turned
architect like Palmer,
Nicklaus and Norman.
However there’s one more
name which should be
included, Californian Kyle
Phillips. Who is Kyle
Phillips, you say? American
golfers are not familiar with
the name nor the courses
Phillips has to his credit but
the list is impressive…it’s
just most of them are
outside the U.S.
The best course designer you’ve never heard of
Kyle Phillips has worked mostly in Europe
By Ed Travis
Kyle Phillips has worked mostly in Europe
By Ed Travis
The eighth at Kingsbarns as designed by Kyle Phillips, plays from
168-yards down to 89-yards but the green has two distinct
plateaus, the left half being much lower and can be reached with
a good iron shot or by utilizing the green contour from the center.
The yawning bunker is actually short of the green and should not
be a problem. Running a shot to hole locations on the right will
often work better than attempting to stop the ball on the small
terrace.
168-yards down to 89-yards but the green has two distinct
plateaus, the left half being much lower and can be reached with
a good iron shot or by utilizing the green contour from the center.
The yawning bunker is actually short of the green and should not
be a problem. Running a shot to hole locations on the right will
often work better than attempting to stop the ball on the small
terrace.
Phillips began his design career as an associate on the
staff of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Design and for
16 years worked on projects around the world. Of the 25
courses under the tutelage of RTJII only eight were in the
States, the others were located in diverse locales ranging
from Aruba to Finland.
Then in 1997 he decided to go out on his own starting his
own company named aptly, Kyle Phillips Golf Course
Design based in Granite Bay, Calif. north of Sacramento.
Phillips and staff provide full design and planning
services but again most of the work has been in Europe.
Many of his U.S. courses have been being renovations
like the very well received redo of the original Vernon
Macan design at the California Golf Club of San
Francisco, restored and redesigned by Phillips in 2008.
He also remodelled the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
(Manassas, Va.), a 1991 Robert Trent Jones Sr. design
and site of the 2000 & 2005 Presidents Cup.
staff of Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course Design and for
16 years worked on projects around the world. Of the 25
courses under the tutelage of RTJII only eight were in the
States, the others were located in diverse locales ranging
from Aruba to Finland.
Then in 1997 he decided to go out on his own starting his
own company named aptly, Kyle Phillips Golf Course
Design based in Granite Bay, Calif. north of Sacramento.
Phillips and staff provide full design and planning
services but again most of the work has been in Europe.
Many of his U.S. courses have been being renovations
like the very well received redo of the original Vernon
Macan design at the California Golf Club of San
Francisco, restored and redesigned by Phillips in 2008.
He also remodelled the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
(Manassas, Va.), a 1991 Robert Trent Jones Sr. design
and site of the 2000 & 2005 Presidents Cup.
American Kyle Phillips has
designed some of the most
outstanding golf course in the
world but is relatively unknown
in this country.
designed some of the most
outstanding golf course in the
world but is relatively unknown
in this country.
Still, with California Golf Club and others being private
most golfers would not necessarily be familiar with either
the course or his work.
American golfers though have heard of Kingsbarns Golf
Links in St. Andrews, Scotland site of the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship which Phillips built and opened in
2000. Then there’s the Dundonald Links at Loch Lomond
Golf Club on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, rated as a fine
links course since opening in 2004. Also in Great Britain
is The Grove outside of London which the Robb Report
awarded a ‘Best of the Best’ within a year of play
beginning in 2003.
Phillips says his designs try to take advantage of whatever
terrain the site has to offer and he has gained a reputation
as building very good links courses as is certainly shown
in Kingsbarns and one of the latest of his designs, the
Yas Links on Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, United
Arab Emirates.
Yas Island, which barely rises above the sea, offered the
opportunity for Phillips to design a traditional links course.
Eight holes are on the ocean and with more than 100
bunkers the constant wind makes Yas Links no pushover
resort layout. He even used Paspalum (a salt tolerant
grass variety) so the course plays firm and fast year round.
“What makes Yas Links so intriguing is how traditional it
is because nothing like it has ever been attempted before
in the UAE,” says Phillips. “There are a lot of very good
courses in the UAE but up until now there hasn’t been
anything that would feature on a golf connoisseurs ‘must
play’ list.”
The flat desert wasteland with no vegetation was
converted to dunes mimicking a Scotland links course, “It
was a tough challenge and we had to work out where we
could find the material to build the landforms necessary to
create a true, traditional-style links course. We also had
to take great care in preserving the ecology and every
aspect of the course design took this into account.”
most golfers would not necessarily be familiar with either
the course or his work.
American golfers though have heard of Kingsbarns Golf
Links in St. Andrews, Scotland site of the Alfred Dunhill
Links Championship which Phillips built and opened in
2000. Then there’s the Dundonald Links at Loch Lomond
Golf Club on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, rated as a fine
links course since opening in 2004. Also in Great Britain
is The Grove outside of London which the Robb Report
awarded a ‘Best of the Best’ within a year of play
beginning in 2003.
Phillips says his designs try to take advantage of whatever
terrain the site has to offer and he has gained a reputation
as building very good links courses as is certainly shown
in Kingsbarns and one of the latest of his designs, the
Yas Links on Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi, United
Arab Emirates.
Yas Island, which barely rises above the sea, offered the
opportunity for Phillips to design a traditional links course.
Eight holes are on the ocean and with more than 100
bunkers the constant wind makes Yas Links no pushover
resort layout. He even used Paspalum (a salt tolerant
grass variety) so the course plays firm and fast year round.
“What makes Yas Links so intriguing is how traditional it
is because nothing like it has ever been attempted before
in the UAE,” says Phillips. “There are a lot of very good
courses in the UAE but up until now there hasn’t been
anything that would feature on a golf connoisseurs ‘must
play’ list.”
The flat desert wasteland with no vegetation was
converted to dunes mimicking a Scotland links course, “It
was a tough challenge and we had to work out where we
could find the material to build the landforms necessary to
create a true, traditional-style links course. We also had
to take great care in preserving the ecology and every
aspect of the course design took this into account.”
And with pride, a characteristic shared with all great
course architects, Phillips added, “Any good golf course
has to have a big finish and I believe the three closing
holes at Yas Links are three of the best closing holes of
any course in the world I know.”
Don’t be surprised if you hear a lot more about Phillips.
He has some projects that should bring him a lot more
attention such as the current remodeling of the top two
ranked courses in Europe, Valderamma Golf Club in
Spain and Morfortaine, considered to be the best course
in France.
course architects, Phillips added, “Any good golf course
has to have a big finish and I believe the three closing
holes at Yas Links are three of the best closing holes of
any course in the world I know.”
Don’t be surprised if you hear a lot more about Phillips.
He has some projects that should bring him a lot more
attention such as the current remodeling of the top two
ranked courses in Europe, Valderamma Golf Club in
Spain and Morfortaine, considered to be the best course
in France.