Phillips played numerous classic Scottish links courses including the likes of Royal Dornoch in order to ensure his creation at Kingsbarns appeared as rugged and natural as could be. Despite moving hundreds of thousands of tonnes of earth onto the site in order to create the course it is fair to say he achieved his goal. Kingsbarns looks as if it's been perched on the east coast of Fife for hundreds of years and is without-doubt one of the best links courses to have arrived on the golfing scene in the modern era.
Ask any golf purist and they'll tell you that despite the name, Yas Links isn't a "true" links course. Phillips has however managed to bring a few of the elements and aesthetics that make traditional links golf so special to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, creating a world-class course that definitely stands out from the UAE pack. Yas Links is ranked as the best course in the UAE which is an impressive feat when you consider the overall quality on offer throughout Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Known as "London's Country Retreat", The Grove opened for play in 2003 and within 3 years was hosting The World Golf Championships such is the quality of the golf course. Ernie Els may have finished 10 shots shy of Tiger Woods' winning mark of -23, but seemed to enjoy his experience at The Grove nonetheless:
"I loved The Grove. Let me tell you, it is very, very impressive. I would say it's the best-conditioned golf course in Europe, certainly from my experience. Everything was perfect; the course is great, the tees, fairways and greens were incredibly manicured and the practice facilities were amazing. And the food we had at the club all week was magnificent. This was the benchmark for how a tournament should be. It was that good."
