Versatility with a view – that is the Yas Links golf course in a nutshell

Before designing YasLinks, Kyle Phillips, a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has designed such well-known courses as The Grove in London, and Scottish stunners, Dundonald - Loch Lomond Golf Club in Troon and Kingsbarns Golf Links in St Andrews, as well as clubs across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, North America and South America.

The Yas Links course in Abu Dhabi was Phillips’ first foray into course design for the Middle East. It opened in March 2010 and very quickly developed a reputation as a world-leading destination for keen players. By 2012, the course was ranked in the top 25 in the world by US magazine, Golf Digest, and on multiple occasions, Yas Links has been ranked the number one course in the Middle East. Not bad for a course that sprung up on a man-made island that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

With a formula one track and a Ferrari theme park as neighbours, Yas Links had to be something special to stand out. With the UAE’s deserts just a short drive away, the course stands out as an oasis of green located alongside a calm stretch of Arabian Gulf seashore, complete with 130,000 new mangrove plants. Eight of the 18 holes are played along the coastline and the views are spectacular right across the course