63 achieved on a site with a complete absence of redeeming features. Even at Kingsbarns, where the coastline setting provided obvious potential, the land itself was featureless – a few gently sloping farmer’s fields – before Phillips got to work. Their overriding theme for the entire development – course, clubhouse, villas and spa – was to be fresh and modern, but with elements that were traditional and distinctly Thai. “We always wanted to have the roots of a traditional club, but to also push the boundaries to make Stonehill the best in the country and a great experiencedriven product,” says Ing. Phillips made his first visit in 2017. “The site was flat. A big delta with layers of thick clay,” he says. Marcus Reams of Flagstick Golf Course Construction, whose team built the course, adds: “It was essentially overgrown rice paddies, scrub brush and various trees.” Work on the landscape began with the clearance of that brush. Specimen trees were preserved or relocated elsewhere on the property – a key to delivering that Thai identity. Around 380 trees were saved or replanted, and 4,200 more were brought in from other areas of the country. “We identified which groups of trees were nicer in character and, where possible, worked around them,” says Phillips. One particular existing tree, on the seventeenth, is a marker for the property’s original elevation. All other areas of the undulating course have Phillips’ routing features generous fairway width, expansive bunkers, short green-to-tee connections, and water as a defence on several holes Image: Kyle Phillips Golf Course Design Photo: Jason Michael Lang
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