By Toby Ingleton |
Kyle Phillips is prioritising playability for his redesign of the golf course at The European Club in Wicklow, Ireland, which will be renamed as Brittas Bay Club.
“One of the fun things about links golf is having multiple lines of play,” said Phillips. “Our intention is to get the most out of the land and the best result we can within this beautiful property.”
Phillips – whose work includes links designs at Kingsbarns and Dundonald in Scotland and Yas Links in Abu Dhabi – is working on opening sightlines to give golfers a variety of options to play each hole. He also plans to expose more sea vistas and create a more enjoyable round for players of all abilities.
“One of the fun things about links golf is having multiple lines of play,” says Kyle Phillips (Photo: Brittas Bay Club)
The European Club was acquired by Irish businessman Raymond Conlan and his family in summer 2025. It was previously owned and operated by Pat Ruddy, a former golf writer and architect who oversaw the original design and construction of the course, which opened in 1992.
“When I first spoke to Kyle, I was immediately inspired by his vision for the golf course,” said Brittas Bay Club’s managing director Nicky Conlan. “I think his reputation is second to none when you look at some of the courses he’s designed.”
The course lies alongside the Irish Sea, about an hour south of Dublin (Photo: Mel Maclaine)
The club says that much of the native plants and turf traditionally found on links golf courses have disappeared from the property. The renovation will see the return of such plant species and grasses, to create a truer links experience for players and reestablish the natural landscape. The club’s goal is “to embrace the incredible ecosystem that is home to the course”. A portion of every green fee will be directed to the preservation of the Tern, a bird that nests annually in Brittas Bay.
Ireland based consultancy firm Turfgrass has been appointed as owner’s representative, project manager and agronomic lead for the transformation of the course. GolfLink Evolve will be responsible for construction.
The European Club has long been known for its landscape of high dunes (Photo: Mel Maclaine)
“Our vision is to realise the full potential of this site,” says Conlan. “We believe we potentially have a world-class golf course on our hands and we treat that with huge respect with what’s gone on before us.”
“Our vision is to realise the full potential of the site,” says owner Nicky Conlan, pictured (left) with his father Raymond (Photo: Kevin Markham)