The Grove

The Grove sits on a 300-acre estate in Hertfordshire, approximately twenty miles northwest of central London. The course was designed by Kyle Phillips and opened in 2003 as part of a luxury hotel and resort development on land that had been private parkland for centuries. Phillips routed the layout through mature woodland and around several natural water features, creating a parkland design that incorporates the estate's established trees and rolling terrain. The course measures over 7,000 yards from the championship tees and features wide fairways bordered by dense woodland, strategic bunkering, and water hazards that come into play on several holes. The design emphasizes positional play off the tee, with fairway contours and hazard placement rewarding accuracy over pure distance. The greens are large and undulating, typical of Phillips's work, and the course maintains a links-influenced aesthetic in its bunkering style despite its inland parkland setting. The Grove has hosted professional tournament golf, most notably serving as the venue for the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship in 2006 and the British Masters on multiple occasions in recent years. The course is part of a resort that includes a hotel, spa, and extensive practice facilities. The estate's historical character, with its mansion house and formal gardens, provides a traditional English country setting that distinguishes the property within the London area golf market.