Trump Aberdeen - Scotland

Menie Estate,

Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE

  • Office

    +44 (0)1358 743 300
  • Pro shop

    +44 (0)1358 743 300
  • Golf pro

    Jonas Hedberg / Ross McKen.

About the course

  • The Course:

    18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.

  • Surroundings:

    Coastal duneland directly alongside Balmedie Beach and the North Sea.

  • Designer:

    Dr Martin Hawtree

Back
tees
Club
tees
Front
tees
Yards
7428
5845
5215
Par
72
72
72
SSS or slope
75
70
71

Location

Latitude:

57.274681

Longitude:

-2.037320

How to get there:

9 mi N of Aberdeen.

Trump International Scotland

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.

Est. 2012

Trump International Scotland (frequently referred to as Trump Aberdeen) is home to one of the finest seaside links golf courses in the British Isles. Laid out behind Balmedie Beach on the Menie Estate, this relatively new addition to the panoply of great links layouts in Scotland contains a wealth of wonderfully crafted, memorable and challenging holes. The course occupies an area of huge coastal sand hills, as big as you'll find on any golf course in Britain, and rebranded by Trump as the "Great Dunes of Scotland".

Martin Hawtree's design is based on two nine-hole loops that weave through the dunes on either side of the functional rather than opulent clubhouse. There's plenty of undulation and elevation change along the way. Several tee-boxes, fairways and greens rise-up to provide views onto the North Sea, as well as far inland over the rich and rolling Aberdeenshire farmland. Other parts of the course plunge into sheltered valleys. Close-mown fairways and fast-paced greens are liberally dotted with revetted pot bunkers, and always back-dropped by the pale green, marram-grass covered dunes.

The creation of a golf course on these centuries old sand hills was not without some local controversy, further compounded by the addition of a few wind turbines just offshore. However, the resulting layout, ruggedly handsome rather than winsomely beautiful, has been widely acknowledged in the golfing world as a stunning addition to the links courses of the British Isles. Definitely worth going out of your way to play.

Pick of the holes: Almost a case of take your pick from any of the 18, but in terms of North Sea and coastal views, they don't come any better than those from the back tees of the par-4 14th hole and long par-5 18th.

Stay&Play at Trump Aberdeen: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.

List of courses: Scotland - North East

Visitors

Who can play and when?

Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends during the golf season (March thru' Nov).

Must book in advance.

Green fees

Visitor fee, 18-holes in high season (June thru' Sept): Mon-Thur £365; Fri-Sun £395.

Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].

Other information

Soft spikes only. This is a walking course. Golf carts available for hire only with a valid medical certificate. Caddies available (book in advance).

Practice facilities

Excellent (incl a double-ended driving range).

Did you know?

Donald Trump's connection to Scotland goes back to his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born on the Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides), off the west coast of Scotland. His grandfather, Frederick Trump (born Friedrich Trumpf), emigrated to the United States in 1885 and became a naturalised American in 1892.

Published ranking

Scotland's 9th best course (Golf World, 2022).
Britain & Ireland's 21st best course (Golf World, 2022).
World's 35th best public access course (Golf World, 2023). Formerly ranked world's 100th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2019; not in subsequent editions of this ranking).

Where2Stay

  • MacLeod House & Lodge5-star

    Menie estate, Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE.

    +44 (0)1358 743 300

    Visit website

    This opulent boutique house hotel provides superior and grand deluxe guestrooms, intimate bar and excellent dining facilities. With its secret stairways, traditional log fires, whisky snug and spectacular grounds, MacLeod House & Lodge (named after Donald Trump's Scottish grandmother) offers luxury and comfort in a secluded and dramatic location.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      Trump Aberdeen

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Newburgh-on-Ythan

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Murcar Links; Royal Aberdeen; Cruden Bay; Peterhead (23 mi).

  • The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa5-star

    North Deeside Road, Pitfodels, Aberdeen AB15 9YA.

    +44 (0)1224 861 000

    Visit website

    Set in its own picturesque grounds on the outskirts of the historic city of Aberdeen, The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa at Pitfodels is a five-star Scottish country hotel offering 40 luxury guest rooms and suites. Since its official opening in 1993 by Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, this luxury hotel has earned wide acclaim as an ideal base for exploring the many riches that North-east Scotland offers ... not least an excellent array of world-class coastal and inland golf courses that includes Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay and Trump Aberdeen. The hotel is a member of the coveted Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection.

    • Golf at this hotel:

      No

    • Golf within 5 miles:

      Deeside; Royal Aberdeen (6 mi).

    • Golf within 20 miles:

      Murcar; Newmachar; Trump Intl; Newburgh-on-Ythan; Banchory; Meldrum House.

Find a course

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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