Menie Estate,
Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE
Office
+44 (0)1358 743 300Pro shop
+44 (0)1358 743 300Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Jonas Hedberg / Ross McKen.The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Undulating terrain - several slopes to climb.
Surroundings:
Coastal duneland and wetland directly alongside Balmedie Beach and the North Sea.
Designer:
Martin Hawtree, with Christian Lundin and Christine Fraser.
Above details are for the New course. Also at Trump Aberdeen is the 18-hole championship Old course (par-72; 7452 yds from back tees; rating 78.3).
57.274387
-2.024174
9 mi N of Aberdeen.
Trump Aberdeen (New)
Trump International Golf Links Scotland (frequently referred to as Trump Aberdeen) is home to two "modern links" high-rollers. Laid out behind Balmedie Beach on the Menie Estate, the Old and New courses represent significant and much lauded additions to the wonderful array of links layouts in Scotland. Both have taken their place amongst the best maintained and finest seaside courses in the British Isles.
Martin Hawtree and Christian Lundin's design for the New course is based on an out-and-back routing. The layout initially weaves through wetland areas, before getting into its duneland stride in the middle section (holes 7 thru' 14). Both courses here, Old and New, make use of a huge area of coastal sand hills ... as big as you'll find around the British coast. Courtesy of Trump Golf they now carry the title, the "Great Dunes of Scotland".
There's plenty of drama and challenge in the big dimension New course ... greater perhaps than in the more classic Old course. The New kid on the block will enthral and delight the visual senses, and provoke a wide spectrum of golfing reactions. This is certainly not a course for the faint-hearted. Choosing the right tees for your game is a wise first step.
Around the opulently sized and sloping greens, bunkering is not necessarily the primary defence. Its relative absence (there are exceptions!), is compensated for by deep swales and large run-off areas , from which your short game will be soundly tested.
Pick of the holes: the layout has many memorable holes, not least the par-3s at 3, 7 and 12, great par-4s at 8 and 10, and ferocious par-5s at 5 and especially 15. It's also hard to forget the larger than life dunes and North Sea coastal views in the mid-section of the course, and those precociously deep swales around the greens.
Stay&Play at Trump Aberdeen: luxury onsite accommodation available, see Where2Stay section below.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends during the golf season (March thru' Nov).
Must book in advance.
Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2026].
Soft spikes only. Golf carts available for hire. Caddies available (book in advance).
Excellent (incl a double-ended driving range).
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.
Scotland's 31st best course (Golf World, 2025).
Menie Estate, Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE.
+44 (0)1358 743 300
Visit websiteThis opulent boutique manor-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.
Trump Aberdeen
Newburgh-on-Ythan
Murcar Links; Royal Aberdeen; Cruden Bay; Peterhead (23 mi).
North Deeside Road, Pitfodels, Aberdeen AB15 9YA.
+44 (0)1224 861 000
Visit websiteSet 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.
No
Deeside; Royal Aberdeen (6 mi).
Murcar; Newmachar; Trump Intl; Newburgh-on-Ythan; Banchory; Meldrum House.
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
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
You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.
