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 directly alongside Balmedie Beach and the North Sea.
Designer:
Martin Hawtree
Above details are for the Old course. Also at Trump Aberdeen (opening in summer 2025) is the 18-hole championship New course.
57.278866
-2.018095
9 mi N of Aberdeen.
Trump Aberdeen (Old)
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.
MacLeod course: joining Trump Aberdeen's "Old" course in summer 2025 will be the new Macleod course .. also a championship seaside links layout designed by Martin Hawtree.
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: 2023].
Soft spikes only. This is a walking course. Golf carts available for hire only with a valid medical certificate. 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 12th best course (Golf World, 2024).
Britain & Ireland's 25th best course (Golf World, 2025).
World's 35th best public access course (Golf World, 2025). Formerly ranked world's 100th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2019; not in subsequent editions of this ranking).
Menie Estate, Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE.
+44 (0)1358 743 300
Visit websiteThis 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.
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.
Women’s (British) Open: the last women’s major championship of the season is hosted by Royal Porthcawl GC. It’s the first time this fabulous seaside links course has hosted the event (July 31-Aug 3).
Walker Cup: the 50th playing of this prestigious men’s amateur event sees the GB&I go head-to-head against the defending USA team at Cypress Point Club, California (Sept 6-7).
After that, all eyes turn to Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY, where the American and defending European professional teams engage in the 45th Ryder Cup (Sept 27-29).
Lottie Woad: 21-year-old Woad burst onto the professional scene in July, with wins in the Women’s Irish Open (as an amateur) and three weeks later in the Women’s Scottish Open (as a professional). She nearly picked-up a major championship, placing third in The Evian in the same month.
Pádraig Harrington: the ever-likeable Irishman added the (British) Senior Open Championship title to his stellar array of tournament successes. His win came on Sunningdale’s spectacular Old Course. Harrington had already bagged the U.S. Senior Open title in June this year.
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
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