Menie Estate,
Balmedie, Aberdeenshire AB23 8YE
Office
+44 (0)1358 743 300Pro shop
+44 (0)1358 743 300Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Christopher Campbell (PGA, Head Golf Professional).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
57.274681
-2.037320
9 mi N of Aberdeen.
Trump Aberdeen
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.
MOST MEMORABLE 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.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends during the golf season (March thru' Nov).
Must book in advance.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].
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.
2019 Golf World rating: 9th best course in Britain & Ireland; 6th best in Scotland.
2019 Golf World rating: 3rd best Stay&Play golf resort in Britain & Ireland.
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.
Tournaments:
PGA Championship: the first men’s major of the year will be contested at TPC Harding Park, without spectators being present (Aug 6-9).
European Senior (Staysure) Tour: the Europe-based over-50s tour for men has taken the reluctant step of cancelling the entire 2020 season, based on the additional coronavirus risk associated with the age demographic of the players.
Who's Who:
Miguel Ángel Jiménez: recorded his 707th European Tour start at the English Open in July, surpassing Sam Torrance’s record for the most appearances on the Tour.
Brooks Koepka: the former world No.1 defends his title at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational at TPC Southwind in Memphis (July 30-Aug 2).
Traigh Golf Course (pronounced "try", and meaning "beach" in Gaelic): You'll find this nine-hole seaside gem on the scenic coast road (as opposed to the more inland and quicker A830) between Arisaig and Morar. Although not on the well-beaten path of Scotland's "trophy" courses, if you are passing through this area, it's a must play.
Read More...
Cullen Links Golf Club: "immensely scenic", "quirky as golf can get", "short!", "hugely enjoyable" ... Cullen Links attracts as wide a variety of comments as it lays down golfing challenges. Shoehorned into this 4,600 yard treasure trove are ten par-3s, seven par-4s and a good-length par-5. Here you'll find all the seaside scenery a golfer could ask for, and a lot more besides. Read More...
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