TRUMP INTERNATIONAL GOLF Links - 17 POINTS
Spectacular dunes, like these at the 10th, help define the Trump International course in Aberdeen
If you had asked a fan of golf course architecture about Donald’s Trump impact on the game a dozen years ago there would be some scoffing. His US courses were known for opulence rather than their contribution to golf course architecture, and there may have been some sneers at the use of fountains and an abundance of gold taps on site. Well, in recent years those opinions may have changed.
Major work at Turnberry has elevated it to possibly the best course in the land, Doonbeg in Ireland has benefited from changes to the course and Gil Hanse’s Trump Dubai is a great addition to the area.
But none of these have caused anything like the furore that Trump met when he set out to build a new course just outside of Aberdeen. There is no doubt that the land is spectacular - there aren’t many site left with huge dunes just minutes drive from a major airport and city - so you can see why Trump was so enamoured with it. However, the decision to build a golf course on these dunes was hugely controversial and became one of the most celebrated political hot potatoes in Scotland for years. Books were written, films were made.
The most striking legacy of the controversy may be the reluctance of the Scottish government to grant approval to subsequent developments. The Coul Links project in Embo was considered by many to be a considered golf course, complementary to its surroundings. However, in a post-Trump Aberdeen world it was turned down.
The course was opened by Donald Trump and Colin Montgomerie in 2012. The architect, Martin Hawtree, has designed a course that largely runs in between huge dunes up and down the Aberdeenshire coastline.
I had heard a lot about the course before playing it and was really unsure what to expect. A couple of really good golfers I know just love the place. They believe it is one of the very best courses in Scotland and relish the challenge presented. Others were keen to tell me that this was a course without any significant architectural merit and one which they would happily never play again. A common refrain is that the course was that the course was too brutal to really enjoy unless you were in the very top 1% of golfers.
So, it was with slightly mixed feelings that I arrived at the club on a cold but clear December morning. The first thing I would say is that the club itself doesn’t have the bling and brashness of other Trump properties. The clubhouse is finished to a very high standard (and the welcome I got a warm one) but if anything it felt slightly understated. Gosh!
The scorecard at Trump International Aberdeen - there are many tees to choose from, use them!
As you would expect for a new development like this the practice facilities are built to a high standard with a good length range, short game area and putting green with balls included in the green fee. There weren’t many people out on the day I played, after hitting a few balls I headed to the first tee, anxious to see whether my game would hold up to the demands of this course with such a formidable reputation
If you are a regular reader of my reviews you will have heard the advice I am about to give before, but it applies here more than almost any other course you’ll play. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEES! There is a huge choice at Trump International. The tips play at a mind-boggling 7,428 yards but the very forward tees are 5,215. Given it was cold, windy with a bit of rain in the air I played the White tees at 6,329 but a few were up on the Blues so it probably played at around 6,500. That was perfect for me.
You need to be quite an accomplished golfer to take any pleasure from the back tees, or indeed from the ones in front. Many of those are positioned high on adjoining dunes with barely any fairway visible from the teeing area. Move up a tee and it is far less intimidating - carries to the fairways weren’t particularly long and you tended to be playing fairly straight onto the holes. OK, the views weren’t quite as spectacular but at times I walked back to have a look from the elevated tees to get the views.
The course really does play between the dunes for the vast majority of the holes, as is the trend with modern developments that means that every hole feels quite self contained. The fairways themselves are pretty flat, and wide. As a result if you keep the ball in play then you will be able to get it around fairly easily.
The problem comes when you are wide off the tee. I had an unusually straight round from the tee by my standards and there wasn’t too much with - as a result I didn’t really have to look for my ball at all. Also, playing in the winter helped as the rough was probably much thinner than it is in the middle of a lush summer. I have certainly heard some real horror stories, when I suggested on Twitter that it was more playable than I had expected some questioned by sanity. Ah well, I could only call it as I saw it on the day I was there and with the right tees and a half decent swing it was OK!
There is no doubt that this is a golf course of the highest quality. The conditioning was phenomenal (if you like a grass path you will be happy here) and the course was presented brilliantly. It’s a course where you can really appreciate the scale and grandeur of what has been achieved. In some ways actually, it’s just too good - it feels like there’s one spectacular elevated tee after another. That can make the holes blur together a little, especially some of the longer holes.
The par 3s are a particular strength. The mid-iron 4th drops down to a green that runs towards the water - the closest you get to the coast as all other holes are protected by dunes. The 6th is protected by a bunker on the right and a massive dune on the left meaning precision is demanded from the tee. The 13th was maybe my favourite of the one-shotters. The hole is pretty much the only one playing on the west-east axis and is framed really nicely by the dunes. With bunkers short on all sides you want to make sure you take plenty of club to avoid the trouble.
There are also plenty of memorable longer holes. Like Doonbeg, the course opens with a strong par 5 where strategy and accuracy are rewarded and that theme continues on the front nine. I did think that the short par 7th misses a trick. On the card it’s a driveable par 4 but such is the severity of the slope leading up the green that option is taken away making it a more boring iron and wedge in.
That is quickly forgiven with the 8th hole - the longest par 4 on the course that takes you up to one of the best greens on the course, where no bunkers are required for defence.
The back 9 takes you to the north side of the clubhouse and opens with the par 5 10th. The multi-tiered green is set in possibly the most spectacular dunes on the course which then act as a stunning setting for the 11th tee.
The fourteenth is the hole that’s used in all of the promotional photos for the course. It’s a hole which encapsulates the whole golf course in many ways. Big dunes, intimidating shots and a well protected green. From the back tees it looks like there is just a small ribbon of fairway to aim from but, again, if you tee it forward it’s a hole you can navigate a whole lot easier.
The 14th tee is the most photographed view on the course
The 18th is, fittingly a polarising end to this course which divides opinion so. Whichever tees you have been playing, it’s worth going to the back to look at this 650 yard par 5. Even from the white tees the hole is almost 590 yards long. There are 18 bunkers on the hole and they will challenge you with your drive, your second and your shot into the green. Once again, precision is key.
The eighteenth at Trump International is well protected with bunkers all the way through the hole
It’s a dramatic finishing hole to what is a dramatic course. I was pleasantly surprised with Trump International and came off with a really positive feeling about the course and my hole experience. Of course, this isn’t a historic links course which oozes charm and subtlety. It’s relentlessly brash and tries to outdo itself at every turn. You will have long walks from green to tee, you will have more elevated tee shots than you can shake a stick at. This isn’t a course you would want to play every day, but one that it would be a shame not to see.
I have a couple of niggles. The fairways are lacking much movement and greens are often pushed up to crowns with bunkers at the base. I tend to prefer a links course where you can play the ground game and run the ball on to the green or thereabouts. At Trump International you will be able to do that on occasion but you will need to go in with precision or expect to be punished pretty severely.
As for the greens themselves, they were maybe a little disappointingly muted and lacking in subtlety. Several had clear tiers but beyond that they didn’t leave a huge amount of figuring out. Given the wind and the other hazards around, a conservative design approach was maybe understandable but a little more variety would have been nice.
The Trump grandiosity does manifest itself in one ridiculous way. The website, stroke saver and a sign on the course all make one absurd claim - that the course ‘according to many, is the greatest golf course anywhere in the world’. How absurd. Of course it’s not. And furthermore there is no evidence anywhere that anyone outside of the Trump family has ever called it this. This undermines what is a very good golf course. Indeed, this is one of the best golf courses to have been built in the UK in recent years and it deserves its 80th position in the best courses in the world list. Isn’t that enough for now?!
BOOKING THE COURSE
I find the Trump golf booking engines fairly annoying. For this visit I was able to see the availability online (at https://www.trumpgolfscotland.com/golf/) but I then had to register to book the tee time and it wouldn’t let me do that. In the end I picked up the phone and it was easily sorted.
The green fees at Trump Scotland reflect how highly they believe the course is rated! In the summer you are looking at a fairly breathtaking £435 for a round.. However, it’s worth keeping an eye on the website or phoning them up to see whether they have any offers on as they do pop up from time to time. It’s also cheaper off-season, although was still around £195 for a weekend December tee time.
The course also hosts quite a lot of Open events and this is a great way to play the course at a discount. Golf Empire has a good list of them all here - if you pick the right one you don’t need to be a scratch player to take part and it’s a great way to see the course at a reduced price.
Prices correct as of August 2023
TOUR TIPS
Trump International has really helped raise the profile of Aberdeen as a base for a golf trip. Trump itself is about a 15 minute drive north of the city. I would definitely recommend staying in the city centre and have a hire car to get out an about. Aberdeen is a city dominated by the oil industry and students really so there are plenty of diversion to find there.
You will get the normal Premier Inn/Travelodge options but I would recommend the Sandman hotel if you can get a good price. It is a recent renovation and the quality of the beds, room and general service was really good. Prices will depend on how many businessmen are in town at any time but it’s worth checking out as there are good deals to be had. You are close here to a plethora of good restaurant, pubs and clubs and the right side of the city for getting to the golf courses which all lie to the north.
When it comes to the golf there are two other no-brainers to add to your itinerary. Cruden Bay is 63 in the world and a favourite of many. It will be quite a contrast to Trump - a proper Scottish links with quirks and history galore. It’s about a 30 minute drive north of Aberdeen, beyond Trump International.
Closer to Aberdeen itself is Royal Aberdeen (75th in the World). This is old-school Scottish golf. A formidable links that has hosted both the Walker Cup and Scottish Open.
Next door to Royal Aberdeen is Murcar. While not quite in the same league as the other three courses it is a very good links course (top 50 in Scotland). If you are looking for a slightly cheaper round to add to your itinerary you may consider heading just south to Stonehaven which is a good value course.
Aberdeen may seem a long way from anywhere but if you are based in the south of England, or flying in internationally, there are regular flights up so for many it will be just as easy to as Edinburgh or Glasgow. If you are looking to make a longer trip then it’s a couple of hours drive up to Inverness where the delights of Castle Stuart, Royal Dornoch and many others lie - and make sure you stop off at Moray on the way!
CONTACT DETAILS
Trump International Golf Links
Balmedie,
Aberdeen AB23 8YE
Web - www.trumpgolfscotland.com/
Phone - +44 (0)1358 743300
Email - bookings@trumpgolfscotland.com
