Trump International Golf Links, Scotland

Balmedie, Aberdeenshire · Designed by Martin Hawtree (2012) · Est. 2012

8.6/10Edge Score

££££Green fee

72Par

7,400Yards

18Holes

Why this Edge Score: Martin Hawtree's dramatic and much-debated 2012 links carves through the giant dunes of the Menie estate north of Aberdeen. A big, muscular modern test with a second course alongside, its raw scale earns it a place in our Scottish rankings.

Built through the towering dunes of the Menie estate north of Aberdeen and opened in 2012, Trump International is one of the most dramatic — and most debated — links of modern times. The architect Martin Hawtree routed the course among some of the largest coastal sand dunes in Britain, and the scale of the setting, with fairways running through great dunes down to the North Sea, is undeniably spectacular.

The development was hugely controversial, opposed by environmental campaigners over the protected shifting-dune system, and it remains a lightning rod for strong opinions. Judged purely as a golf course it is a big, muscular links of around 7,400 yards, and a second 18 — the MacLeod Course, named for the owner's Scottish mother — has been developed alongside it. Whatever your view of the man, the golf here is a serious and memorable test.

The shifting dunes here were a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, which sat at the heart of the long planning battle; the course was threaded through them so that, as the owner insisted, the North Sea is in view from every hole. Since opening it has been ranked among Scotland's finest modern courses, and its sheer scale — vast fairways, vast greens and dunes reaching close to a hundred feet — makes it unlike anything else on this coast.

Holes worth knowing

114th (par-4, ~445 yards) — the course's finest: the tee shot plunges to a fairway ribboning through a valley of mighty dunes, the beach and North Sea beyond the marram on the right.

Highlights

Martin Hawtree links (2012) through giant coastal dunes
Among the largest sand-dune settings in British golf
A second course, the MacLeod, alongside

Good to know

→The brief to Hawtree was that the North Sea be visible from every hole — the dunes here reach around 100 feet, so expect big elevation changes and blind-ish lines; a buggy is worth considering.
→It is about 20 minutes north of Aberdeen and pairs naturally with Royal Aberdeen, Murcar and Cruden Bay for one of Scotland's strongest links clusters.
→Opinions on the ownership run strong; we list it on the golf alone. Book direct — it welcomes visitors seven days.
→The course runs through the vast dunes at Balmedie north of Aberdeen — huge, dramatic sandhills that make it one of the most spectacular modern links in Britain.
→It pairs naturally with Royal Aberdeen, Murcar and Cruden Bay for a fine Aberdeenshire links tour; Aberdeen airport is 20 minutes away.

Visitor Information

Getting There

20min drive

Common questions

What is Trump International Golf Links, Scotland like?

Opened in 2012 to a Martin Hawtree design, it runs through some of the largest coastal sand dunes in Britain on the Menie estate north of Aberdeen. It is a big, muscular links of around 7,400 yards, and the scale of the dune setting is genuinely spectacular. A second course, the MacLeod, has been developed alongside it.

Why is the course controversial?

The development was strongly opposed by environmental campaigners over its impact on a protected shifting-dune system, and it remains a lightning rod for opinion. We list it because, judged purely as a golf course, it is a serious and memorable links; travellers can make their own choice about whether to play it.

What is nearby on the Aberdeenshire coast?

It is about 20 minutes north of Aberdeen and pairs with Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links and Cruden Bay for one of the strongest links clusters in Scotland.