Old Course






Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, built on land Donald Trump once called the "greatest golf course land anywhere in the world," presents a formidable, if polarizing, challenge along the dramatic coastline of the Menie Estate, just north of Aberdeen. Carved into a vast, undulating dune system, the course is a modern links, opened in 2012, designed to evoke the spirit of the game's earliest layouts, though with a decidedly 21st-century scale and ambition. Architect Martin Hawtree routed a course that plays long and exposed, rewarding power and a willingness to embrace the ground game. Expansive fairways belie the trouble that awaits the errant shot, with thick marram grass and strategically placed bunkers ready to punish anything less than precision. The ever-present North Sea wind dictates strategy and club selection, turning seemingly straightforward holes into strategic puzzles. The course is known for its length as well as its difficulty which has kept it from hosting any significant championship events. While the course itself is meticulously maintained, the club's origin and ownership have generated substantial controversy within the local community and beyond. This dichotomy—a world-class golfing experience set against a backdrop of environmental and political debate—defines the Trump International Golf Links. The clubhouse, a modern interpretation of Scottish baronial architecture, offers panoramic views of the course and the rugged coastline. While a relatively new addition to Scotland's storied golfing landscape, Trump International is rapidly building its own lore, both for the challenge it presents to golfers and the complex story that surrounds its creation.
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Public: #35
Best in UK
Public: #15
Best in Scotland
Public: #8
The journey to Trump International Golf Links Scotland begins at Aberdeen Airport (ABZ), a compact gateway just twenty minutes south of Balmedie by car, or alternatively through Edinburgh Airport (EDI) for those preferring Scotland's larger hub, followed by a two-hour drive north along the A90 corridor into Aberdeenshire. Private aviation clients benefit from nearby Inverness Airport (INV) or the more intimate facilities at Dundee, each offering swift passage to this remote corner of the northeast coast. The final approach unfolds across the windswept Aberdeenshire plain, where moorland and agricultural vistas gradually yield to glimpses of the North Sea, before the dramatic dune landscape and the resort's distinctive architecture emerge along the Balmedie shoreline - a suitably isolated and elemental arrival befitting one of Scotland's most commanding coastal courses.

FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland has a Course Vaults score of 9.1 out of 10 based on 37 logged golfers.
Old Course was designed by Martin Hawtree.
Yes. Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Old Course is 72.
Old Course plays 7,025 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Old Course is 149.
Old Course





Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, built on land Donald Trump once called the "greatest golf course land anywhere in the world," presents a formidable, if polarizing, challenge along the dramatic coastline of the Menie Estate, just north of Aberdeen. Carved into a vast, undulating dune system, the course is a modern links, opened in 2012, designed to evoke the spirit of the game's earliest layouts, though with a decidedly 21st-century scale and ambition. Architect Martin Hawtree routed a course that plays long and exposed, rewarding power and a willingness to embrace the ground game. Expansive fairways belie the trouble that awaits the errant shot, with thick marram grass and strategically placed bunkers ready to punish anything less than precision. The ever-present North Sea wind dictates strategy and club selection, turning seemingly straightforward holes into strategic puzzles. The course is known for its length as well as its difficulty which has kept it from hosting any significant championship events. While the course itself is meticulously maintained, the club's origin and ownership have generated substantial controversy within the local community and beyond. This dichotomy—a world-class golfing experience set against a backdrop of environmental and political debate—defines the Trump International Golf Links. The clubhouse, a modern interpretation of Scottish baronial architecture, offers panoramic views of the course and the rugged coastline. While a relatively new addition to Scotland's storied golfing landscape, Trump International is rapidly building its own lore, both for the challenge it presents to golfers and the complex story that surrounds its creation.
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Public: #35
Best in UK
Public: #15
Best in Scotland
Public: #8
Public courses closest to Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland.
The journey to Trump International Golf Links Scotland begins at Aberdeen Airport (ABZ), a compact gateway just twenty minutes south of Balmedie by car, or alternatively through Edinburgh Airport (EDI) for those preferring Scotland's larger hub, followed by a two-hour drive north along the A90 corridor into Aberdeenshire. Private aviation clients benefit from nearby Inverness Airport (INV) or the more intimate facilities at Dundee, each offering swift passage to this remote corner of the northeast coast. The final approach unfolds across the windswept Aberdeenshire plain, where moorland and agricultural vistas gradually yield to glimpses of the North Sea, before the dramatic dune landscape and the resort's distinctive architecture emerge along the Balmedie shoreline - a suitably isolated and elemental arrival befitting one of Scotland's most commanding coastal courses.

FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland has a Course Vaults score of 9.1 out of 10 based on 37 logged golfers.
Old Course was designed by Martin Hawtree.
Yes. Old Course at Trump International Golf Links Scotland is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Old Course is 72.
Old Course plays 7,025 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Old Course is 149.