Trump International Golf Links Scotland's New Course opened in July 2025 on Aberdeenshire's North Sea coastline, expanding the Menie Estate into a 36-hole destination.
Why Play Trump International Golf Links Scotland - New Course?
Experience Scotland's most recently opened championship links across three distinct landscapes—coastal dunes, heather-clad heathland, and wetland terrain. The layout is also said to feature the world's largest natural sand bunker!
History of Trump International Golf Links Scotland - New Course
Planning for the second layout began in 2019 when Aberdeenshire Council granted outline approval, followed by detailed construction consent in October 2020.
Construction commenced in May 2023 following a groundbreaking ceremony with President Trump. The project involved sourcing virtually all materials from the 1,400-acre site—sand, stone, and soil extracted locally to minimise environmental impact.
President Donald Trump officially opened the New Course on 27 July 2025 in a ceremony attended by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney and golf industry leaders. The ribbon-cutting featured the pipe band from Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen, with Trump hitting the inaugural tee shot before playing the opening round with Eric Trump, 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, and 2002 US PGA Championship winner Rich Beem. Public tee times began 13 August 2025, to immediate acclaim.
Course Layout & Playing Experience
The New Course contrasts dramatically with its coastal sibling. Where the Old Course threads through towering dunes along the shoreline, this layout spans three landscape types across hundreds of acres south and west of the original routing.
Only six holes occupy the coastal dune system, with holes 11-13 providing direct North Sea views. The remaining layout traverses heather-clad heathland and expansive wetlands, incorporating ancient burns into the design. This routing creates a links-heathland hybrid that is both unique and unprecedented in Scottish golf.
From championship tees, the course stretches 7,589 yards. The design team integrated infinity-edge greens—putting surfaces that appear to drop away toward the horizon—and strategic bunkering that includes the world's largest natural sand bunker.
Eric Trump led the development process, supported by architects Martin Hawtree, Christian Lundin from Sweden's (re)GOLF, and Canadian architect Christine Fraser. Construction execution fell to Golflink Evolve under directors Esie O'Mahoney and Jamie O'Reilly, building upon Hawtree's original masterplan for the estate.
