Trump International Golf Links near Balmedie, Scotland, will open a second layout, the MacLeod course, in summer 2025.
This story was originally reported by Golf Course Architecture magazine.
The design team comprises Martin Hawtree, Christian Lundin and Christine Fraser, with development being overseen by Eric Trump and Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International, Scotland. It has been built to the south and west of the original course, a 2012 Hawtree design.
The MacLeod spans hundreds of acres of rugged coastal terrain and has panoramic North Sea views. It has been laid out over three distinct areas: sandy dunesland, heather-clad heathlands and expansive wetlands.
The club says the course will have the world’s largest natural bunker, infinity greens, and that the golf architects have incorporated ancient burns into their design.
Virtually all materials, other than drainage and irrigation pipework, have been sourced on site. No bulk materials were imported, with on-site sand, stone and soil used to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of construction work. GolfLink Evolve is the principal golf contractor and Fairhurst the project engineers.
Water from wetlands, ponds and across the site will feed into a drainage system that has been engineered to provide irrigation for all 36 holes at Trump International.
More than one million sprigs of native marram grass have been planted and six tons of marram seeds harvested across the new course. Over 10 hectares of natural vegetation has been translocated to allow indigenous plant habitats to thrive and expand.
“Over my 30 years’ experience in the industry, this is by far the most environmentally friendly and sustainable golf project we have ever worked on,” said Esie O’Mahoney of GolfLink Evolve. “This course has been built with the upmost respect for the environment. We have harvested and sourced almost all the materials from the land itself and developed an energy efficient and environmentally sustainable water system that supports both championship courses for the future.
“The client’s creative approach and standard of excellence has enabled us to bring the best of our industry experience to this project. This is a very special project and one of the great highlights in my career.”
Clare Barber, principal director at Fairhurst, said: “Given the outstanding ecological and geomorphological setting of the site, our priority has been to provide engineering solutions which do not just meet the minimum standards, but enhance the natural landscape, with a particular focus on the water environment and biodiversity. Working with academic experts in the field, we have achieved engineering and course morphology designs which not only respect but complement the existing landform, taking account of ongoing natural processes.
“Bringing our experience gained from the construction of the existing course and working closely with the client and project team, we have provided sustainable and robust engineering solutions to overcome the challenges faced with working in such an important environment. We are delighted with what has been achieved and the end result has exceeded all expectations.”
“Since breaking ground with President Trump and Eric Trump last spring, we have made extraordinary progress,” said Malone. “This course is unlike any other links course ever built and is exceeding every expectation. There are very few great stretches of developable links land in the world as good as this.
“A truly remarkable, world-class team of architects, engineers, environmental scientists and industry specialists have been working tirelessly in the background – etching out every square inch of this phenomenal piece of land to create one of the great wonders in the world of golf.”
The club recently invited golfers that were at Trump International for the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship to tour the new course.
John Daly said: “Trump Aberdeen’s new course is one of the most spectacular links courses you are ever going to find in the world. It’s beautiful.”
Paul McGinley said: “I have no doubt that the addition of this new golf course will provide not just a great golfing exam but also an aesthetic one with views of the North Sea from most holes. It is great to see such huge investment in the North East of Scotland to add to what already is an historic golfing destination.”
