Photo: Dahlia E. Akhaine · Unsplash License
Aberdeen, Scotland
Trump International Golf Links Scotland
Martin Hawtree's 2012 links at Balmedie — built among 4,000-year-old sand dunes on the Aberdeenshire coast and host of the 2025 Scottish Championship on the DP World Tour.
Course overview
Trump International Golf Links Scotland was designed by Martin Hawtree and opened in July 2012 on the 1,400-acre Menie Estate north of Aberdeen, where ancient sand dunes estimated to be 4,000 years old shape the landscape throughout the layout. The routing follows the natural dune topography closely, creating a rugged and visually distinctive links experience on one of Scotland's most dramatic stretches of coastline. The course hosted its first DP World Tour event — the Scottish Championship — in August 2025. A second course on the same property (the New Course, par 72, designed by Tom Doak) opened in 2025.
The essentials
- Architect
- Martin Hawtree
- Established
- 2012
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,791 m
- Handicap
- HCP 0–24
- Location
- Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Character & atmosphere
Ancient sand dunes of exceptional height create a routing that rises and falls dramatically compared to most coastal links — approach shots are frequently blind or semi-blind, and the dune ridges serve as both visual framing and strategic penalisation for errant drives.
Highlights
Why play here
- Designed by Martin Hawtree, opened in 2012.
- Sea views feature throughout the round.
- A challenging round for golfers who enjoy a proper test.
Facilities
Practical guidance
Plan your visit
How to get there
Aberdeen Airport is the main gateway. The course is at Balmedie, north of Aberdeen; the drive via the A90 takes around 20 minutes. Car hire is available at the airport and gives easy access to the Aberdeenshire coast.
Where to stay
Aberdeen is the most practical base for the Aberdeenshire golf circuit, combining easy access to Royal Aberdeen and Murcar at the city's edge with a manageable drive to Cruden Bay and Trump International. As Scotland's third city, it offers hotel and dining variety well above what the rural courses nearby would suggest.
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Scotland
Explore Aberdeen
The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire golf coast, anchored by Royal Aberdeen and Murcar.