Soon after we finished our round at Kingsbarns, we drove north direction Aberdeen, where we spent the night before reaching our next destination: Trump International Golf Links Scotland, located a few miles north of Aberdeen, one of the courses with the highest expectations of the last few years, the last Trump's creation, opened to the public just 10 weeks ago (July 2012).
But this golf course is something else. A Trump Golf Club in Scotland? A brand new links course built right on the huge dune system on the Aberdeenshire coastline considered by Trump itself "The greatest golf course in the world"? What to expect from one of the most controversial course-development projects that Scotland has ever seen? For sure something great, something I've never seen and played before.
I was eager to play this new course.
We reached the location just before sunrise and the first impact was amazing. The clubhouse is still temporary, but what you see around is absolutely incredible.
We warmed up on the fabulous practice area and we walked to the 1st tee.
The course is built on a three miles stretch along the sandy coast, and the North Sea is viewable from mostly of the holes, but only one hole (the par 3 3rd) plays right on the shoreline.
The course, designed by Martin Hawtree, is a monster, 7428 yds from the tips, CR 77.4 SR149.
Its links style layout stretches among giant dunes covered by marram grass, on a scenery that is amazingly beautiful.
And is really challenging too, an hard test even for the most skilled golfers. The day we played a strong breeze was blowing and the course became one of the most demanding, tough and unforgiving layout I've ever played.
The fescue fairways are wide, but push or pull your tee shot and you'll say bye bye to your ball forever, disappeared on the impenetrable rough.
The course is walking-only, but experience is enhanced tanks to the cool grass corridor leading from greens to tee boxes to fairways
87 bunkers are strategically placed all over the course.
The 18th hole, one of the most scenic, a beast of 651 yds, we played into the wind, has 18 bunkers!!
Greens are huge and undulated, but when we played were really slow.
It still a young course, and needs time to become faster and firmer.
I don't know if it can be considered the greates golf course in the world, but for sure is a Disneyland for every golfer.
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| View from the driveway...driving range on the right, clubhouse in front...minutes before sunrise |
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| The temporary Clubhouse |
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| #1 Hole 541 yds Par 5 (view from the tee boxes) |
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| #1 Hole 541 yds Par 5 |
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| #1 Hole 541 yds Par 5 |
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| #2 Hole 443 yds Par 4 (view from the tee boxes) |
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| #3 Hole 205 yds Par 3 |
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| #4 Hole 563 yds Par 5 (hcp 1) |
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| #6 Hole 183 yds Par 3 |
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| #10 Hole 573 yds Par 5 |
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| #10 Hole 573 yds Par 5 |
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| A typical grass corridor leading from greens to tee boxes to fairways |
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| #13 Hole 229 yds Par 3 |
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| #14 Hole 445 yds Par 4 (Teeing off from the tips) |
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| #15 Hole 392 yds Par 4 (...one of our group is looking for his ball on the rough...) |
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| #15 Hole 392 yds Par 4 (...and he took us this beautiful photo) |
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| #15 Hole 392 yds Par 4 |
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| #17 Hole 466 yds Par 4 |
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| The 18th....the beast |
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| #18 Hole 651 yds Par 5 (view from the back tees..100ft asl) |
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| #18 Hole 651 yds Par 5 (teeing off from the back tees) |
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| #18 Hole 651 yds Par 5 (...and some of the 18 pot bunkers) |
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| Short game practice area |
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| The Driving Range |
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| Putting Green |
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