Menie's New Course opened in July 2025 as a separate eighteen beside the resort's original Hawtree links. Instead of remaining continuously among enclosed dunes, it moves through wetlands, heather, sandy hollows and open ground on the North Sea ridge. Its scale is immense, but the most distinctive quality is the sudden change in landscape and shot-making from one hole to the next.
The third plays across water, the ninth approaches beside a huge natural sand face and the short tenth offers a bold drive at an exposed green. Farther home, a 648-yard par five and an infinity-style finishing green add different tests. A well-managed round depends less on maximum distance than on recognizing which line the terrain will reward.
Why You Should Play Trump International Golf Links Aberdeen – New Course
The attraction here is not only a new course with enormous dunes. Menie's newer eighteen brings together wetland carries, rolling heathery ground and coastal greens that appear to hang over the North Sea. This variety means that a golfer has to adapt constantly. Sometimes the right choice is a committed carry across water; sometimes an approach is safest when it is played deliberately away from the flag into the correct portion of a wide green.
At the third, a water crossing makes the safer line left of the putting surface an important option. The ninth is dominated by the colossal natural sand face beside its green, known as the President's Bunker. The short tenth invites a drive at the target from its longest marker of 318 yards, yet the sea and run-offs make an unsuccessful attempt far more expensive than the scorecard suggests. Such holes offer decisions rather than a series of forced heroic shots.
Golfers who enjoy monumental contemporary architecture, shifting terrain and varied recovery options will find this particularly satisfying. A player seeking the small-scale quirks of older Scottish links may feel more at home at Royal Aberdeen or Cruden Bay. The Black tees are an extreme test, but the shorter sets let more visitors appreciate the routing without spending the day forced to carry hazards beyond their comfortable range. The wild coastal views matter; choosing intelligently in front of them matters more.
A New Course Built on Contrasting Ground
The New Course is most interesting where the site changes character. Low wetlands and heather-covered ground give way to expansive dunes and elevated holes looking toward the North Sea. The route does not rely on the sustained enclosure of the neighboring Old Course; it uses variation in landscape to make the golfer reconsider the flight, carry and safest approach again and again.
One particularly striking feature is the natural sand face near the ninth, known as the President's Bunker. The name draws attention, but its genuine architectural value is the way it influences the preferred approach line. Elsewhere, water across the opening ground creates a very different dilemma: a cautious choice may leave a longer shot, but a poorly judged forced carry can cost far more.
The long holes and exposed coastal finish ask for substantial ball-striking from the championship markers, though shorter tee sets allow a more manageable examination. This modern design is for players who welcome variety in ground and shot type, rather than those seeking an uninterrupted procession through the same dune corridor.
The 2025 Opening, Design Team and Awards
The New Course officially opened 29 July 2025. Development was led by Eric Trump, working with specialists including Golflink Evolve's Esie O'Mahoney and Jamie O'Reilly, building on the estate masterplan originally associated with Martin Hawtree. Hawtree designed the 2012 Old Course, which is a different eighteen-hole routing. The new design should neither inherit the older course's rankings nor be described as simply a renamed collection of its holes.
The New Course won World's Best Golf Course 2025 and Europe's Best New Golf Course 2025 at the World Golf Awards. Those are honors from that awards program, not the same as a No. 1 ranking from Top 100 Golf Courses. The best case for its reputation is made through the playing character: unusual changes of environment, spectacular sand hazards and genuine options for golfers of different skills.
Playing the New Course: tees, green fees and caddies
Aberdeen's New Course measures 7,589 yards from Black, 7,127 from Gold, 6,717 from Blue, 6,287 from White, 5,760 from Green and 5,105 from Red, each at par 72. Tees other than Black make a considerable difference to the experience.
Indicative 2027 visitor green fees are £255 in February, £335 from 16 March to 30 April, £470 in May, £615 from June to September and £470 from 1 to 11 October, per person for eighteen holes. These follow the same price schedule as the Old Course, but Old and New have separate tee times; the exact rate depends on the date selected. These are indicative planning figures, not a guarantee of a specific tee-time price.
An optional traditional caddie costs £80 per golfer per round, while an optional forecaddie costs £30 per golfer for a three- or four-ball; gratuity is additional. Arrange caddies in advance, as late requests cannot be guaranteed.
Where the New Course Fits on an Aberdeenshire Trip
Macleod House & Lodge offers a resort stay close to both Menie layouts. A round on the Trump Aberdeen Old Course gives a direct comparison with Hawtree's more enclosed dune design; the New has its own open wetland and coastal-ridge rhythm.
Nearby Royal Aberdeen supplies classic positional links, while Cruden Bay offers a fascinatingly irregular older routing with more blind lines. Together these show just how varied northeast Scottish coastal golf can be. Aberdeen city is a sensible alternate base for those who want restaurants, bars and a more urban evening after golf.