Aberdeen is where Donald Trump has developed 36 holes of thrilling links golf. BY STUART MCLEAN spectacle
O IL AND GAS FROM THE North Sea fields once used to pump the Aberdeen economy. Now, thanks to Donald Trump, the Granite City has become one of the pre- mier links destinations in Scotland with the completion of a 36-hole complex at Trump International Golf Links. Trump was recently in Scotland to preside at the opening of his latest golf- ing offspring. The New Course co-hab- its the same magnificent linksland as his Old Course on the rugged coastline north of Aberdeen. Typical of Trump, it is being promoted as “The Greatest 36 Holes in Golf.” The terms Old and New in relation to golf are commonly associated with St Andrews. The Old Course there origi- nated in the 18th century, while the New Course, designed by Old Tom Morris, opened in 1895. Trump’s team assigned these simple titles to his two courses on the Menie Estate at Balmedie to forge a visible identity that golfers will easily remember. Old in this case is 2012, and New is 2025. In August, the grandeur of the Trump International property was revealed to a global audience with television cov- erage of the Old’s first hosting of a DP World Tour event, the Nexo Champion- ship. The links proved a formidable test for the tour pros, with just nine players finishing under par for the week. The clearcut winner was a Scot, Grant For- rest, whose knowledge of local condi- tions proved invaluable. A visit there myself a few weeks later confirmed that the Older Trump is one of the most demanding courses I have played anywhere in the world. It was a humbling round of sheer survival, and yet I would happily go back there tomorrow because it is a spell-binding experience. Interestingly, locals hesitate when asked to describe the playing condi- tions at Trump International. Other older courses in Aberdeen are referred to as “traditional links,” while the Old and New are considered fabricated. How- ever, these are two genuine links. They just play differently because they are new and still settling in. Fifty years from now they might be called “traditional.”
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