Location: Balmedie, Scotland
Golfers: Foursome. I played, Kelsey caddied and we were paired up with 3 other golfers (two Americans, one Scotsman). Course was booked solid all day.
Conditions: Sunny and Breezy all day, 18-23 C (68-75 F). A very nice day to play golf.
Overview: I heard about the Trump course early in the year and it was already raising a little controversy before it's anticipated open date of mid July. Mr. Trump is not very subtle in anything he does in the states and it seemed this would be no different in Scotland. He supposedly looked at hundreds of sites in the UK before settling on the Balmedie coastline, which house the largest dunes in the world. He built what he says is, "the greatest golf course in the world". With that kind of statement I had to make it out there and make an opinion of my own.
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| #1 Tee Box, Par 5 |
Golf Details: After being greeted by a Scottish starter giving us the down and dirty of the course, we made our way out onto Trump's masterpiece. The first three holes are the best opening stretch on a course I've played thus far. This is a bold statement considering Maui, Vegas and other Scottish courses I've made my way around. Best can be subjective, so let's say the most fun and aesthetically pleasing. #1 is a 491 yard par five with a wide fairway and not much trouble if you don't get too aggressive. Myself and one of the Americans (both from Florida) played from the Blues. His friend and the Scot played from the whites. Blues play 6600 yards, whites 6300. I was up first and hit a good drive on the left side of the fairway. I played conservative and got on the very large green in three. Sadly I three jacked and made bogey, that's what you get for playing it safe I suppose. Heading to the #2 tee box, you walk upwards through the dunes and have a feeling it's going to be a great view once you arrive. Sure enough it was one of the best views on the course. It's a 412 yard par four and from the box you see the North Sea to the left and straight ahead, the burn that's about 300 yards out. After a quick picture, I hit one that found the fairway, nice approach and walked away with par. #3 is a 165 yard par three that is one of the best I've ever played. You can hear the ocean as you make your way through a sunken grass cart path that leads us down and then back up to the tee boxes. The beach is only a few yards off the back left of the green and this was a really cool golf hole. 3 holes in, I walk off thinking the hype may be a reality and was looking forward to a great round in some beautiful Scottish terrain.
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| #2 Tee with the Caddy |
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| #3, Gem of a Par 3 |
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| #6, Par Three |
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| Chip or Putt? |
The next three holes weren't slouches by any means, but the bar was set high with the opening three holes. #4, 5 and 6 consisted of a par five, four and then three. #4 had a burn running down the entire right side of the fairway but plenty of room to the left. Luckily I didn't hit a water ball and managed to admire it from a distance. The second par three on the course was #6. The green was surrounded by large dunes and the pin was tucked back left. I aimed over a large dune on the left and managed about 15 feet on the green but short. A nice two putt kept a decent front nine alive. The next par four was #7 and it was drivable, playing 250. The hole is a straightforward risk-reward. If you miss(shy left or right), the only trouble was the deep hollows surrounding the green. My ball collected pin high but about 20 feet below the green. I elected to putt and after 3 attempts walked away with par. The front nine was a success, Kels and I were having a great time and we were paired up with a good group which always helps.
The course is designed American style and you pass the clubhouse on the turn to the back nine. This is the first round I've played with an actual turn and it was a nice familiarity. We made a quick pitt stop to place a sandwich order (which they delivered by cart mid way through #10.. class class class) and made our way to the back.
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| Good view of the dunes |
Similar to #1, #10 is a short par five. Water right and the green was tucked behind a dune. The final 60-70 yards of fairway shrink down to about 20 yards wide with no room for error. The green was three tiered and was 48 yards in depth. Being on the green didn't mean much here and I left confused after a dismal three putt on this monster. #11 and #12 are dogleg right par fours. Both had elevated tee boxes with great views of the fairways. Not much danger on either one as long as you didn't push your drive into the dunes. The fairways were still settling as the course had only been open for a couple of months. They were a little soft but in good shape. Eventually they will firm up to the typical seaside courses such as it's neighbor 5 miles south, Royal Aberdeen.
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| #13, A Beauty of a Par 3 |
I raved about #3 earlier and I have to pay respects to #13 as well. This is another well done par three that had an amazing view of the large dunes as a backdrop. Four bunkers surround the 178 yard hole and with a constant 1-2 club crosswind, it played around 195. I hit a shot on the right line that landed on the green and ran back to about 5 feet. We won't say if I made the putt...but I walked off with par. The high fives I received on the tee box turned into boos but it was all in good fun.
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| #18 |
The final three holes didn't disappoint. #16 is a three club wind par three, #17 is par four with a deep valley in the middle of the fairway and the final hole has an elevated tee box that provides views of the coastline and the city of Aberdeen. Standing on 16 I changed clubs three times before giving it a whack. I managed the green somehow after my shot caught the wind and ended up 20 feet offline. I had a long putt, but it was a putt nonetheless. #17 was consistent with a lot of the other par fours. A lot of room with a decent drive and a good approach would land safe on the large green. Finishing the round was left with one more stunning view of the coastline and Aberdeen off in the distance. Although it was a scenic hole, it was a beast of a par 5. It played 586 in the wind which felt like 675 when it was all said and done. There's water left and fairway bunkers come into play the remaining 150 yards leading up to the green. It was the toughest hole on the course and tests the final few shots with well designed bunker placement. We finished the hole, shook hands and planned to have a beer in the clubhouse. After all, I had to pay the caddy fee of 1/2 pint of Carlsberg.
Favorites: Getting to be one of the first to play a course that will no doubt win top awards. All of the par threes were great golf holes. #3 and #13 rival each other for better golf hole. Playing in short sleeves and sunshine in Scotland, bonus. Great foursome (and caddy) and getting to catch up with Americans was nice. No expense was spared on the course, it's amazing and the views are ridiculous. The hour in the clubhouse enjoying a pint and catching up on the round capped off a great day.
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| #16 |
Final Thoughts: I was very impressed with the course and think it may very well host an Open Championship one day. It didn't have a links feel, almost more of a desert style course with the fairways etched into the massive dunes. Is this THE best golf course in the world? I will have to play a few more courses before I can make that decision, but I can say this is one of the most fun golf courses I've ever played.
