Second Trump Course at Balmedie

[Mark Pearce]

Can anybody shed light on this claim?

Is this a troll?  If so, quite a good one.

[David Cronan]

Can anybody shed light on this claim?

Is this a troll?  If so, quite a good one.

Thank you (as I bow and exit, stage right).


One of my favorite examples of Trump's hubris was when I was invited to play Trump Los Angeles. While I didn't run into him on this trip, after the round their Membership Director was all over me with her pitch and before I left, she handed me several slick marketing pieces and a shirt (much too small...I think she was trying to tell me that I could stand to drop a few pounds).


That night, after an hour or so of trying to fall asleep, I pulled out the marketing materials. On the biggest, there were several blurb quotes, such as:


"The Greatest New Golf Course Built in the Last 50 Years!!!"


"Best Course in California!!"


"Will host a US Open soon...."


I could not read who these quotes were attributed to, but my curiosity got the best of me so I went to my briefcase and got my readers, hopped back in bed and was then able to see who made such stunning statements about a so-so (my opinion) golf course.


Each quote was from "Trump Magazine".

[Bernie Bell]

If they rebrand as Cabot they might be Top 50 before they open.

[Jeff Schley]

If they rebrand as Cabot they might be Top 50 before they open.

Funny Bernie.

[Adam G]

This might be the best GCA joke I've ever seen. Well done!

If they rebrand as Cabot they might be Top 50 before they open.

[Cal Carlisle]

Press reports suggest Martin is the architect for the new MacLeod course.

There you have it.


Thread is now over.


 

That made me laugh. Good one, Ian.

[John Crowley]

Can anybody shed light on this claim?

Is this a troll?  If so, quite a good one.

Thank you (as I bow and exit, stage right).


One of my favorite examples of Trump's hubris was when I was invited to play Trump Los Angeles. While I didn't run into him on this trip, after the round their Membership Director was all over me with her pitch and before I left, she handed me several slick marketing pieces and a shirt (much too small...I think she was trying to tell me that I could stand to drop a few pounds).


That night, after an hour or so of trying to fall asleep, I pulled out the marketing materials. On the biggest, there were several blurb quotes, such as:


"The Greatest New Golf Course Built in the Last 50 Years!!!"


"Best Course in California!!"


"Will host a US Open soon...."


I could not read who these quotes were attributed to, but my curiosity got the best of me so I went to my briefcase and got my readers, hopped back in bed and was then able to see who made such stunning statements about a so-so (my opinion) golf course.


Each quote was from "Trump Magazine".

I too went there 10+ years ago after these claims. Left after 9 holes. Land is unsuited for golf and the garish contrived “features”, waterfalls etc. we’re too much to take. May be one of the worst courses in CA. Although The Crossings at Carlsbad probably wins that contest.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Back to Trump’s second course, I downloaded the updated planning documents which did show a changed routing but not as much as I had suspected in the dune holes.


Current plan has holes 8-13 in the serious dunes. These are as big as on the original course. There was no sign of earthworks or marker posts to the very south (through the dune slack, near the public car park). There were - as always in this area - a lot of walkers and beach goers who are going to get a big shock when this work continues.


Some of the cuts on the dunes were incredibly severe. Much of it looked like mining of sand for the inland holes. Some of it was to widen hole corridors.


I’ll wait to see the finished product but I already know it will have taken a very different approach to one I would likely have taken over the same landscape.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

Ally,


I'm too lazy to update myself on all the details/background, but I'm wondering how, considering all the controversy surrounding the first course, is it possible to yet again route so many holes in the sand dunes? Is there no protection at all of these "unique" (debatable I know) habitats in the UK?

[Sean_A]

Ally,


I'm too lazy to update myself on all the details/background, but I'm wondering how, considering all the controversy surrounding the first course, is it possible to yet again route so many holes in the sand dunes? Is there no protection at all of these "unique" (debatable I know) habitats in the UK?

Wasn’t the 2nd course granted permission with the first course?


Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

No, it was approved in late 2020. I think if it had been approved at the same time as the first course, the planning consent would have lapsed by now.


https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/aberdeenshire-council-approves-second-course-at-trump-international-golf-links

[Brian_Ewen]

[Brian_Ewen]

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/golf/6550235/eric-trump-aberdeenshire-venue-hosting-golfs-biggest-tournaments/


Eric Trump believes the second course at Trump International Golf Links will ensure the venue has “the best 36 holes in the world” and will be able to host golf’s biggest tournaments.

Trump, the executive vice president of the Trump Organisation and head of Trump Golf, was speaking on a visit to the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship which is being held on the existing championship course at the Aberdeenshire links.

The second course will open next summer and Trump believes the two courses will be “the best 36 holes in golf” and offer “endless potential”.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Funnily enough, I was there today taking a walk on the edge of the new course. The natural dune holes look like they could be more interesting than the existing 18. But there are only six of them.


The shaping I saw on the inland holes looked a little over the top for my liking. However, I really didn’t get a close look at most of it. So I will wait and see.

[Bernie Bell]

https://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/eric-trump-aberdeen-new-course/

"The new course has, like its predecessor, been designed by the acclaimed Martin Hawtree in tandem with Christian Lundin of Sweden-based (re)GOLF and Christine Fraser, a golf course architect from Canada."

[Ally Mcintosh]

I was on Google Earth having a look at the mid-construction aerial. With many of the tees shaped, it’s relatively easy to work out the routing. Looks like they’ve squeezed an extra hole or two in to the natural dunes.


Going to be an interesting course I think. A lot of frilly waste bunkers and water hazards on the inland holes.

[Tom_Doak]

Going to be an interesting course I think. A lot of frilly waste bunkers and water hazards on the inland holes.

Ick.  Interesting for some people, maybe.

[Kalen Braley]

With Pics like this, how can you say no? 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Going to be an interesting course I think. A lot of frilly waste bunkers and water hazards on the inland holes.

Ick.  Interesting for some people, maybe.

With Christian Lundin at the helm, it’s already obvious the the course is going to be quite different in style to any of Hawtree’s other links work.


Does that mean that the course is going to appear seamless between the dune holes and the artificially shaped inland holes? I very seriously doubt it. In fact, with all the water and frilliness, the styles could very well be quite starkly different… which will be interesting to see… which is different to saying successful.

[Ally Mcintosh]

With Pics like this, how can you say no? 

That’s the first hole behind yer man’s strong forearm…. Note the shaped waste bunkers in the carry area in front of the tee.

[Ben Stephens]

Going to be an interesting course I think. A lot of frilly waste bunkers and water hazards on the inland holes.

Ick.  Interesting for some people, maybe.

With Christian Lundin at the helm, it’s already obvious the the course is going to be quite different in style to any of Hawtree’s other links work.


Does that mean that the course is going to appear seamless between the dune holes and the artificially shaped inland holes? I very seriously doubt it. In fact, with all the water and frilliness, the styles could very well be quite starkly different… which will be interesting to see… which is different to saying successful.

Hi Ally et al,


From what I understand is that Martin Hawtree is still the lead golf course architect in a consultant role (he is in his 80s) - Christian is the hands on more like Project Architect role during the construction process working with Esie O'Mahony from GolfLink Evolve (main contractor)


It's great news for Christian and gives the opportunity to an upcoming golf course architect not well known in the States - Christian's other big project is the Crownwood Club with Henrik Stenson which looks stunning.


https://crownwood.club/


https://henrikstensongolfdesign.com/portfolio/61-crownwood-club




Christian is not only a talented golf course architect (I have seen him doing sketches which are great) he is a great character one of the most likeable and well known guys in EIGCA. He owns regolf with Jeff Lynch who recently worked on Jamieson Links (formerly Portmarnock Links) and works with Henrik Stenson Golf Design alongside trainee GCA Pontus Leijon (one of the best golfers I have played with was off +5!)


Cheers
Ben

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ben,


Martin may be the named architect but the style of this course is all Christian Lundin (from what I’ve seen)….


…in the way our phones listen to us, a new feed just popped up from Christian showing the latest promo video for this course.


It most definitely will be an interesting course, far from a classic links but still with potential to be more entertaining (or at least have significant more variety) than the original 18 on site. I just hope the shaping is not too obvious and overblown in an attempt to marry it to the duneland.

[Ben Stephens]

Ben,


Martin may be the named architect but the style of this course is all Christian Lundin (from what I’ve seen)….


…in the way our phones listen to us, a new feed just popped up from Christian showing the latest promo video for this course.


It most definitely will be an interesting course, far from a classic links but still with potential to be more entertaining (or at least have significant more variety) than the original 18 on site. I just hope the shaping is not too obvious and overblown in an attempt to marry it to the duneland.

Yes Trump released a 2 min movie on social media both Martin and Christian are in it. I agree that the final details are Christians and it's interesting to see holes with water on a links course probably inspired by the courses on the Falsterbo peninsula. There seems to be quite a bit of shaping work based on the latest google aerial of the course under construction.

[Brian_Ewen]

Balmedie, Florida 


https://www.australiangolfdigest.com.au/trump-golf-course-aberdeen-scotland/

[Niall C]

Well, the way I'm looking at it, it's a bit like the European where Ruddy got the consent to build a course that is sort of a sham of a traditional links, and this is similar. In due course ownership will pass on as it is doing at the European and the new owner will have the opportunity to make the course a bit more Scottish links rather than Florida.


Trump can't be that much younger than Ruddy ?


Niall