Trump International Golf Links - Photos

[Ian Dalzell]

Not entirely sure how to add a link to this post, but the link below takes you to a series of photos of the Trump Scotland project taken by a dear friend of mine, Brian Morgan.  Famous for his kilt on Sunday's at the Majors, Brian has several key shots in golf history in his library, including Nicklaus and Watson coming off Turnberry's 18th green in the Duel in the Sun and Jack's historic 6th Green jacket eagle putt on 15 and the famous photo of the 1st ever Skins Game in 1983 at Desert Highlands.   Here is the link - what do you think of the course?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMcn7ZAx3lY&feature=email

Sincerely,

Ian

[Philip Gawith]

Thanks Ian. Some great looking green sites. I would certainly enjoy t o play it based on those pictures. The dunes are quite striking with their conical shapes. Gives it quite a distinctive look. Makes me think of North-west Ireland/Doonbeg more than Scottish or English links.

Philip

[Emile Bonfiglio]

It is the most incredible golf course ever built. I don't think there is a finer course anywhere on Earth. I think anyone that even sets foot on this course will realize how truly awesome it is and how much better it is compared to any other course know to man. -DT

[Matt_Cohn]

That landscape is insane.

Does anyone else think the architecture appears to be kind of oddly in between American-style and traditional links? I can't quite put my finger on it.

[Philippe Binette]

It looks interesting... hard to figure out what the holes are

when is it going to open ?

will there be an anti-trump reaction that will prevent the course to be judge for what it is... that is the question

[Sam Morrow]

Thanks Ian, hope all is well my friend.

If this golf course was not associated with Trump I believe it would be getting much more positive attention.

[Sean Leary]

Looks pretty damn sweet to me...

[Wade Whitehead]

It's impossible to determine how the course would be received without the Trump name.  Mr. Trump makes sure of that.

WW

[Randy Thompson]

Is this really a project he owns or did he just sell the rights to use his name in our branded society. I wonder becasue he ususally works with Tommy Fazio and I know a gorup in Brazil that paid a million for his name association and some residencial towers in Panama that did the same. Looks interesting without a doubt but what happenes on a windy day or if your an average golfer on a non windy day? Is there any recuperation from that rough, if there is not, than it looks to me like a, gota play it one time but dropping big bucks for a residential investment and playing frequently will be a tough sale. What a great job preserving the natural areas.

[Jim Tang]

Agreed, the dunes remind me of Doonbeg.  I wonder if people will be able to seperate the course from Trump's name when judging it. 

Doonbeg, which I really enjoyed, had a distinct American feel about the place.  The amenities were just too new and too perfect.  I wonder if Trump International (awful name) will feel the same way.

With that said, the course looks like a good place to spend a day playing golf.

[Kyle Henderson]

That landscape is insane.

Does anyone else think the architecture appears to be kind of oddly in between American-style and traditional links? I can't quite put my finger on it.

I think the rectangular teeing grounds have much to do with this perception. A few holes look rather rather drastically over-bunkered as well.

Certainly the landscape is spectacular, and I'm guessing the course will be at least somewhat compelling.

[Jack_Marr]

From these pictures, I'd love to play this course. Looks outstanding.

[Niall C]

Matt

I agree totally, it does look a wee bit like a modern design masquerading as a traditional links. For instance, the use of lateral water hazards, no difference between a lake and a burn/stream running into the sea, when your in it your in it. Same with the apparent "landing zones".

Plenty of comments on here about lost balls and those making them could well be right but I don't think the width is the problem, it looks plenty wide enough to me, and neither do I think its the rough because you get that on any links but looking at those photos and  wonder if most players will make the "landing areas" zones when playing into a good going breeze. The thing about links holes is that for instance on a 500 yard hole you might get home with a drive and wedge one day and the next it might be a drive, a 3 wood, a 3 wood....and then a wedge. How do you plan landing areas for that ? You can't, that's the beauty of playing links golf IMO.

Randy

I hope you were being facetious with that last comment. They've basically obliterated a rare beautiful landscape in building the course.

Niall 

[Wade Whitehead]

I agree, Kyle.  The rectangular tee boxes really seem out of place.

WW

[David_Tepper]

Wade -

Rectangular tee boxes are commonplace in Scotland.

DT
tcmnav@aol.com

[Garland Bayley]

Will the real Trump International Golf Links please identify itself.

Apparently the different photos we are seeing on this web site have been taken with significantly different focal lengths. Therefore, the course takes a somewhat different persona each time we see it. This set is particularly attractive.

Thanks Ian.

[Joel_Stewart]

I'm not drinking the kool aid until I play it.

I agree that the tee boxes are out of place for this golf course.  I would have like to see a more free form tee and it seems like many are built up or elevated.

I can also see a lot of mounds that are obviously man made.  It looks very symmetrical in spots?

There was a lot of build up like this for Doonbeg and look where that ranks.

[Kyle Henderson]

Wade -

Rectangular tee boxes are commonplace in Scotland.

DT
tcmnav@aol.com

Quite true, but I still think they look out of place in these pictures (as well as some of the courses I played in Scotland), given the massive, amorphic dunes between the holes. Fortunately, it's mainly an aesthetic issue, as opposed to one of playability.

[Carl Nichols]

Going only off these pictures, it looks like they did a lot of flattening in some of the fairways/surrounds, which may be part of what people are reacting to. 

[Wade Whitehead]

DT:

You're correct.  Still, there's something about them - maybe beyond the rectangular shape - that seems to stick out for some reason.

Is the course walking only?

WW

[Jon Wiggett]

The unusually sharp appearance of the tee boxes is probably due to their newness. I would imagine they will soften and blend with time.

Jon

[Sean_A]

There is no denying the course looks interesting. I think there are some fake conical mounding, but I like it either way - they do mimic some of the larger dunes in the background.  The square tees look a bit odd, but I think they will mellow over time,  Perhaps when leveling off dunes for tees they should have left odd shapes so odd shapes would then be cut.  I think one issue will be balls in the long grass up the dunes.  It will be very easy to be five yards off line and be faced with a horrific shot.  At Burnham we have some of the same issues with playability through high dunes.  Its very difficult to keep the rough down up the slopes.

Ciao

[Ally Mcintosh]

I think the playability of the native grasses just off the fairway will be managed over time through maintenance and just plain foot traffic. It certainly won't be as stark a contrast in a couple of years time as it is now 7 months before opening.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Randy,

His real estate ventures differ from his golf operations, which he owns.

Why are some being so negative and judging the course before you've played it ?

The Chevy Camaro convertible is a great looking car....... but when you .....

[Jud_T]

Pat,

Some of us obviously have a chip on our shoulders (and/or personal history) with regards to all things Trump that will prevent us from ever setting foot on the greatest links course in the world.  Of course when you look up easy targets in the dictionary...

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