Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to open a second golf course at his resort in Aberdeenshire next year. The new 18-hole links course, named the MacLeod Course after
Trump’s mother, Mary MacLeod, who was born in Lewis, will welcome players at the Trump International resort in Menie starting in the summer of 2025.
The resort claims the course will boast the "largest sand dunes in Scotland" and, together with the original course opened in 2012, will create "the greatest 36 holes in golf." Trump and his son Eric broke ground on the project last year, three years after it received approval from the local council.
The links course is said to offer stunning views along the shores of the North Sea, with players facing the challenge of avoiding the nearby beach. However, the resort has faced controversy in the past, with the Menie dunes losing their status as a nationally protected environment four years ago due to the development of the original course.
Despite this, Trump International claims the MacLeod Course will be "one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable" golf courses ever built. Images show rough areas covered in heather, and the course is perched just yards from the beach.
Sarah Malone, executive vice president of Trump International Scotland, praised the new course as a marvel in the world of golf, stating, "This course is unlike any other links course ever built and is exceeding every expectation." She credited a team of architects, engineers, environmental scientists, and industry experts for their work in developing the site.
Donald Trump handed control of his Scottish golf courses to his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., in 2017 before becoming president, though he still retains a financial interest. Trump International Golf Club Scotland operates the course north of Aberdeen, which has been controversial due to environmental concerns about damage to the previously designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
In addition to the Menie course, Trump also owns the Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire, which recently gained attention as the most expensive place to play golf in the UK, with fees reaching up to £1,000 per round. Photo by 首相官邸ホームページ, Wikimedia commons.