Donald Trump's new Scottish golf course to open next summer

A new golf course in Aberdeenshire, owned by former US President Donald Trump, is set to open next summer.

According to Trump International, the site, which has views of the North Sea, will complement the existing course, offering an unparalleled 36-hole golf experience. It described the new championship links course as "one of the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable courses ever built".

Last spring, Trump and his son Eric broke ground at the site. The course is designed to accompany the existing world-ranked championship links at Trump International near Balmedie, north of Aberdeen.

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Trump International said more than 10 hectares of vegetation has been translocated across the largest sand dunes in Scotland, allowing indigenous plants to thrive and expand, while one million sprigs of native marram grass have been planted and six tonnes of marram seeds harvested.

Sarah Malone, Executive Vice-President at Trump International, lauded the "extraordinary progress" made at the site, stating: "This course is unlike any other links course ever built and is exceeding every expectation. There are very few great stretches of developable links land in the world as good as this.

"A truly remarkable, world-class team of architects, engineers, environmental scientists and industry specialists have been working tirelessly in the background, etching out every square inch of this phenomenal piece of land to create one of the great wonders in the world of golf."

Trump International has highlighted that new wildlife habitats have been created within the wetlands areas, sand dunes, and heathlands, with most materials excluding drainage and irrigation pipework being sourced on site to minimise the carbon footprint.

The company has put in place an "innovative environmentally-friendly freshwater and drainage system", which was designed using wetlands and ponds to supply irrigation.

Speaking about the development, golfer Paul McGinley commented: "I had the pleasure of viewing the new site at Trump during construction whilst playing the Staysure PGA Championship at Trump International in the summer. I have no doubt that the addition of this new golf course will provide not just a great golfing exam, but also an aesthetic one with views of the North Sea from most holes."

Clare Barber, principal director of project engineers Fairhurst, said: "Given the outstanding ecological and geomorphological setting of the site, our priority has been to provide engineering solutions which do not just meet the minimum standards, but enhance the natural landscape, with a particular focus on the water environment and biodiversity.

"Working with academic experts in the field, we have achieved engineering and course morphology designs which not only respect but complement the existing landform, taking account of ongoing natural processes."

Esie O'Mahoney, the principal golf contractor at Golflink Evolve, said: "Over my 30 years' experience in the industry, this is by far the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable golf project we have ever worked on."