ABERDEEN, Scotland—President Donald Trump hosted a ceremony on Tuesday to officially open a second course at his Trump International Golf Links club on Scotland’s North Sea coast.
“God bless everyone, everyone here, and everyone everywhere in the world,” Trump said before a ribbon-cutting celebration on the first hole.
Hints of sunshine peeked through the grey, overcast sky as the festivities began, with Scottish and American flags flying in the light breeze.
After thanking the crowd of hundreds in attendance, including Scottish First Minister John Swinney, professional golfers, soccer players, and other dignitaries, the president teed up the first ball and sent it flying down the middle of the fairway.
“We'll play it very quickly, and then I go back to D.C. and we put out fires all over the world,” Trump said.
Secret Service agents were spread across the holes in front of the president to ensure his safety.
Measures were tightened after two assassination attempts last year, one of which took place at Trump’s International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The president purchased the Aberdeen property in 2006, and after years of planning and development, the Old Course opened for play in 2012.
In 2023, Trump and his son Eric Trump—who was instrumental in the design and construction—broke ground on the second championship course.
The club is touting the resort’s new course, combined with the original 18-hole layout now known as the Old Course, as the finest pair of golf courses ever built.
“I put every single ounce of my heart and soul into creating a complement to the first course,” Eric Trump said. “We wanted this to be the greatest 36 holes anywhere on Earth, and there’s no question ... that that’s been achieved.”
He said no expense was spared.
“We had an unlimited budget, and we exceeded it,” he said.
The New Course stretches 7,589 yards and highlights the region’s heathlands, natural dunes, and wetlands.
Prominent features on the new course include the world’s largest natural bunker, sandy hollows, and dunes formed by the windy coastal weather.
The new design honors the masterplan crafted by Martin Hawtree, the architect of the Old Course, and complements the natural terrain.
Designers focused on environmental sustainability, installing a freshwater drainage system that recycles water across the property to irrigate the courses, according to a statement from the club provided to The Epoch Times.
Nearly 25 acres of indigenous vegetation were transplanted to help protect native plant life. Dunes and wetlands were constructed to support wildlife and local ecosystems.
Approximately six tons of marram beach grass seeds were harvested during construction to preserve the species, and more than 1 million seedlings were planted.
Rolling fairways are lined with mountainous dunes and thick grass, some of which stands three feet high and taller.
Heavily contoured greens protected by cavernous bunkers are designed to challenge players’ approach shots and short games.
Professional golfers are set to compete on the Old Course over the next two weeks, the first time pro competitions have been held in consecutive weeks on any course.
“This is already a world-class venue, and over the next fortnight, the European Tour Group plans to do something quite unique, and we hope, rather special,” Guy Kinnings, CEO of the PGA European Tour, said during opening remarks.
The Legends Tour and Colin Montgomerie are hosting the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship at the club from July 31 through Aug. 3, followed by the DP World Tour’s Nexo Championship from Aug. 7 to 10.
“This double-header is testament to the stunning course that already exists here, but we’re here to celebrate a new chapter for this venue with the unveiling of the new course,” Kinnings said.
The U.S. president owns a collection of 15 highly rated golf clubs around the world, including Turnberry—which many consider his crown jewel—where the president met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in separate gatherings in the days before heading to Aberdeen.
