Five of the best new golf course opening happening in 2025

The second course at Trump International, in Aberdeen, is set to open in the summer of 2025.

From Sergio Garcia’s first design to a second course at Trump International, these five best new golf courses will be worth your time, money, and air miles.

There are around 3,000 golf courses in the UK, close to 9,000 in Europe, and somewhere in the region of 39,000 in the world. That’s a lot we need to get through in our lifetime, but I will challenge anyone who doesn’t believe that you can never have too many golf courses.

New course openings have, until recently, been in very short supply in the UK, so you can imagine our excitement when we were informed that two will be ready to play in Scotland this summer.

From what we’ve seen so far, they’re both contenders for our Top 100 rankings – and one is even offering a big ‘preview play’ discount between August and September.

The following rundown of the best new golf courses will give you a little taste of what you can expect – and why you may will want to book a trip to Portugal, the Bahamas, and even Saudi Arabia in the very near future.

1. Old Petty at Cabot Highlands

Highlands, Scotland

It’s a big year for course openings north of the border, and this one is particularly noteworthy since the opening and closing holes literally cross over each other.

The unique Tom Doak design winds along a tidal estuary and pays homage to Old Petty Church, a historical landmark which borders the property and sits beside Castle Stuart.

Preview play runs from August 1 to September 30, from £190pp.

2. MacLeod Course at Trump International

Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Named after the US President’s mother, the much-anticipated second course at Trump International claims to have the world’s largest natural bunker and has been laid out over three distinct areas: heather-clad heathlands, expansive wetlands, and sandy dunesland.

Eric Trump, the son of the owner, who has been hands on with the development, told TG that while Martin Hawtree is the lead architect, as many as seven others – including architects from Sweden and Canada and the world’s “best players” – have lent their expertise.

“There is not a bad hole,” he explained. “There is not a bad view. And when I say not ‘bad’, every single hole is breathtaking, and it will have some of the very best views on the whole property.

“The courses are going to have different feels and different personalities, based on one being a little lower and going over the dunes, but they’ve both got teeth.

“We’re not trying to have a course that plays second fiddle to the first. My greatest wish is to have people fighting over whether the old one or the new one is better.”

With typical Trumpian modesty, it’s being billed as one half of “the greatest 36 holes in golf ”, which is why we are so eager to play it. We’ve heard it’s even better than its sister.

3. Jack Nicklaus Heritage Course at Jack’s Bay

Eleuthera, Bahamas

Getting here isn’t cheap, but there isn’t another property in the world with golf courses designed by the two greatest players in our sport.

The Nicklaus Heritage Course is about to join Tiger’s 10-hole, par-3 Playground that borders jagged cliffs and pink-sand beaches. The location, on the coast of Eleuthera Island, is pretty special, too. Check out that view.

4. Torre Course at Terras Da Comporta

Carvalhal, Portugal

Already home to Portugal’s finest course (the Dunas), this world-class venue is turning up the dial with the impending arrival of Sergio Garcia’s debut design in June.

The tree-lined, coastal layout takes inspiration from Valderrama and favours precision over power, with tight fairways and tiny greens. You can find it an hour south of Lisbon.

5. Shura Links

Shura Island, Saudi Arabia

When money is no object, this is the result: a new luxury island, connected to the mainland by a 3.5km causeway, with 11 hotels and resorts, a marina, and the country’s first island golf course.

It’s all very secretive, including the opening date, but the powers that be are promising spectacular vistas
amid large expanses of mangroves, waterfront and a “garden-like dunescape”.

Average temperatures of 32 Celcius are especially appealing.