Trump National Doral Miami - Blue Monster Course

Golf is a gentleman's game.
The clowns in the 2 groups in front of us had no respect for pace of play, sportsmanship nor soberness.
Marshall did nothing.

Other than that , I'd play it again.

What a great experience! I was excited to play here because I’ve seen it on the pga tour. It lived up to the hype. Great course, great conditions, great service, and great round.

My only complaint and I’ve seen others say this is that you should expect to see a cart girl. The first and only time I saw her was on hole 15. Yes you read that right, I was for finishing up my round before I saw her at all. Disappointing, but the rest of the experience outweighs that poor customer service.

The customer service at every other area was top notch!

This was my first time playing the Blue Monster.

The customer service and attention to details at Trump National are great.

The course plays long and is challenging with water and tons of bunkers. The rough was very lush, thick and long. If you were off the fairway, you truly paid a penalty due to the challenging of getting the ball out of the rough and onto the greens.

The only draw back was the day was very hot and humid and the beverage cart service was spotty, We did not see a beverage cart until the 8th hole and we were all hot, thirsty and ready for drinks a long time before we saw the beverage cart. The valet staff, cart attendants and starter were all great.

If you have the opportunity to play the Blue Monster, definately take advantage and play the course. It is great and VERY challenging.

The practice facilities are top notch with all practice facilities being great and very helpful.

Recent aeration of the greens and numerous bunkers provided a stout challenge at this bucket list track, whose $100 Hot Deal hinted that this legendary course was going to be in less than stellar condition. Hittable fairways and tee boxes were sparse in spots, while the rough was lush and deep. Most of the bunkers were firm. Undulating greens were bumpy, grainy and nearly impossible to read. Still...this was the Blue Monster and the eye-catching layout resembled a Donald Ross course on steroids with cavernous sand traps surrounding the greens, sneaky fairway bunkers and strategically-located ponds and lakes. Course management was paramount with carefully placed drives and shots needed (but not always executed) to avoid plethora of bunkers. Solid iron was also was key, particularly of the flop variety. Heroic shots were not required for a mid-handicapper like me. One note: Play this course with friends and make it a happening, especially if your making your course debut. I played my first round at the Blue Monster with an inebriated father and his ill-mannered son, both of whom treated the course like a driving range as they took multiple second shots and putts, while searching for golf balls as if they were Spanish bullion. Their boorish company marred an otherwise memorable, three-hour voyage around a scenic track that is often offset by nondescript houses bordering the course. Beverage cart service was spotty, while pro shop staffer was polite, but not welcoming. Valet staff, cart attendants and starter were splendid. While I did not have time to stop by Champions Bar & Grill, located next to the pro shop, the cozy eatery's food and service have been excellent in the past. The Blue Monster is worth playing at least once, but the equally enjoyable Red and Gold Courses on the grounds offer much better bang on the buck.

i have played before Torrey Pines, Sawgrass and this one is the best i ever played...the course conditions were perfect, the greens at 10, and the challenge that course offers is fantastic...

The television does not do this course justice. It was a great experience and will definitely play again if given the opportunity

First about the staff. Best trained anywhere. Friendly professional and welcoming. Secondly greens were the best I have ever played and I have played almost every bucket list course in the USA, Scotland and Canada. If you like fast greens like I do you will love The Blue Monster. Just a whisper would get the ball rolling on line. Club house claimed running at a 13. I think closer to 11 but still unbelievable. Fairways were generous and hard to miss but wind and plenty of sand traps and water made the Monster live up to its name. Only downside I put on this beautiful course was price. I’ve played Pebble Beach and The Olde Course in St. Andrews as well as TPC Sawgrass and they are all worth the full fair at $500 or more. This round ran me $450. I think $350 should be the true value. Club house and grounds as well as the restaurants were exceptional.

Course` was packed with what I call forced foursomes. My buddy and I play together regularly and playing ready Golf move right along. The other pair in our foursome were non US and were more formal so our pace of play as a foursome was slow. I felt that the marshals harassed my buddy and I to pick up the pace when it should have been obvious that we couldn’t do anything to speed up the groups pace of play. For what it cost to play there I was most unhappy with being pared up with two guys who had never played together nor had every met. Besides we had a fore caddy for our foursome and if our pace was slow the marshal should have been talking to him not to us. Playing the Blue Monster was on my bucket list but over booking and being harassed by the marshals made this a round that I won’t remember for how great the course was, it’s majesty or it’s challenges. Most disappointing.

This was my second time playing the Blue Monster. It kicked my butt. 30-50 yd winds made club selection difficult. #10 is one of my favorite driving holes with the palm trees lined on the right. Price is steep. Has to be the largest pro shops in the country. New flags on the pin with American flags need to be sold. They were cool and brand new. Our forecaddie Eric was spot on with putts. Enjoyed every second.

My third time was the charm.
I didn't have fun the first two times playing the Blue Monster (in 1999 and 2011) because I simply got my butt kicked. It's that hard. My ground game is no match for its never-ending onslaught of bunkers and water.
But this time I knew what to expect, where to bail out and how to manage my game. The one time I tried to be heroic, I paid for it with a lost ball off the 18th tee.
I'm totally impressed with how Gil Hanse re-energized an aging course. Making par where Rory McIlroy threw his iron into the lake on no. 8 and trying to drive the spectacular new 16th hole were memorable moments.
The resort has really improved thanks to the millions spent by Trump. Don't be surprised if we see the course on TV hosting another top tournament in the future. The legacy of the Blue Monster should live on.

Had a great time staying and playing there! Josh in the pro shop was an absolute pleasure to talk too! I would recommend this course and facility to anyone! Thanks for a great week!!!

For over 40 years I had been dreaming of playing the Blue Monster at Doral. From the time I was a young boy looking at my Golf Digest while braving the cold winter in Northeastern Ohio, and seeing the back page advertisement I wanted to play.

This past Sunday, I finally had my opportunity, and to say it was a utter disappointment would be an understatement.

When I arrived in my Taxi, no one offered to help with my golf bag, and no one offered directions to where to go. However once I found my way to the Golf Shop, the staff was friendly and helpful, as were the Player's Assistance personnel and especially the Starter.

That was where my delight ended. I was appalled at the condition of the Driving Range, dried uncut grass which was impossible to find a decent lie to practice on.

The First Tee of the Blue Monster looked promising, it seemed to be the only spot on the golf course that was in above average condition.

I can understand that the greens need sanding and plugging at times, however, even with the sand they should still be cut! I actually had balls that stopped in the middle of a large slope due to the fact that the greens had not be cut in at least two or three days. Also, the greens were in extremely poor condition overall with spike trails, ball marks and general lack of upkeep.

The majority of teeing grounds were equally as bad, and in some cases the tees were closer to a light rough than a tee box.

I have played on under-funded municipal golf courses that were in better condition.

I was scheduled to play the Golden Palm this Sunday, but just cancelled that tee-time because I can play better conditioned courses for a lot less money.

Warmest Regards

We played the Blue Monster on a hot, humid, and windy day. Difficult conditions made harder due to the aerification the course recently underwent. However, it is the Blue, meaning it is a legacy course with 50+ years as a PGA Tour stop and still worth playing. The course was recently renovated by Gil Hanse and we were anxious to see what we would find. The course is a beast. From the tips, it plays 7,500 yards. Two of our group played from there while the other two played from the blue tees.

Water is adjacent to nearly every hole. If not a big lake, then canal-like creeks follow the fairways. Don't look for alligators at this resort. The starter shared with us that when one gets in, it is removed and transferred to the Everglades about five miles away.

The fairways are wide but errant shots will find balls lost in deep, deep Bermuda rough. You know the kind that golf broadcasters say no tour player likes to be in. I get it. Tough to find your ball, tough to hit out. Too many bunkers on this course to count. On several holes, like the par 3 #4 hole, the green side bunkers are you friend. This hole has a forced carry of 180 yards over water with a left-to right crosswind into a long and thin green that tilts towards the right into water. Hit into the bunker on the left side of then green and scramble for par. Hole #9 is another forced carry par 3 but the view from the tee box is great. #10 is a horrible hole for an average hack. This hole is almost as famous as #18 but offers little fairway to land your ball if you cannot carry 260 yards. The lake on the left was moved in as was the driving range on the right. Had to hit down the cart path as the narrow fairway gave the impression anything left was lost. Same for all of our group with the exception of our long hitter who crossed the water with a 300 yard carry. Most holes on the back 9 are forgettable. #18 is the best hole on the course. Scenic, long, strategic. Awesome. Great finishing hole.

The staff at Trump Doral are outstanding and this includes all golf staff. Service levels were always high and anticipation of our needs was incredible.

Last thing, Doral lies under the flight path to Miami International Airport. If you are an airplane aficionado, you will love it. Low-flying jumbo jets coming in during your swing is going to happen. Be prepared for it.
Stay at the resort. We were there 5 nights and it is unbelievable.

The property at Trump Doral was phenomenal. Two pro shops and nothing short of excellent. The range was nice, but nothing beat the views from the practice green. The course was in great shape. Make sure to pack a lunch because this course is HARD. We played two sets up and still had a tough time. I think having played it once I would have approached some holes differently the second time around. Definitely worth checking out if afforded the opportunity.

For a resort course without Ocean views this is one of the finest courses in the World!

The redesign made the course very challenging but if you pick the right tees you will not want the round to end!

The conditions and greens were a 10!

Like any resort with that price tag, especially a Trump property, the experience is nothing short of first class. The golf course, however, is not for the faint of heart. The caddies do a phenomenal job of coaching you through the round, but this course is just brutal. Bunkers and water are in play on every hole, and even a good shot can end up in the water sometimes.

Overall, its a great experience. There are other courses that are more enjoyable for a lower price and equal conditions, but playing Doral is a truly first class experience.

Blue Monster is a good test of golf. Trump has done a great job with the upkeep of the courses. Obviously very pricey. Required to take a fore caddy that tried to read every putt. Usually wrong but I worked through it. Had to play the course because I watched the "Doral" even year with my Dad since 1970 when he played it. He just passed away a month ago so I wish I could have talked to him about it. So said that they lost the tournament.

Everything about the experience was fantastic. From the time you drive up, to the facility, to the people, a truly luxurious experience. The greens were tru and were rolling great. The tee boxes were the best i have ever seen. They were so perfectly flat that it felt like I was walking on a level floor. The day was windy so par 5 holes were extremely challenging. Be sure to pick appropriate tees! I played from the 7000 yd. tees and that was too much for me. Everyone was the PGA experience but avoid playing the tips unless you can drive the ball 300 yds.+. The golf course is among the top 5 I have ever played. I would recommend finding the best deal you can and then forget about the money and enjoy the experience. Get to the course an hour or two early and take advantage of the fantastic practice area. You are treated great at the course, enjoy being treated like someone special for a day.