Trump National Doral

• bruced
• March 2, 2015

Trump National Doral (formerly Doral, before it was purchased by Real Estate mogul Donald Trump) has always gone to great lengths to stress that its name is associated with an elegant legacy of ‘extraordinary golf and superlative service’.

You can click here to see a picture gallery of the world class resort.

For almost a half century this outstanding Miami establishment that has five championship golf courses, including the famed Blue Monster, says it has continually raised the bar on standards of resort excellence while maintaining the classic style and ambiance envisioned by its creators.

Besides the five golf courses which are nestled in tropical Miami, Doral has a top quality pro-shop and practice facilities and a Jim McLean Learning Centre where you can brush up on your game or even be taught how to play from square one.

It also has world-class accommodation in rooms or suites, five restaurants serving a wide variety of menus, an award-winning Spa with a host of health and beauty services, tennis facilities and a magnificent water park that includes Camp Doral, with its full program of children’s activities.

THE GOLF COURSES

THE BLUE MONSTER

Now the home of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, it has hosted prestigious PGA Tour events for the past 40 years.

In fact, virtually every great name in golf has had a moment of glorious personal triumph on this world-class track.

Originally designed by Dick Wilson, and later restored by Raymond Floyd, golfers won’t find a more challenging or spectacular golf course.

At 7,125 yards from the tournament tees, and with a series of strategically placed bunkers, both length and finesse are needed to score well on this historic course.
The Blue Monster features long fairways, undulating greens, a deep Bermuda rough and a unique assortment of water hazards.

The famous 18th hole, with its signature fountain, has been ranked by GOLF Magazine as one of the Top 100 Holes in the World and with a scoring average of 4.539, it has long been rated as one of the toughest par-fours in all non-major events on the US PGA Tour.

Yes, it’s a pretty tough closer and has made and will continue to make for some dramatic finishes.

THE BLUE MOSTER – HOLE BY HOLE

Hole 1 (Par 5, 529 yds)
The bulk of this week’s field will reach the big flat green on this amiable opening par 5 in two and get off to a good start, but its not without teeth. The trees planted in both roughs will punish offline tee shot.

Hole 2 (Par 4, 376 yds)
This short par 4 is another accommodating, good birdie hole on which a good many past champions have taken advantage to get into an early sub-par position. Many tee off here with their long irons as the fairway narrows to 24 yards between the bunkers, the right one of which has three Dick Wilson trademark grass islands.

Hole 3 (Par 4, 438 yds)
This one can spoil a fast start and may be the Blue Monster’s most difficult driving hole. Longer drives find a wider fairway; so expect to see driver used off the tee. A miss right will find the lake, while a miss left will find deep rough or the tough fairway bunker. Approach shots must also be deadly. The sharp slope to the left of the green, the only one at Doral without bunkers, will ensure a difficult recovery shot.

Hole 4 (Par 3, 236 yds)
This is the toughest par 3 on the golf course even though the 13th is 10 yards longer. Two deep bunkers guard the green’s left side and any miss on the right is sure to find water. Can be a make or break hole.

Hole 5 (Par 4, 94 yds)
The left side of the fairway of this par 4 is guarded by four small bunkers cut into the hillside and the landing area is narrow. In addition the green is protected by five bunkers, but birdies are possible if you drive it long and keep it in the fairway.

Hole 6 (Par 4, 442 yds
This par 4 has a large landing area at the 225-yard mark but narrows considerably as players get closer to the green. The second bunker on the left especially narrows the fairway, leaving only 33 yards for your drive which is always into the wind and makes the hole play longer than its 442 yards makes it look

Hole 7 (Par 4, 428 yds)
Palm trees at the right hand corner of this dogleg to the left block out drives right or through the fairway that end up behind them. Playing a draw from the tee is best. The position of the fairway bunkers gives average golfers more room to drive the ball. The left-fairway bunker, with its steeper lip, is more intimidating for PGA TOUR players. The green’s left side slopes down to the left into a chipping area.

Hole 8 (Par 5, 560 yds
On this par 5, the lake is very much in play for longer hitters. Numerous palm trees beyond the bunker on the right punish any bailout to that side. Many players go for the green in two, but to do so requires a long, accurate drive usually into the winter wind from the southwest.

Hole 9 (Par 3, 169 yds
This is Doral’s shortest par 3 but almost always plays into the wind or into a crossing left-to-right wind. The green is very quick. Putts from above the pin are especially tricky, being downwind and down grain toward the water. Leaving the ball under the hole is critical, allowing players to putt aggressively and maybe walk away with a birdie.

Hole 10 (Par 5, 551 yds
This downwind, 551-yard par 5 plays shorter than the yardage. The two fairway bunkers on the right make the drive tighter and bring the water more into play. Longer drives find a narrower fairway. Big hitters will play a 3-, 4- or 5-iron on the approach. Any approach shot pulled left will find the lake. The sloping green is very narrow in back, making a back-left pin the most difficult to reach. Expect to see many birdies and a few eagles on this hole.

Hole 11 (Par 4, 402 yds
This large bunker in the fairway’s center gives players three distinct tee-shot options, a common Dick Wilson strategy. Most players will lay up with a 4- or 5-iron. Players can also drive the ball up to 280 yards down the left side. The better drivers will definitely hit driver here, leaving a short pitch. Look for a pin placement right behind the front bunkers.

Hole 12 (Par 5, 603 yds)
This is one of the PGA TOUR’s longest par 5s, so don’t expect many players to reach the green in two. Over 400 trees have been planted on the right side of this hole, making any shot from the right rough very intimidating. The enormous fairway bunker on the right stretches from 96 to 166 yards from the green. The parallel bunker on the left squeezes the second-shot landing area. As on the 11th hole, the front part of this green is raised, hiding front-pin locations and leaving players with an uneasy feeling on their approach shots.Hole 13 (Par 3, 245 yds
This is Doral’s longest par 3. Making 3 here would please every player in the field. Well-defined bunkers guard either side of the green, but players can use the strip of fairway in front to bounce the ball onto the putting surface. The toughest pin placements are back left because the back of the green actually slopes away from the tee.

Hole 14 (Par 4, 460 yds
Because it is usually downwind, this par 4 plays much shorter than its 460-yard length. Two fairway bunkers guard the right side of the tee-shot landing area. While many players can carry the first bunker on the left from the tee, the second bunker beyond it forces them to find the fairway. Two bunkers sit to the left of the green, while the right side of the green slopes to the right. The green is also dramatically narrow.

Hole 15 (Par 3, 175 yds
On this par 3, the faces of the bunkers fronting the green and behind it are grassed down. The step-over spot in the fronting bunker is commonly seen in bunkers on courses in Scotland and Ireland. The very shallow green and the wind, usually coming from left to right, make choosing a club difficult. Even some of the world’s finest players come up either short or long here. This hole is critical coming down the stretch of the CA Championship.

Hole 16 (Par 4, 372 yds
This par 4 swings from right to left. The fairway bunkers on the right side are small. The left-fairway bunker includes four islands and is completely grassed down. The wide fairway encourages players to drive the ball off the tee, bringing the bunkers and palm trees into play more often. The bunker complex around the green is a classic Dick Wilson design. The toughest pin placements are on the very narrow right side of the green, which slopes away from the fairway. Shots missed long will bound over this green, leaving an extremely difficult pitch back.

Hole 17 (Par 4, 419 yds)
The most unique thing about this slight dogleg right is the elevated green; it is 51 yards deep, a three- or four-club difference depending on the pin position. Usually playing into the wind or into a left-to-right wind, this par 4 plays considerably longer than 419 yards. Add on at least 15 yards if the pin is at the back. A back pin placement also requires a shot over a deep and intimidating bunker guarding the green’s left side. Classic-styled bunkers frame the entire putting service.

Hole 18 (Par 4, 467 yds)
In 2004, this hostile par 4 was ranked the most difficult finishing hole on the PGA TOUR. It invariably plays into the wind or into a left-to-right crosswind and this makes the drive an extremely crucial and difficult one. The fairway narrows to only 25 yards at the end of the lake but widens beyond it, so longer drives have a bigger target. Driving the ball into the right rough leads to a terrifying second shot to a long, narrow green whose entire left side is bordered by water. Crushing a drive down this fairway and then firing at the back-left Sunday pin warrants a medal of honour for bravery

THE GREAT WHITE COURSE

This 148-acre course, designed by Greg Norman, is primarily landscaped with tightly packed coquina sand and is the only “desert-scape” golf course of its kind in the Southeastern United States. The Great White was rated as the best new golf course of 2000, according to the National Golf Foundation
Type of Course: Resort
Number of holes: 18
Year Built: 1961
Designer: Greg Norman
Type of Greens: Bermuda Grass

THE GOLD COURSE

Originally designed by the Bob Von Hagge and Devlin design team in 1968 and redesigned by Raymond Floyd in 1995. The Gold Course follows a traditional Florida layout, with gently contoured greens, strategic bunkering, and water surrounding 16 holes.
Type of Course: Resort
Number of holes: 18
Year Built: 1960
Designer: Robert von Hagge
Type of Greens: Bermuda Grass

THE RED COURSE

This shortish course forces golfers to use strategy and shot placement rather than driving for show. Featuring 14 water holes with fairways winding around serene lakes, the course provides breathtaking beauty and exhilarating challenges without intimidating length. The Red course hosted The Office Depot championship, an LPGA event, in 2001.
Type of Course: Resort
Number of holes: 18
Year Built: 1960
Designer: Robert von Hagge
Type of Greens: Bermuda Grass

THE SILVER COURSE

Breaking away from a Florida-style layout, golf legend Jerry Pate redesigned the Silver Course to include narrow, rolling fairways, raised tee-boxes, and elevated greens. Water comes into play on 16 holes, which include a diverse mix of long and short, par 3 and par 4 layouts. The course features a signature 14th hole island green and hosted the 1999 PGA Qualifying School finals.
Type of Course: Resort
Number of holes: 18
Year Built: 1960
Designer: Jerry Pate (redesigned in 1998)
Type of Greens: Bermuda Grass

RESTAURANTS

Doral cuisine at its five restaurants and lounges, are inventive and feature fresh ingredients prepared by nationally recognized chefs.

Windows on the Green offers panoramic views of the Blue Monster’s 18th hole and tempting fresh seafood and American cuisine with South Florida and Caribbean accents.

Terrazza Restaurant and Caféis the place to tart your day with breakfast with Executive Chef Jean-Claude Lanchais who prepares brioche French toast and Beignet aux Pommes to accompany traditional favorites such as eggs benedict and blueberry pancakes.

The Champions Bar and Grill features burgers and clubhouse sandwiches along with a full bar and great views of the Blue Monster course.

The Atrium Restaurant at the Spawhere its towering columns and Old World charm contribute to a serene ambience where diners enjoy health-concious cuisine in a relaxed open-air setting.

Bungalou’s Bar & Grill is conveniently located in the heart of the Blue Lagoon and serves delicious fare in a casual Caribbean atmosphere.