Trump National Doral: Blue Monster
Miami, FL • Public
Stephen Szurlej
Overview
The linchpin of the famous four-course complex previously known as Doral Golf Resort, the Blue Monster had hosted a PGA Tour event annually from 1962 to 2016. The fearsome layout was designed by Dick Wilson in 1962 and set the template for the modern south Florida course with lakes galore, deep bunkers and greenpads elevated above the fairways for drainage and aerial target golf. Several questionable renovations in the 1990s and early 2000s moved it away from the original Wilson look, and the design was lost for a period of time. Always intended to be a course presenting shot-making demands for good players, the Blue Monster was given added bite by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner through the creation of new slopes and ridges on several holes and the excavation of new lakes on the par-3 15 and drivable par-4 16 to add more excitement to the finish. But they wisely left the legendary 18th nearly untouched. Why mess with history? The changes were completed shortly before the PGA Tour took the course out of its annual location.
About
Awards
Ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked for 22 years from 1969-'90.
Highest ranking: 77th, 1985-'86.
100 Greatest Public: Ranked, 2003-'04, 2013-'14, 2017-'24.
Highest ranking: 56th, 2003-'04.
Previous ranking: 87th.
2023-'24 ranking: 82nd.
Best in State: Ranked 18th, 2015-'16. Ranked 24th, 2017-'20. Ranked 25th, 2013-'14. Ranked 27th, 2021-'24.
2023-'24 ranking: 27th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“The Blue Monster doesn't carry a lot of surprises -- it is a test of golf with a lot of water hazards to catch poorly struck or thought-out shots. It is fun to play a course that I grew up watching on TV, but it isn't really a great golf course beyond the history."
Read More2021
Review
“Prototypical Trump. The resort feels like a machine cranking people through the turnstile. The course is well designed, but also feels like most other Florida courses (flat, palms, bermuda). The price tag is hefty ($450). If the cost doesn't bother you and you're in the area, you'd probably enjoy the course. If you're looking for a unique experience, this is probably not your place. Feels about as corporate/commercial as you get in golf."
Read More2018
Review
“Doral gets a lot of its appeal from the fact you've seen it on television and that's perfectly fair but I doubt it would turn your head as much if you didn't own a TV. There are a number of pretty good risk/reward holes but the property is too flat to generate any real excitement."
Read More2018
Review
“Deserves its reputation as a tough test of golf. Great conditioning and lots of potential trouble."
Read More2018
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