Four years ago, when Donald Trump landed in Scotland to announce plans for a new golf development in Aberdeenshire, people dismissed his claim that it would be the “greatest course the world has ever seen” as the type of brash hyperbole that characterises somebody worth upwards of $1billion.
But there’s a reason people like Trump are billionaires – a proven track record of delivering on their word.
Having secured a world exclusive interview with the man himself (published in issue 98 of bunkered), I was privileged to be invited to Menie for a reception hosted by Trump, his son and business associates as they checked in on the progress being made to the course.
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His 87 years won’t stop Roberto de Vicenzo teeing it up in the Champions Challenge at this year’s Open Championship, while Seve Ballesteros has refused to allow multiple brain surgeries to scupper his chances of saying a fond farewell to his fans at St Andrews this year.
To describe Jack Nicklaus’ lack of commitment to the event scheduled for the eve of the 150th anniversary Open Championship as a disappointment is an understatement to say the least.
For a man who had his swansong at St Andrews in 2005, an all-singing, all-dancing affair with his face emblazoned on five pound notes and emotional scenes over the Swilken Bridge, not to take part in the commemorative tribute to both the Open and its champions is sad, but to claim he has ‘no real desire to go there’, as he did at the Masters in April, is downright disrespectful.
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The first major event of this season’s Tartan Tour has already taken place – even though the circuit’s curtain-raising competition is still 11 weeks away.
David Orr, the reigning Scottish PGA champion, and one of the country’s rising golf stars Mark Kerr have both been banned from playing on the Tartan Tour until July 1, following a breach of PGA training programme rules.
The duo, it appears, have not been fulfilling the 30 hours of weekly shop duties required as part of the PGA programme and, resultantly, will be forced to kick their heels on the sidelines for the first six months of the year.
The head pros at Orr and Kerr’s respective clubs – Stewart Russell at East Renfrewshire and Alan Tait at Marriott Dalmahoy – have also been punished for breaching the PGA training regulations and code of ethics, each receiving a £1,500 fine and Tait being advised to resign from the Tour committee. Read more…
To listen to some people talk about the state of Scottish golf as we enter 2010, you’d think it was all doom and gloom.
It seems as though some people believe that, as it is in our bonnie country that the game was born several centuries, we have a duty to continually remain world leaders in the sport.
A silly train of thought if you ask me. After all, Scotland is responsible for a multitude of universally-adopted inventions, the television for example. Still, you don’t see the folks from ‘Television Monthly’ lamenting the lack of a home-based market competitor to Samsung or Sony, do you?
Let’s not forget, for all we have done and achieved, we are still a small country, geographically not even as big as Lake Superior or French Guiana, and with a population less than that of El Salvador, Burundi and even Laos. Read more…
After three years of bitter wrangling with local residents, environmentalists and local and national government, work is now officially underway on the Trump International Golf Links Scotland at Belmedie, Aberdeenshire – at least for the time being.
If completed the £1billion project will encompass what American business magnate, and self-professed Scot, Donald Trump called “the greatest golf course in the world” along with a five-star hotel, 1,000 holiday, 500 houses and a clubhouse.
Despite getting the go ahead to commence the early construction phase of introducing new grass types and stabilising the sand dunes, many are still dead set against the development and hope to stamp it out.
Environmentalists, angry at the plans to build on a Site of Specific Scientific Interest, have been backed up by residents of the Menie Estate who may be evicted against their will should the finer details of Trump’s “masterplan” be approved by Aberdeenshire councillors. Read more…