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The Aberdeenshire council planners have approved a second course at the Trump International Golf Links Scotland, a decision that has angered environmentalists, according to The Guardian.
The second links will be named the MacLeod course after Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised in Scotland before emigrating to New York. The former estate home on property - currently a 16-room boutique hotel - is also called the Trump MacLeod House & Lodge. Although the timetable for construction has yet to be made public, the layout was designed by Dr. Martin Hawtree, the architect of the first course.
Conservationists blame the original links for damaging the dunes system at nearby Foveran Links, an official site of special scientific interest (SSSI). They believe the council's decision will likely have a profound impact on Foveran’s SSSI status, considering its unusual shifting sands and diverse plant life.
“This decision gives a green light to the Trump organisation to further vandalise and destroy Scotland’s natural heritage,” Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, told the newspaper. “Aberdeenshire council and the Scottish government have ignored the objections of Scottish Natural Heritage about potential further damage to world-famous sand dunes that are supposed to be protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, but which have already been partially destroyed by the building of the first golf course.”
The addition of a second golf course likely paves the way for Trump's original intentions to build a large golf resort community. He pledged to create up to "6,000 jobs by building a five-star hotel with 450 rooms, shops, a sports complex, timeshare flats, two golf courses and housing estates."
Trump had hoped the first course would attract major events, but so far, the European Tour, which runs the Scottish Open, and the R&A, which oversees The Open Championship, have shied away from Trump properties as venues. The Associated Press reports that the property has lost money every year since it opened.
Building courses on or near SSSI-designated sites in Scotland is a long and often risky proposition for developers. Mike Keiser, the founder of Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley, had his attempts to build Coul Links, a new links near Dornoch, rejected by the Scottish Government after heavy protest.
Comments (13)
If I may a share a story, it has been several years since I was asked to meet our not yet President (Donald Trump) in his office. We had the pleasure of designing an award-winning golf course for the Daewoo Corporation in South Korea. "Mr." Trump had played the course, and received a letter from their Chairman (Feb. 22, 1999) praising our work. Thereafter, on a letter I sent to Mr. Trump, he wrote on my letter the following: "Gary, I think your work is wonderful. I will contact you when I have a project which would be good for you. Say Hi to Madame Chung. She is great. Donald Trump." Subsequently, I, and a friend first met Eric in his office. After a short conversation with him, we met Mr. Trump. It was a pleasant meeting, and he expressed his interest in golf. Before my friend and I departed, he turned to Eric and said, "I want this gentleman to design all our golf courses, and those which will need remodeling anywhere." He went on to say that "the biggest golfing nations in the future will be Vietnam & Thailand". This synopsis of my 2nd visit to his office is in some manner a hopeful wish that those in Scotland who have approved a second course for him will see this, and remind him of his 11 year old directive to have us do all of his work. In as much as my ancestors all came from Scotland, I would be happy beyond joy to do so....even for $1...and all the publicity that would go with that. Gary Roger Baird, President & CEO, GLOBAL GOLF DESIGN
I don't like golf more than common decency, honesty and democracy. Only the self absorbed would place golf ahead of those things - but then again that is what Trump does. I really hope the Scotts give him the toe!
If I may a share a story, it has been several years since I was asked to meet our not yet President (Donald Trump) in his office. We had the pleasure of designing an award-winning golf course for the Daewoo Corporation in South Korea. "Mr." Trump had played the course, and received a letter from their Chairman (Feb. 22, 1999) praising our work. Thereafter, on a letter I sent to Mr. Trump, he wrote on my letter the following: "Gary, I think your work is wonderful. I will contact you when I have a project which would be good for you. Say Hi to Madame Chung. She is great. Donald Trump." Subsequently, I, and a friend first met Eric in his office. After a short conversation with him, we met Mr. Trump. It was a pleasant meeting, and he expressed his interest in golf. Before my friend and I departed, he turned to Eric and said, "I want this gentleman to design all our golf courses, and those which will need remodeling anywhere." He went on to say that "the biggest golfing nations in the future will be Vietnam & Thailand". This synopsis of my 2nd visit to his office is in some manner a hopeful wish that those in Scotland who have approved a second course for him will see this, and remind him of his 11 year old directive to have us do all of his work. In as much as my ancestors all came from Scotland, I would be happy beyond joy to do so....even for $1...and all the publicity that would go with that. Gary Roger Baird, President & CEO, GLOBAL GOLF DESIGN
I don't like golf more than common decency, honesty and democracy. Only the self absorbed would place golf ahead of those things - but then again that is what Trump does. I really hope the Scotts give him the toe!
Unbelievable that here I am surfing “golf” site for my favorite hobby & you have nitwits giving their political opinions ???? They must be sad people who are so obsessed with hate that they don’t like golf more than a personality!
To my American fellow golfers - -
I'm sorry, but I do not find anything good about this story. Frankly, I believe Donald Trump is not worth walking across the road to see (you won't believe the level of restraint I am showing at this point) - the man has no scruples nor any sense of decency. The Scotts have no respect nor love for this man - I hope they rise up and somehow block this development - not because I don't want to see the game of golf flourish, but rather I don't want to see Trump flourish - in anyway.
From a friendly Canuck
It is often joked that the Grand Canyon was formed because a Scots man lost a penny in the desert. Looks like you are all still digging and being sold bull. This is truly fake news, 6000 jobs.
I live in Toronto and very proud to report that we bankrupt the Trump Tower, it failed due to public pressure.
Not too late kill this crap.
I have played many of the courses that the Trump family own and they are all great ,that includes the courses he renovated after they had been purchased. They do a great job with golf.
I applaud the development of any new golf course especially when unlimited resources are used to get it right, thank you President Trump for another masterpiece to come.
Sometime ago, Samantha B had a TV video of what the Scots thought of Trump and his first golf course - they greatly disliked him and gave their reasons. At one point Trump tried to sue a local councillor for "blasphemy" - I guess Trump considers himself to be a god - but no one else does.
Fool me once... I would have hoped that our golfing brethren in Scotland had finally figured out that this gasbag is a lying POS. 6000 jobs? I'll take the under. To all of the contractors: Get your money up front.
They are lucky that Trump did not want to install wind turbines on the property. That is usually a giant conundrum for the Leftists.