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Trump International Golf Links, Scotland is a
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
course in Balmedie,
Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area inclu ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, owned by
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
. It opened in 2012.


History

In 2006, Trump purchased a plot just north of Aberdeen at Menie (Balmedie), Scotland, with the intention of turning it into a £1 billion golf resort and "the world's best golf course" capable of hosting world class events such as
The Open Championship The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later t ...
. There has been opposition from many people both locally and in other parts of Scotland and the UK, and negative reaction from a number of environmental groups, but the project continues. The development plan for Trump International Golf Links, Scotland (TIGLS) included two 18-hole courses, a 5-star hotel, golf villas, holiday homes, and a golf academy. It was strongly supported by local business leaders but met opposition from local residents, campaigners and environmental groups anxious to preserve the 4,000-year-old
sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...
that were designated an SSSI (
Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
). In June 2019,
Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...
ruled that the golf course had "partially destroyed" the sand dune system, causing permanent habitat loss, and recommended that the SSSI status be revoked. The SSSI special status was removed in December 2020. Though the development was recommended for approval by
Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially different boundaries. The Aberdeenshire Council area inclu ...
Council officials the development was initially rejected by a local subcommittee of elected members. However it was subsequently approved following a controversial planning inquiry ordered by the Scottish Government in June 2008, at which Trump personally testified. Work began on the site in July 2010. In March 2009, the Trump Organization had asked the Council to use its powers of
compulsory purchase Compulsion may refer to: * Compulsive behavior, a psychological condition in which a person does a behavior compulsively, having an overwhelming feeling that they must do so. * Obsessive–compulsive disorder, a mental disorder characterized by ...
to acquire some areas of land at Balmedie not forming part of the original TIGLS site for which planning permission already existed. These included four family-owned properties. In response local campaigners established Tripping Up Trump, a movement aimed at protecting the families at Menie being threatened with eviction. When it emerged at the end of January 2011 that
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
guitarist
Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Freddie Mercury and ...
had agreed to the use of the band's song "
Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack o ...
" in a film highlighting the plight of the families, Trump appeared to deny in a media statement that there had ever been an eviction threat, declaring "we have no interest in compulsory purchase and have never applied for it." In September 2011, the Trump Organization lodged a formal objection to the proposed construction of a
wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...
off the Aberdeenshire coast not far from the site of the new hotel and luxury housing. Donald Trump also wrote personally to the
First Minister of Scotland The first minister of Scotland ( sco, heid meinister o Scotland; gd, prìomh mhinistear na h-Alba ) is the head of the Scottish Government and keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. The first minister chair ...
protesting mainly on aesthetic grounds at the proposed erection of offshore
wind turbines A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. Wi ...
, which he characterized as 'ugly'. His letter claimed that he was protesting on behalf of the Scottish people, 'not... merely for the benefit of Trump International Golf Links.' The Organization's subsequent lawsuit failed as did the appeal. In 2011, a documentary directed by Anthony Baxter called ''
You've Been Trumped ''You've Been Trumped'' is a 2011 documentary by British filmmaker Anthony Baxter. The film documents the construction of a luxury golf course on a beach in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by developer Donald Trump and the subsequent struggl ...
'' was released, showing the situation of local residents adversely affected by the resort's construction. It contains footage of, among others, economists who query the benefits claimed for the local economy, environmentalists critical of the damage allegedly caused by the development and golfers who voice doubts about claims made for the resort by the Trump Organization. It also shows Anthony Baxter being arrested by a
Grampian Police Grampian Police was, between 1975 and 2013 (replaced by Police Scotland), the territorial police force of the northeast region of Scotland, covering the council areas of Aberdeenshire, the City of Aberdeen, and Moray (the former Grampian region ...
officer, while filming; he was later released without charge. Baxter has been quoted as saying that Trump branded the film 'boring' and Baxter himself 'a fraud'. However, the film has won several awards including the
Hamptons Film Festival The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) is an international film festival founded in 1992, by Joyce Robinson. The festival has since taken place every year in East Hampton, New York. It is usually an annual five-day event in mid-October ...
Social Justice Award, the Maysles Brothers Award for best documentary at the
Denver Film Festival The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily at the Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver, Colorado, now the Anna and John J. Sie FilmCenter (Sie FilmCenter). Premiere events are held in the Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House ...
and the Sedona International Film Festival Director's Choice Award. The course opened on July 10, 2012. Despite Trump's threat to withdraw any further investment in Scotland amid the wind turbine controversy, he later purchased the prestigious Turnberry resort in
Ayrshire Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of ...
in April 2014. By 31 December 2018 the accounts reveal an overall expenditure on assets to date of £33,659,179. During the year there had been an operating loss of £866,991 and loss before tax of £1,077,504. This loss represented a small improvement on the previous year (2017), when it made a loss of around £1,250,000. The number of employees had reduced from 84 during 2017 to 77 in 2018. The shareholders' deficit increased by just over £1,000,000 to £11,725,897. For 31 December 2019 the accounts reveal an overall asset value of £32,071,221. During the year there had been an operating loss of £896,367 and loss before tax of £1,105,763. This loss represented a further decline on the previous year (2018). The number of employees rose back up to 84 during 2019 from 77 in 2018. The shareholders' deficit again increased by over £1M to £12,783,441. Aberdeenshire Council granted planning approval for a second golf course on the Menie site, to be named the ''MacLeod Course'' after Donald Trump's mother
Mary Anne MacLeod Mary Anne Trump (; gd, Màiri Anna Nic Leòid ; May 10, 1912 – August 7, 2000) was a Scottish-American domestic worker. She was the wife of real-estate developer Fred Trump. The couple were the parents of Donald Trump, the 45th president of ...
, in October 2020.


Coat of arms

In 2008, Trump promoted the golf course with a
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
that he had used for his American businesses, but was warned by the
Lord Lyon King of Arms The Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants ...
, the highest authority for
Scottish heraldry Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom. Executive The Scottish he ...
, that a Scottish law disallows the use of unregistered arms. In January 2012, shortly after the inauguration of the golf course, Trump unveiled a new coat of arms that had been granted to "The Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd" by the Lord Lyon in 2011. A spokesperson for the golf course said that "the coat of arms brings together visual elements that signify different aspects of the Trump family heritage .. the Lion Rampant n the crestmakes reference to Scotland and the stars to America. Three chevronels are used to denote the sky, sand dunes and sea—the essential components of the site, and the double- eadedEagle represents the dual nature and nationality of Trump's heritage (Scottish and German). The Eagle clutches golf balls making reference to the great name of golf, and the motto ''Numquam Concedere'' is Latin for Never Give Up—Trump's philosophy". The same coat of arms was later used for the
Trump International Golf Links and Hotel Ireland Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland, formerly Doonbeg Golf Club, is a traditional links (golf), links-type course situated to the north of Doonbeg in County Clare, Ireland. Designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2002, the geography was ...
.


See also

*
Donald Trump and golf Donald Trump is closely associated with the sport of golf. As a real estate developer, Trump began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 1999. By the time of his election as United States President in 2016, he owned 17 golf courses worldwide ...


References


External links

* {{official website, http://www.trumpgolfscotland.com/, Trump International Golf Links, Scotland Golf clubs and courses in Aberdeenshire Donald Trump real estate 2012 establishments in Scotland Sports venues completed in 2012