Spike Bar To The Donald: Stop (Again!)

The Internet Sports Writer of the Year has now (twice) told The Donald to forget about his course planned for very environmentally sensitive land. I expect The Donald to be protesting that ISWOTY award any day now. You go Hoppy:

Though there is little sign of activity at the Donald Trump International Golf Links at Balmedie, near Aberdeen, that does not mean that work has stopped, according to Neil Hobday, the project manager. "When we got outline planning permission last November we were given 40 conditions that have to be purified before we could put a shovel in the ground" Hobday said. "That is what we are doing now - trying to purify these conditions.

"We are not behind schedule though we are not ahead of it either. We are going through a transparent process. We are optimistic that we will be in the dirt in April 2010 and the opening date will be 2012.

"We have not been affected at all by the current economic situation," Hobday continued. "Mr Trump is in a strong cash situation. Everything has been paid for in cash. There is no mortgage on this project. I assure you Mr Trump is in an acquisition mode."

Though a friend made the valid point that Trump's project would be good news economically for a depressed part of the country, it did little to reduce one's feelings of concern at this project. Golf did not need another course in 2008, one, furthermore, set in an area of outstanding natural beauty much enjoyed by everyone. And it does not need one now, however on schedule it is and even though one year down the line, it looks more of a reality than it did.

Donald Turns Down Brand Lady For LPGA Championship

Brendan Prunty reports that the Donald was approached about hosting the LPGA Championship but turned the LPGA Tour when they wanted more than a one-year deal.

"They came here, they wanted to be here and I turned them down," the real estate mogul said at his Bedminster golf club. "They wanted it for more than one year and I didn't want to commit the course for more than one year."

I just wish he would stop being so humble!

“But he’s doing it in the wrong place.”

A little behind I know, but on Monday Sarah Lyall filed this NY Times piece on the Trump-Forbes battle near Aberdeen, and there are a few new items, including some interesting scrutiny of the local hero by authorities. But the ultimate takeaway from the piece was this:

“I’m all for development and for people building golf resorts,” said one local resident, Bill Grant, 54, who spoke in downtown Aberdeen. “But he’s doing it in the wrong place.”

Mr. Grant explained that the dunes tend to suffer from the notorious haar, a thick fog that pours in from the sea. “You cannot see your hand in front of your face, and if the wind goes calm it can stick there for days,” Mr. Grant said. “If you were playing golf, you would need a homing device to find your ball.”

It's amazing that in a world where so many projects with great potential struggle to get financing, while something with a well known hazard potentially detrimental to revenue and reputation is apparently ignored. The Donald is just that convincing I guess.

Latest Trump Bankruptcy Not Exactly Assuring The Scots

If they only knew how many times The Donald has been through this, they'd understand it's all part of doing business the Apprentice way.

He said the company "represents substantially less than 1% of my net worth, and has for some time".

"If I can't manage something, it's not for me," said Trump who holds 28% of the company's stock, according to a recent filing. "Now I will study and watch as the horrible and outrageous fees being paid to lawyers and consultants will suck the blood from the company."

Last night, Aberdeenshire councillor Paul Johnston, an opponent of the Menie golf development in its present form, said he believed events in America did have a bearing on the Menie development.

"He is a property developer at the riskiest time ever for property development and the questions is, will it ever get finished if he starts it? People are worried it will never happen and Mr Trump, by his resignation, is breeding uncertainty. I am not in high finance but this doesn't look good.

"Clearly he always has the option of making life easier for himself by scaling back the development here and still build the world's greatest golf course but without destroying the sand dunes. This whole development may be built on sand."

"Congressional doesn't have a chance"

I was so taken by The Donald's uncharacteristic hubris that I failed to notice his declaration of intent to lure Tiger's AT&T event to Trump National Washington D.C.

As soon as word leaked that Trump was interested in Lowes, golf nuts in the Washington area started buzzing that he'll make a serious run at bringing all the big-name tournaments to his greens -- especially Tiger Woods, who holds a tournament at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda. "Congressional doesn't have a chance," Trump said yesterday.

Someone please tell The Donald that Congressional has the event signed through 2017.

Change Comes To Washington: Donald To Create World's Greatest Country Club, Immediately Orders New Carts

From the Washington Post's "Reliable Sources" blog:

Donald Trump has purchased the Lowes Island Club, making the Washington region part of his luxury golf empire.

"This place, when it's finished, will be the finest club anywhere in the country," he told The Washington Post last night. "There will be nothing like it. I already own the best ones, so I know."

See, just when you start to feel bad about this economic downturn, you are then reminded that not every casualty of it will be a big loss for the game. Oh, continue Donald...

The flamboyant developer already owns seven award-winning courses -- in New York, Florida and California -- and has big plans for his new 800-acre property, which sits along the Potomac River in Sterling. First up: a name change to -- what else? -- "Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C.," he said.

He's bringing in golf architect Tom Fazio to remake the two 18-hole championship courses, with plans to maximize the site's natural beauty. The clubhouse, pool and facilities will be renovated, he said. Trump said he expects it will take two years "to make it great," and he wasted no time getting started: He's already ordered 150 top-of-the-line golf carts.

There's a man with vision! And class.

Donald Knew What He Was Doing All Along: Weak Pound Trims $600 Million Off Scotland Project Price Tag

And now it makes such financial sense!

Peter Woodifield reports the heartwarming news for Bloomberg:

“On a fairly conservative basis, I certainly think a 30 percent saving is doable,” George Sorial, Trump’s executive in charge of the project, said yesterday in a telephone interview. “When you are in the construction business in 2009, you have to find silver linings where you can.”

Raw-material costs have also fallen since Trump announced the plan with the drop in the crude-oil price, while the U.K. recession has made contractors cut their bids, Sorial said.

Trump hopes to start building the first golf course, which he says will be good enough to host the British Open Championship, by the end of this year, Sorial said. It should be completed within two years.

What a relief.

Donald On Lawsuit: "I’ve been looking forward for a long time to do this."

Victoria Kim reports that The Donald is suing Rancho Palos Verdes, home to Trump Trails National L.A., for $100 million.

“I’ve been looking forward for a long time to do this. The town does everything possible to stymie everything I do.”

So said Donald Trump in an interview Friday regarding the latest dispute with Rancho Palos Verdes, where his golf course is located.

In the latest chapter of Donald Trump vs. City of Rancho Palos Verdes, the real estate mogul has upped the ante -- by $100 million. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Trump accused the city of requiring unnecessarily tough standards for developments on his 580-acre oceanside golf course on the scenic coastline.

Ready for the reason?

The city is holding improvements that are “in keeping with the Trump image” hostage to extract large fees from him, Trump alleges in the suit, which accuses city officials of fraud and violation of federal equal protection rights, among other things. When the developer first purchased the property in 2002, residents and city leaders welcomed the injection of funds into a city pulling out of a recession.

But since then, Trump has been engaged in battle after battle with the city, over a street name, a row of ficus trees, then a 70-foot flagpole.

That seems like it's worth $100 million, no?

I can't wait for The Donald to land a Trump Bedminster-U.S. Open so he can sue the USGA for not "keeping with the Trump image"!

Update on 2008-12-22 16:58 by Geoff

Kim filed a longer story for the print edition of the Times.

"From Dubai to Chicago, from Atlantic City to Aberdeen, the host of the US version of The Apprentice is scaling back his ambitions for global domination..."

The Independent's Stephen Foley explains The Donald's various financial issues and wonders if his Scottish development has much chance of happening. 

The Donald: "I've got £1bn in the bank ready to fund golf resort"

Jane Bradley reports that The Donald has all £1 billion needed to fund the Scottish golf project. Cash just waiting to be wired!

George Sorial, the Trump Organisation executive in charge of the golf resort development near Balmedie, told The Scotsman that Mr Trump had recently "increased his cash position" and has the money on hand to fund the development.

The Scottish Government gave the go-ahead to the project earlier this month, after strong opposition from locals drove the development to a public inquiry.

Mr Trump's plan for the site includes two golf courses and a 450-bedroom hotel and housing, as well as holiday apartments and golf villas.

Mr Sorial said: "The money is there, ready to be wired at any time. I am not discussing where it is, whether it is in a Scottish bank or what, but it is earmarked for this project. If we needed to put the development up tomorrow, we have the cash to do that. It is sitting there in the bank and is ready to go."

He added: "I don't think anyone in Scotland has anything to worry about."

He better, since he's suing one of his primary lenders!

Mr Trump, who is due to visit Scotland in two weeks to meet his Scottish development team, has recently filed a suit against a group of lenders – led by Deutsche Bank – on the 92-storey project, in an attempt to extend his $640 million (£430 million) construction loan.

"I used to be proud to be a Scotsman, but I'm going to take both of my kilts out and burn them after this"

Severin Carrell reports that The Donald and Michael Forbes will still be battling if the best course in the world gets built:

It is the ramshackle eyesore standing in the way of Donald Trump's great dream: a 23-acre spread of rambling farm buildings and rusting tractors sitting beside the future site of the world's greatest golf course. But despite offers as high as £450,000 from Trump for their home at Mill of Menie, and now the threat of living in a £1bn construction site, Michael Forbes and his wife Sheila are refusing to sell.

"They reckon the construction will last 10 years, but I'll never, ever sell to that loudmouth bully," Forbes said last night.

"As I said before, I would rather give my land away to travelling people than sell to Trump, if it comes to that."

Yesterday's decision by Scottish ministers to approve Trump's resort made him feel "sick", he added. Once a Scottish National party voter, he would never be one again. "I used to be proud to be a Scotsman, but I'm going to take both of my kilts out and burn them after this," he said.

The Donald Wins Approval For Links; Now About That Financing...

Thanks to all of the readers who passed along the news that Donald Trump received Scottish government approval for his Aberdeenshire links. Now about the $2 billion he says it's going to cost...

"We are greatly honoured by the positive decision and believe that the people of Scotland will be extremely happy with the final product," he said.

"It will be a tremendous asset and source of pride for both Aberdeenshire and Scotland for many generations.

"I would like to personally thank the thousands of people and organisations who have supported us throughout this process.

"As I have often said, because of the quality of the land we are given to work with, we will build the greatest golf course in the world."

Clearly humbled by the process!