The Republicans’ “America First” presidential candidate is expanding his overseas business empire.
Donald Trump’s real estate conglomerate, The Trump Organization, has announced the expansion of its club in Aberdeen, Scotland, transforming that 18-hole resort into “the largest 36 holes in the world,” according to a statement. The MacLeoad Course, as the new 18 holes will be called, is expected to open next summer.
“Since they broke ground with President Trump and… [his son] Eric Trump last spring, we made extraordinary progress,” Sarah Malone, vice president of Trump International Scotland, said in a statement. ‘This course is unlike any other links course ever built and exceeds all expectations. ‘There are few large stretches of developable connections in the world that are as good as this.
‘A truly remarkable team of world-class architects, engineers, environmental scientists and industry specialists have worked tirelessly in the background – carving out every square inch of this phenomenal piece of land to create one of the great wonders of golf.’
Aberdeen is one of two Scottish golf clubs owned by the Trump Organization, a 97-year-old company founded by Trump’s paternal grandmother.
A view of Trump’s golf course in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, pictured on September 25, 2019
Trump poses for photos during a visit to his golf course construction site in 2010
Trump’s son Eric poses in front of the family business’s golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland
Led by Trump’s father Fred, the Trump Organization focused primarily on building middle-income apartments in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, until the 1970s.
But with the future president at the helm, the Trump Organization moved, with mixed success, to the skyscrapers of Manhattan, casinos in Atlantic City and a number of golf resorts.
Trump’s course in Aberdeen was once the source of significant local controversy when the reported billionaire bought the land in 2006. Environmentalists at the time were concerned that the course would impact wildlife along the Aberdeenshire coast. Additionally, Trump fought a proposed wind farm, claiming the turbines were “ugly” and “environmentally irresponsible.”
Ultimately, Trump would lose his legal battle against the wind farm, which still surrounds the Aberdeen club.
Trump’s presidency proved to be a complicated time for his Scottish golf courses, both of which reported financial losses during his tenure in the White House. In a 2019 report by PoliticsTrump was accused of diverting Air National Guard flights through an underutilized Scottish airport in an alleged attempt to prop up another club, Trump Turnberry.
In addition, Jets owner and U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Woody Johnson was reportedly asked by Trump to help him bring the British Open to one of his courses, according to a New York Times report. Johnson was ultimately unsuccessful.
Trump’s struggles continued in Scotland after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. Turnberry, in South Ayrshire, reportedly lost $4.8 million in 2021, while in Aberdeen its stock was almost $1 million in the red.
