US TYCOON WITHDRAWS PLANNING APPLICATION FOR SECOND COURSE

SO WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR TRUMP'S

ABERDEENSHIRE LINKS NOW THAT

 DONALD HAS LOST INTEREST IN IT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
So you thought Donald Trump was bluffing.
Think again. The American tycoon means what he says - he has lost interest in his Aberdeenshire project which was once the apple of his eye.
He was quoted earlier this week as saying that he would pull the plug on developing his Menie Estate, Balmedie golf resort any further and not spend a penny more following his failure to stop the erection of a wind farm visible at sea from what he claimed was going to be the best course in the world.
Trump has now officially withdrawn a planning application to build a second course at the Menie Estate.
The US businessman had lodged plans in October for the second Aberdeenshire course which was going to be named the MacLeod course after his late mother.

Aberdeenshire Council confirmed the application - which was never fully completed - has now been withdrawn.
Mr Trump lost a legal bid at the Court of Session earlier this week to stop an offshore wind turbine development being built within view of his existing course on the North Sea coast.
On the same day he announced the purchase of Doonbeg Golf Club, Co Clare, on Irelan's west coast. The Doonbeg resort is in the hands of the Receiver which, in essence, means that more money was being spent running it that was coming into the coffers.
So why does Trump think he can turn that operation around? Because that's the kind of man he is.
But what happens next at Trump International Links at Balmedie, 12 miles north up the coastline from Aberdeen.
Does Trump pay off all the staff and just let it revert to dunes and long grass?
Or does he keep it ticking over with a minimum of staff in the hope that somebody, somewhere will buy it from him.
Your guess is as good as ours.
Let's wait and see. In the meantime, it will still cost you the best part of £200 if you wish to play a round over it.
But fewer and fewer people will surely want to pay that kind of money to play a course after all the negative publicity generated by Donald Trump himself.