World of golf unites against Trump

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

WHEN Donald Trump made his inflammatory remarks about banning Muslims from travelling to the United States, did he have any idea that it might backfire on his ever-increasing golf empire? Probably not.

Trump owns Turnberry (or Trump Turnberry as we are now supposed to call it) and Trump International Golf Links, near Aberdeen. Turnberry is, of course, on the Open rota - despite being one of the finest links courses on the planet, Trump has decided that it needs to be redesigned. Trump International Golf Links, meanwhile, is his own creation - it is a wondrous links but its construction created a huge stir in and around the northeast of Scotland, not least among environmentalists and those who lived on the land that now houses the course.

Turnberry has seen two of the greatest of all Open Championships - in 1977 when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus went at it hammer and tongs for 72 holes and in 2009 when Watson, at the age of 59, came within a whisker of becoming the oldest winner of a major.

In what would be a huge blow for the local economy, not to mention golf fans worldwide, It has now emerged that the R&A is considering removing Turnberry from the Open rota because of its association with Trump. Golf's governing body, it seems, believes that Trump has finally gone too far.

It has long been surmised that Trump bought Turnberry and built his other Scottish course essentially for his own personal use - and if Patrick Harvie, a member of the Scottish parliament, has his way, then Trump will be the only one playing on either links. Infuriated by Trump's anti-Mulsim stance, Harvie has called for a boycott of both Trump's Scottish courses.

Trump shoots from the lip, but it's fair to say that Harvie didn't mince his words, either. "This bigoted blowhard of a man is being rightly condemned far and wide, and I'm confident that Scotland will reject his extremist rhetoric," said Harvie, who has filed a motion with the Scottish parliament which "urges Scots and visitors to Scotland to consider boycotting the Scottish hotels and golf courses that Trump owns."

Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen has also stripped Trump of an honorary degree he received in 2010.

Trump was already hugely unpopular in Scotland. His course opened in 2012 and he then fought government plans for an off-shore wind farm, saying it would blight the view from the course. He lost and is appealing the ruling to the U.K. Supreme Court. As a result, many Scots called for him to be removed as a "Globascot," which is a list of nearly 900 business people who help promote Scotland. His latest comments proved to be the final straw and he has now been taken off that list too.

The billionaire businessman, who hopes to become the Republican Party's presidential candidate, insisted that British politicians "should be thanking me instead of pandering to political correctness." He said he was investing $250m  in Turnberry, "which will totally revitalise that vast region of Scotland". He means the Ayrshire coast, which boasts many other fine golf courses and is actually anything but a "vast region of Scotland".

Trump International Golf Links is scheduled to host the Scottish Open in 2017, 2019 and 2020, but if the European Tour decides to follow the lead of the PGA Tour then it may not happen. The PGA Tour has announced that the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump's Doral course will go ahead in March (it is too late to reschedule), but that it will be looking for an alternative venue thereafter.

The PGA Tour said: “We continue to stand by our earlier statement, and the statement of other golf organisations, that Mr Trump’s comments are inconsistent with our strong commitment to an inclusive and welcoming environment in the game of golf.

“The PGA Tour has had a 53-year commitment to the Doral community, the greater Miami area and the charities that have benefited from the tournament. Given this commitment, we are moving forward with holding the 2016 event at the Blue Monster. Immediately after the completion of the 2016 tournament, we will explore all options regarding the event’s future.”

This is not the first time Trump’s public statements have upset golfing organisations. In June, the LPGA Tour, PGA of America, PGA Tour and USGA issued a joint statement when Trump made inflammatory comments about Mexicans, implying that those who came to live in America were lazy.

The PGA of America later decided to move the Grand Slam of Golf from the billionaire businessman’s Los Angeles course.

And it goes from bad to worse for the man with the world's most ludicrous hairstyle. He had a deal with Damac Properties in Dubai to use his name to promote a new  golf course and housing development, but his name has now been removed from all branding associated with the project, while the company behind Trump Towers in Istanbul now says it is “assessing” its partnership with the Republican presidential front-runner.

In Dubai, pieces of letters that spelt out Trump's name had been pulled down from a stone wall and were left lying on the sandy ground. Gold letters spelling out “Trump International Golf Club” on a stone wall at the entrance to the project site, have also been removed. His name was still on at least one other wall at the property, which was being patrolled by private security guards and police.

If things carry on this way, Trump will soon be able to turn up at any of his courses and know he will be guaranteed a tee-time because nobody else will be playing them.