Trump Top-Up

For a fledgling blogger such as my own self, Donald Trump is the gift that keeps on giving...  It's just too much damn fun to be legal.

His purchase of Turnberry keeps generating new story lines, and offends all the right people.  Let's dive in, shall we?  First up is this Scotsman article (h/t Shackelford) on the purchase of Turnberry, raising an issue as to the thoroughness of The Donald's due diligence efforts:

However it emerged earlier today that a Marine Scotland report has identified a potential site on the seabed close to the prestigious course where offshore turbines could be installed.

The document details the potential wind farm, a 116-square mile area, just 3.5 miles from the shoreline at Turnberry.

Uh uh, here we go again.  Back to the Scotsman:

Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s energy minister, last night said proposals for a wind farm off Turnberry had been “removed” from current planning guidance – but refused to rule out the prospect of such a development in the future. 

Murdo Fraser MSP, chair of Holyrood’s energy committee, last night suggested that news of a potential wind farm could put Trump off. 

Mr. Fraser said: “Given Mr Trump’s aggressive opposition to the project off his Menie resort, it’s hard to imagine him pursuing this while the possibility of offshore wind remains.

“It’s another example of the Scottish Government’s gung-ho approach to turbines potentially costing jobs and investment.”

Murdo?  Wasn't he the Corleone brother gunned down at the toll plaza?   But I digress...  I don't particularly blame Trump for hating the turbines, they're quite an eyesore, louder than people realize and the energy produced is far more expensive that from conventional sources.  But he's put himself in the position of being an easy target, hasn't he?

James Corrigan broke the news of Trump's purchase of Turnberry, and follows up with this provocative piece (h/t Maggot) comparing Trump to the horror that is all-male clubs:

The horror which greeted Telegraph Sport’s exclusive revelation that Donald Trump is in the process of buying Turnberry was akin to the reaction which would be inspired by a Peter Stringfellow purchase of the Sistine Chapel or Simon Cowell wresting control of the London Philharmonic.

I don't have a clue who this Stringfellow guy is, but is the Sistine Chapel on the market?  Corrigan continues:

Trump is not waving £35m in front of a down-at-heel Scottish clan who have for centuries owned that piece of land overlooking the Firth of Clyde. He is not waving his wad in front of the Turnberry members. Trump is not even securing the resort off some greedy local council, in the manner of a property developer sending their bulldozers on to school playing fields.

Trump is buying it off Dubai.

As far as I can deduce, Trump has yet to imprison a woman for reporting a rape. Yet he does have a funny comb-over.

James, it's probably better for all concerned if you don't get me started on the combover...

Which brings us on to the thought of Trump lording it over an Open Championship at

Turnberry, probably some time in the next eight years. 

No, it is not the most desirable of images, Trump arriving in his helicopter, “The Donald”, as the world’s best do battle on the iconic links. But I’d take that over the sight of snooty members at male-only membership venues such as Muirfield continuing to ruin the game’s image.

I'm not quite as offended by James by the all-male clubs, but are these really our only two choices?

Do read the Corrigan piece because he gives Trump appropriate props for sprucing up places like Doral, and for hiring well-respected architects (Gil Hanse, Martin Hawtree).  No doubt Doral is the better for Trump's investment, but at a price tag beyond the reach of most mere mortals.  

My gripe with the gripes about membership policies, is that the solution tends to not be remarkably different than the status quo ante.  Take Augusta National as an example.  Two remarkably well-connected women, Condi Rice and Darla Moore, who had no issues being invited to play, now have green jackets in their lockers and the ANGC grand poo-bahs are suddenly accepted in polite society.  How that increases access to golf for women or improves their lot in life is lost on me.  

The second item in Corrigan's piece is actually the more devastating than the lede.  Royal Troon has justified it's all-male membership with this:

The latter sought to distance itself from the debate by pointing out that “although we are a single gender club, some 370 members of the Ladies Golf Club Troon do, in fact, share our on-course facilities”.

For those shocked to find that there's gambling  in Casablanca, you'll be thoroughly disillusioned to learn that the ladies' access to the Postage Stamp is quite limited, as per this highly-ranked young amateur:

Jaffrey told the Scotsman: “They’re quite tight on the rules so I only get to play it a couple of times a year. I don’t even get to use the practice putting green, which is unfortunate.”

Yes, you could be polite like Ms Jaffrey and call it “unfortunate”. Or you could call it an utter disgrace and hold it up as everything that is wrong about golf in this country.

But let's focus on what's really important here.  Every time Trump is in the news, it provides the opportunity for me to post this picture:

 Not to mention this one: