HE has repeatedly promised it will be the best golf course in the world and his executives have insisted the on-site clubhouse will provide the luxurious surroundings expected of a championship facility.
However, others were less than enthusiastic about the first pictures of the clubhouse Donald Trump plans for his development on the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire and instead said the artist’s impression looks more like a Victorian workhouse.
Architects behind the construction have called it the centrepiece of the £750 million project and promise that it will create a “sense of drama” among all who play their golf there once it is built.
But critics have been less kind, with some branding the building shown in the computer-generated pictures as “institutional”. On Twitter, one user wrote that it resembled a “tired Victorian prison” while others described it as simply “vile”.
Balmedie resident David Milne, a member of the Tripping up Trump protest group, said that those opposed to the US developer’s plans are less than impressed. He said: “There’s not been much discussion about the designs, more a chorus of laughter. The key phrase everyone who’s seen the plans has used is that the clubhouse looks institutional. It’s bland, boring and unimpressive. I’ll be very interested to see if this pathetic grey box ever takes shape.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie, an opponent of the plans to build on protected dunes, also hit out at the proposed design, saying that few local people will ever be rich enough to see what’s inside it. He said: “It doesn’t matter whether Trump builds the most beautiful clubhouse in the world or a tacky Disneyworld sham. Most people on ordinary incomes won’t even see inside -- this development is not being built for them.
“Trump can spend as much money as he likes on ‘luxurious Scottish interiors’ but the stunning Scottish outdoors that he’s bulldozing is priceless.”
Work has already started on the US billionaire’s luxury golf and housing development, which has been dogged by controversy since it was announced six years ago. The championship course will be ready next summer and the resort will eventually include a hotel, 950 holiday homes and 500 houses.
Sarah Malone, executive vice- president of Trump International Scotland, dismissed Mr Harvie’s comments as “silly” and said that people from all walks of life had signed up to play on the course already.
She said: “Patrick Harvie clearly knows nothing about commerce or economic growth, never mind our project. We offer pay and play facilities for everyone interested in experiencing the golf course, and we’ve already taken hundreds of tee-time bookings from local people delighted to take advantage of the special discounts in place for them.
“Additionally, the clubhouse will be a hub of activity for people locally and nationally, as well as overseas guests to enjoy top- quality service. As for his environmental comment -- we’re cultivating, enhancing and caring for a beautiful site that has been ignored for generations.
“If he was so concerned about the Scottish outdoors why doesn’t he focus his attention on the needs of the neglected coastline surrounding our land -- the leaking landfill sites south of our property would be a start -- rather than attacking a golf course and international visitor attraction.”
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