I never thought I would ever mention Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, in the Golf Business Monitor. The reason for this is that I don’t want to talk about politics, but only about the golf club business.
Of course, I’ve written about Trump Turnberry before. I am reading now that Former U.S. President Donald Trump‘s two Scottish golf courses lost 4.4 million pounds ($5.44 million) in 2021. I assume 2022 was a better business year for these golf courses.
Trump International Scotland has already worked with golf course designers such as Mackenzie & Ebert and Dr. Martin Hawtree at Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links.
Yesterday Donald Trump announced that work on his new MacLeod course – dedicated to his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod – was now beginning. He was accompanied by his son Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization.
Dr Martin Hawtree, – who designed the initial championship links at the Menie Estate – was commissioned to design the MacLeod course.
Aberdeenshire Council approved the new course in late 2020 and Trump International Scotland. The new course will be built to the south and west of the existing championship course.
My remarks
I did not find an answer to the question of how and to what extent the plans of the new golf course will meet the requirements of environmental protection and sustainability.
By investing in sustainability (see ESG: Environment, Society, Governance), your golf club will be judged not only on short-term financial gains but on a broader picture of what and how you contribute to society at large.
For this, reason I truly respect and appreciate Sentosa Golf Club‘s sustainability efforts and investments. They invested in
- Minimizing food waste;
- Water conservation: the club has become completely self-sufficient when it comes to irrigation.
- Sentosa Golf Club is planning to purchase certified carbon offsets through regional Forestry or Blue Carbon projects that will sequester atmospheric carbon while defending against deforestation and fostering the conservation of forests, mangroves, and reefs.
I can also see that consumers are opting for greener travel. A Euromonitor International study found recently
- More than 60% chose at least one sustainable feature compared to 75% selecting mass-market options like packaged holidays or shopping destinations.
- More consumers are now willing to pay extra for eco-friendly options too.
- Travel professionals stated that 58% of their customers were likely to spend more on sustainable products and services.
