The Donald Declares His Course The Greatest In The World...After Nine Holes

A wire story from The Scotsman was not nearly as fun as the printed version I got to read over breakfast, so I'll have to dig up a few of the quotes in there.

But for now, this was great fun from opening day of Trump International Golf Links where the developer declared it was the greatest in the world before he'd even finished his round!

After completing the first nine holes with George O'Grady and Sandy Jones, the chief executives of the European Tour and the UK PGA respectively, Mr Trump called it the "greatest golf course anywhere in the world".

"We're having a great time, the course is playing great and the weather has held up," he said. "Colin loves the course and he's playing really well, he's a great player and a great guy."

Though by the sounds of this Monty quote from another story by Martin Dempster, he was being paid to be there. Not that such a thing would influence his views.

“We are similar in that way and it’s why I will never give up as a competitor, no matter what I am doing. For instance, it’s not right to be trying to beat the boss [Donald Trump] today, but I will be trying.”

George O'Grady, head of the European Tour, loved it, as quoted in this Dempster story on the prospects of major events at Trump International.

“It’s a man’s golf course – it’s meant for the highest level of play,” acknowledged O’Grady as he gazed down the first fairway of the Martin Hawtree-designed layout.

“What he [Trump] and I have agreed is that, when we are both ready, we would try and persuade someone to come here – and I don’t think it will be too difficult a task. There’s the Scottish Open to think about and I’m sure that’s in the mind of our sponsors, but there are other events as well. It’s certainly capable of taking the biggest and best, I would say.
“It is a unique golf course and, once the photographs of it are seen, many people will want to come here.”