Donald Trump Says Scottish Golf Resort Will Open July 2012

Donald Trump said his new golf resort in northeast Scotland will open in July 2012 with bookings being taken from next month.

“I would love to have Sean Connery cut the ribbon or hit the first shot,” Trump told reporters in Aberdeen today. He declined to give a date for the opening of the hotel and apartment complex at the resort, adding that “the timing will depend on the markets.”

Trump is on a three-day visit to Scotland and will finalize details on the shape of the tees, fairways and greens. He also plans to sort out the final specifications of the practice facilities and agree the location of the clubhouse. Trump’s company started building the course a year ago on the 1,400 acre (567 hectare) Menie estate north of Aberdeen.

The 65-year-old Trump, whose mother is Scottish, first identified the coastal site as a potential 750 million-pound ($1.2 billion) golf resort in 2005 and battled for five years for consent to build two courses, a 450-bed five-star hotel, 500 homes and 950 short-term rental apartments.

The Scottish government intervened in 2007 after local councilors rejected the proposal. Following a public inquiry, the government approved it in principle in November 2008 after planning inspectors attached 40 conditions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Peter Woodifield in Aberdeen, via pwoodifield@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Rodney Jefferson at r.jefferson@bloomberg.net