Forbes pictured outside his home in April of this year.
Farmer Michael Forbes has been named “Top Scot” at this year’s Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.
The 60-year-old sprung to fame earlier this year as the unlikely star of “You’ve Been Trumped”, a documentary charting the contentious development of property mogul Donald Trump’s multi-million dollar resort project on the Aberdeenshire coast. (continue reading…)
Soon, Donald, all this will be yours.
The exploits of comedy property magnate Donald Trump are a favourite subject of this blog, but whereas covering, say, his ongoing dispute with the Scottish government or his slightly suspicious Bronx public course deal are matters of choice, oddball detours from PGA Tour business, the billionaire’s purchase of Doral Resorts (the venue for this week’s Cadillac Championship) has made matters Trump genuinely newsworthy.
Today at a pre-tournament press conference, he and architect du jour Gil Hanse explained their lofty plans for the “tired” venue. (continue reading…)
Hanse's design will weave its way between dunes... and high-rise apartment blocks.
Architects’ architect Gil Hanse has been commissioned to design the venue for golf’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016.
Famed for his diligent and ecologically-sensitive approach to course design, Hanse – whose bid was strengthened by the cooperation of LPGA legend Amy Alcott – was selected ahead of several high-profile candidates, including Gary Player, Peter Thompson, Jack Nicla (continue reading…)
Merion: venue of the 2013 US Open.
A compelling article by Thomas Dunne in Links Magazine asks if the game’s many and varied problems can be resolved by the introduction of equipment changes in keeping with PING supremo John Solheim’s recent suggestion that “it is far simpler to adjust the ball to the course, than to adjust the course to the ball.”
Citizens of the Bronx, as depicted in popular documentary film "The Warriors".
Undeterred by his ongoing Aberdeenshire debacle, Donald Trump has reined in his world-beating hubris (just a little) and set his sights on running a public course in the Bronx.
Last night, the New York City Franchise and Concession Review Committee (or the NYCFCRC, for the cool kids among you) voted 5-1 in favour of allowing the suspiciously-coiffured property magnate to assume control of a $180 million project at Ferry Point Park.
Unsurprisingly, some people have a problem with this. (continue reading…)
A report in today’s Guardian suggests that Donald Trump’s plans for a £750m (that’s approximately $12 trillion US) resort in Scotland are on the verge of unravelling.
Trump has halted development on the project – modestly dubbed the “Trump International Golf Links” – ostensibly as a result of a local authority decision to construct an offshore wind farm, but thebillionaire’s critics see the decision as further evidence of the resort’s underperformance.
Karrie Webb: the latest LPGA member to be courted by an Olympic design team.
A few weeks ago, in a boardroom far, far away, someone had the bright idea of attaching the name of Australian LPGA heroine Karrie Webb to Peter Thomson’s 2016 Olympic design proposal.
In opting for the endorsement-come-assistance of the seven-time major winner, Thomson Perrett became the third of the firms pursuing the IOC nomination to publicly announce its partnership with a superstar of the women’s game. (continue reading…)
"Golf has created a landscape peculiar to itself... adored by animals, light entertainers and mushrooms."
Jonathan Meades is a rather excellent architecture critic who occasionally makes surreal excursions into the realm of documentary film for the BBC. Here’s his take on the culture and delusions of modern golf, filmed during the early Nineties.
Witty, insightful and just a little bit bonkers, it’s well worth your time. (continue reading…)
Arms wide open on No. 14 at Cabot Links
I know you’re dying of anticipation to hear about our glamorous boondoggle to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, but you’ll have to wait just one more day (or two — there are several parts because of all the great content I collected)! I’m sorry for all the teasing, but sometimes things get in the way.
I’ve been happy to hear the enthusiastic response from WUP’s Facebook and Twitter followers, especially people who have already looked into planning a trip to Cabot Links — “The Bandon of the East” (Mike Keiser, the guy behind Bandon Dunes, is one of the guys behind this project…) — when it officially opens next year (including one of my heroes!). (continue reading…)
Like I said, I’m late for the group whiskey tasting soiree (we’re staying at a Whiskey Distillery in Cape Breton Island), but I just wanted to post a few teaser pics from my round at Cabot Links this afternoon — which I thoroughly enjoyed despite the cold weather and my back pain. The course isn’t finished yet — only 10 holes opened to the public in July — but we had the privilege of playing all 18. (continue reading…)
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