A newly built controversial Scottish golf course has been under heated discussion recently. According to Anthony Baxter’s documentary “You’ve Been Trumped”(2011), Donald Trump, an American business magnate, opened his £1 billion golf course on the North Sea coast of Scotland. Mr. Trump has been facing boycott from conservationists as well as local people who were forced to sell their property as he embarks on this new project. At one point the use of CPO(compulsory purchase orders) to force residents to sell houses was nearly carried out by the Scottish government. Although the approval of CPO could accelerate the pace of the golf links construction and the course may provide job opportunity for local people, there is no doubt that every citizen has the right to keep one's own property and that no project should be built at the expense of the environment.
As can be seen from the documentary, once construction begins on the 1,400-acre estate, the lives of the farmers and fishermen nearby have been disrupted. Residents lost electricity and water and were almost forced to move from their house, where Mr. Trump described as "slum" and "pigsty", which was very rude. Even though the CPO wasn't approved and many local people stayed where they were eventually, residents now are fenced with barrier and trees around their houses. One of the residents on the Menie Estate, David Milne, sees it as " just another attempt to intimidate and bully me". (Daily Mail, 2011) Apparently it is Mr. Trump's own way of '' compulsory purchase orders". Moreover, farmers' land were occupied and fishermen had to leave the sea. Mr. Trump declared the International Golf Links would bring 6,000 jobs to the area, but at the same time he took away people's property and source of living. It is clear that no one would see this as an exchange of equal values.

When speaking of environmental problem the course brought about, what the documentary recorded is the transformation of part of an area that one environmentalist describes as a fragile and irreplaceable “mosaic of habitats” into a muddy building site. Mr. Trump rejected the idea of constructing wind farm, describing it as "one of the most serious problems Scotland will have or has had" and "will destroy the ocean view", as The Guardian stated. So it can be seen that environmental protection was pushed aside for economic development and Mr. Trump hardly cared anything about the environment, although he publicly insists that he has the approval of most environmental groups.

The Championship Golf Course, Golf House and Pro Shop opened to the public in July, 2012, according to the Trump International Golf Links official website. Beautiful pictures of the course are now shown on the site. But with all the conflicts happening behind these fantastic photos, they seem more like sarcasm. The course is not welcomed nor environmentally friendly. Therefore , it may not be economically sustainable in the predictable future.

References

Baxter, You've been Trumped, 2011, Montrose Pictures

Laurie Tuffrey, Donald Trump opens controversial Scottish golf course, Tuesday 10 July 2012, The Guardian

Daily Mail, Donald Trump puts up barrier and trees around Scottish neighbor's home, 6 June 2011
http://www.trumpgolfscotland.com