While most of the attention on Donald Trump’s golf holdings has been focused on the controversial, high-profile resort project he’s building in northern Scotland, the wily real estate mogul has been quietly expanding his U.S. golfing empire.
Over the holidays, Trump added two more properties in the Northeast to his growing portfolio. In late December, he acquired Branton Woods Golf Club in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., and Pine Hill Golf Club in Pine Hill, N.J., for undisclosed sums.
That means that Trump over a 16-month period has picked up four properties. He purchased Lowes Island Club in suburban Washington, D.C., in February 2009 and Shadow Isle Golf Club in Colts Neck, N.J., in September 2008.
His plans for both the newly acquired properties appear almost identical to the strategy he followed with his earlier purchases: Stamp them with the “Trump National Golf Club” brand, upgrade the courses and facilities and promote them as exclusive high-end private clubs that can offer members the cache of the Trump name.
Branton Woods will be called Trump National Golf Club-Hudson Valley and Pine Hill will become Trump National Golf Club-Philadelphia. Both of the new properties were purchased from Pomona, N.Y.-based Empire Golf Management.
The private Branton Woods is located near another Trump golf property – Trump National-Westchester – and had been on the market for a listed sale price of $8 million. Opened in 2001, the facility includes an Eric Bergstol-designed 18-hole course, a 14,000-square-foot clubhouse, a 150-seat pavilion and practice areas. Current memberships will be carried over to the new club.
Under Trump’s ownership, the semiprivate Pine Hill, a Tom Fazio-designed course, will be converted to a private club. Trump expects to benefit from the similarity of its terrain and its proximity to the highly regarded Pine Valley Golf Club, generally considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. Dues, however, will be less than at other private clubs owned and managed by Trump, a spokesman said.