Golf course to make Trump green with envy

Published on Tuesday 21 July 2009 21:59

ONE has been met with outrage and horror by conservationists, the other praised as the greenest golf course in Scotland.

There are two key similarities between billionaire Donald Trump's plans for the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire, and the Machrihanish Dunes golf course in Mull of Kintyre, which opened yesterday.

Both are on delicate sand dune ecosystems that are Sites of Special Sites Scientific Interest. Both are being built by Americans.

However, where Mr Trump's golf course attracted opposition from environmental groups, the Machrihanish course has been lavished with praise.

Andrew Thin, chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage, described the new 18-hole links course yesterday as "one of the world's most environmentally friendly golf courses".

And Benjamin Warren of the Golf Environment Organisation, said: "For a full 18-hole golf course of international profile, this is certainly the greenest golf course in Scotland."

David Southworth, the American owner of Massachusets-based Southworth Development, who is behind the new course, said his approach was very different to that of the controversial tycoon.

"We have the same colour passport, but other than that we are totally different people."

Mr Southworth, who has developed more than $1 billion in golf and hospitality projects worldwide, said he had been committed "every step of the way" to working with environmentalists. He added: "This is your special land that your country has decided to protect."

Not a single conservation group opposed the 200-acre, 4 million course, which lies next to the existing Machrihanish course, near Campbeltown.

Paul Kimber, project architect, said: "Some people try and bully their way with money or jobs. We decided to take a different approach and work with ecologists right through the whole project. When we first made some plans we got it completely wrong and had to start again from scratch."

Andrew Campbell, SNH operations manager for Argyll and Bute, lavished praise on the golf course. "The spirit of co-operation and collaboration has made it a really delightful site. We have had no conflict at all on this. We have got a SSSI being managed in an almost perfect way."

He added; "The end result is not only a fantastically challenging golf course but one that is sustainable, resilient and in harmony with the wildlife and landscape – an example that can be followed worldwide."