Donald Trump buys the revered Blue Monster at Doral Country Club
Multi-million dollar industrial tycoon and former presidential candidate Donald Trump has now bought the scenic and revered Doral Hotel and Country Club for a whooping $150-million.
Doral is home of the picturesque Blue Monster, one of the most sought after courses on the PGA Tour and will be the host of next week’s Cadillac World Golf Championship.
The 50-year-old Doral has been the location of at least one PGA Tour event every year since its inception.
Considered as one of the most beautiful golf courses in South Florida, Trump has now bagged the scenic resort, adding another pearl to his already blistering garland of luxurious hotels and country clubs around the world.
Trump said, "When Doral first opened, it was considered the best resort in the world, the combination of the property's incredible location in the heart of Miami and our very significant investment in upgrading the resort will enable us to return Doral to its former glory if not surpass it. When completed, Doral will be the finest resort and golf club in the country,"
Doral has been home of the Doral Open since the year 1962, until the event culminated with its last episode in 2006. It is also the host of the World Golf Championship since 2007.
The sprawling country club includes 700 hotel rooms, four golf courses, a spa, restaurants, a clubhouse, ballrooms, meeting and retail space.
Trump Hotel Collection unit, one of the subsidiaries of Trump’s huge empire of organisations, is likely to take over the country club by the month of June this year and Golf course architect Gil Hanse will carry out the renovations of the courses.
Trump has been involved in several high profile golf course acquisitions around the world.
He is under scathing criticism for his gigantic billion dollar project in Ireland where he intends to build the largest golf course in the world.
Trump, reportedly also tried to lure in the European Tour officials, coercing them to host the Open Championship on the venue in 2016.
The Royal and Ancient, however, dismissed any relocation of the venue other than the designated nine Links courses on the circuit.
Like many of the golf courses around the country, Doral had been facing bankruptcy, Chapter 11 for a considerable period of time after the owners Paulson & Winthrop Realty failed to stratify the bank for the outstanding dues.
Trump moved in to land the bid and will be dominating the PGA Tour events in the South of Florida for the moment.
The state has no fewer than 1000 golf courses and country clubs alone and is considered the hot bed of the sport in the world.
Trump admitted, "It would be impossible for a developer today to replicate a property of this size in Miami at any cost".
The state legislature is also considering legalizing gambling and casinos in the state, something which will bolster the prospects of building a casino within the country club.
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