The LIV Golf League is in the nation’s capital this week for its seventh event of the season.
LIV Golf DC is being played at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. Former President Donald Trump played in Thursday’s pro-am with his son Eric as well as Patrick Reed and Bob Koepka. Trump also played at LIV’s Miami event last season.
The opening round will tee off Friday at 1:15 p.m. ET, with the monster group of Dustin Johnson, Cam Smith and reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka going off No. 1 in the shotgun format.
Here are 10 photos of Trump playing his golf course on Thursday morning.
This time it’ll be the Aramco Team Series women’s event, which is scheduled for Oct. 13-15 at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point.
At the end of July, Trump hosted the LIV Golf Series at his Bedminster course.
Both tournaments are funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which is officially called the Public Investment Fund. The mega-billion-dollar account is managed by the Saudi royal family. Its chief overseer is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been linked by the CIA to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
On Monday, after about 12 hours of internet and social media speculation as to why Trump was in Washington, D.C., he was at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
The Associated Press had a photographer on site and close enough to snap a few pictures of Trump.
A report by CNN says that New York city council officials are pushing Mayor Eric Adams to void the city’s contract with the Trump Organization in order to cancel the Aramco Team Series event.
The Washington Post is reporting that there’s little chance of such a cancellation. The mayor’s press secretary said in a statement, “While we disagree with the values of the Trump Organization, we cannot legally block their application” while a spokesman for the New York City Law Department said: “The city is obligated to follow the terms of the Trump Ferry license agreement and cannot unreasonably withhold approval of this tournament.”
Newsweek is reporting that this is just the second time Trump has visited Washington, D.C. since he left office in January of 2021.
“If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place,” Trump hypothesized.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Trump National Golf Bedminster is still a week away, but the former U.S. president just couldn’t wait to stir the pot.
Donald Trump signed on to Truth Social on Monday and implored golfers to take the guaranteed money now and join the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-funded series.
“All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump wrote on the social media platform. “If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were.”
It’s important to note a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is not currently on the table.
A New York City native, Trump’s comments come just days after families of 9/11 victims and survivors sent a letter to condemn the former president for hosting the Saudi-funded series. The letter expressed their “extreme pain, frustration and anger” and even included a quote from Trump’s 2016 comments on the 9/11 terrorist attacks from a segment on Fox & Friends: “…Who blew up the World Trade Center? It wasn’t the Iraqis – it was Saudi. Take a look at Saudi Arabia. Open the documents. We ought to get Bush or somebody to have the documents opened because frankly, if you open the documents, I think you are going to see it was Saudi Arabia…”
“The former President correctly speculated in 2016 that Saudi Arabia knocked down the towers and now the FBI has released the documents to prove him right,” Brett Eagleson, an advocate for the 9/11 Justice group, told CNN, “yet he is choosing money over America. So much for America First. A sad day.”
Supported by Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LIV Golf has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to “sportswash” its human rights record.
In response to Sunday’s letter, LIV Golf sent the following statement: “As we have said all along, these families have our deepest sympathy. While some may not agree, we believe golf is a force for good around the world.”
“We look forward to continuing to support the mission of the PGA and its Professionals.”
The 2022 PGA Championship was originally scheduled to be held at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, however, the PGA of America canceled the contract. Today, it was announced that the two sides have reached an agreed settlement.
Despite the conclusion, the details of the arrangement were not released.
“The Trump Organization’s contribution to the golf community is appreciated,” the PGA of America said in a statement. “We are thankful the company employs hundreds of dedicated PGA Professionals and consistently gives back to the golf community through hosting charitable events and sponsoring junior golf programs. As stated in 2014 when announced, Trump Bedminster is a major championship-worthy golf course and in a portfolio along with some of the finest private and public golf courses anywhere in the world.”
As for The Trump Organization, Executive Vice President Eric Trump released the following: “We have great respect for the work of the PGA. Over the past 20+ years, we have enjoyed working with the PGA to deliver to our club members and the public some of the greatest golf experiences anywhere in the world. We look forward to continuing to support the mission of the PGA and its Professionals, who are the best in the golf industry.”
The tournament will now be played at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Southern Hills has hosted seven major championships on the men’s side, most recently the 2007 PGA Championship won by Tiger Woods.
The club is under investigation for how it valued its property in a longstanding fight to reduce its taxes.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. — Trump National Golf Club Westchester, a private golf course in Briarcliff Manor about 30 miles north of New York City, is under investigation for how it valued its property in a longstanding fight to reduce its taxes, according to a New York Times story published Wednesday.
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah’s office is reportedly looking into how Trump National Golf Course LLC valued the course in documents it submitted to the town of Ossining as part of an ongoing challenge of its property assessment.
Here’s some background on the golf club and its history in Westchester.
Where is Trump National located?
Trump National Golf Club Westchester is a private club located on 140 acres at 100 Shadow Tree Lane in the village of Briarcliff Manor, which is located in the town of Ossining.
The property was home to the former Briar Hall Country Club before being transformed under the Trump Organization, which opened the new course in 2002.
It is one of three golf courses that the Trump Organization runs in New York. It also has Trump National Golf Club, a private club in the Dutchess County town of East Fishkill; and Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, a public course in the Bronx in New York City.
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What does the club offer?
The Briarcliff Manor club’s 7,300-yard course is complemented by an indoor golf simulator, a 75,000-square-foot clubhouse with a restaurant, and a pool and tennis courts.
It also has six suites for overnight visits. In addition to golf, the club is a popular venue for weddings and other events, as well.
Club connections
Donald Trump, an avid golfer, has played rounds with local sportswriters to show them around his Briarcliff Manor course, which has hosted amateur tournaments. The club’s locker room has included lockers with nameplates for such big names as former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani and the late television star Regis Philbin.
Dan Scavino, a Dutchess County resident, handled social media for the White House during Trump’s presidency. He met Trump as a teen caddy at the Briarcliff Manor golf course, where he later served as executive vice president and general manager.
The 13th hole at the Trump National Golf Club, Westchester. (The Trump Organization)
Trump controversy
Trump National Golf Club Westchester was in the news a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, when its taxable value dropped in last year’s property revaluation in Ossining as many residential property values increased at the same time. It was part of an ongoing legal fight over what share of the community’s property tax burden should fall on the shoulders of Trump National, one of the largest taxpayers in the town of Ossining.
The club also made headlines in August when Donald Trump made an appearance there for a fundraiser to benefit New York’s GOP. Supporters and critics of the former president both lined up outside the course that night as he returned to Westchester for the $1,000-per-ticket event.
Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane.
