Trump Seeks to Make Presidential Retreat at West Palm Beach Golf Club
By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)
President Donald Trump is looking to make his Trump International Golf Club into a Camp David-type presidential retreat.
A letter was sent by the golf course’s attorney Harvey Oyer to the Palm Beach County commissioners. The letter said Trump is offering to “designate” his golf course as a U.S. Presidential Golf Course and be “utilized by all past, current, and future United States Presidents and visiting foreign heads of state,” according to The Palm Beach Post.
The letter added Trump International Golf Course would pay for the construction of the presidential lodging facility.
“This is a gift that the President would like to share with his successors, the people of America, and his fellow Palm Beach County residents. It should be noted that President Trump will be out of office before this proposed project could be completed so this is a gift to his successors,” the letter said.
Oyer told The Washington Post a name has not been selected for the presidential golf course.
“It would further cement Palm Beach County as one of the most recognizable brands and destinations in the world,” Oyer said.
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo told the outlet that the county is seriously considering the proposal.
American businesswoman Marjorie Meriweather Post, who owned Mar-a-Lago and gave it its name, wanted the estate to be used a place for presidents to go in the winter.
She gifted the property to the federal government upon her death in 1973, but the National Park Service found the upkeep to be too expensive and returned it back to her estate.
Trump bought the property in 1985 and kept its name.
Trump’s golf course is less than five miles from Mar-a-Lago.
A White House official told The Post the golf course would provide “world class property” amenities.
“The property is minutes away from the Donald J. Trump International Airport, does not have buildings looming, does not have houses along the course, has great security features, is close to law enforcement, and happens to be a highly-rated golf course. These are features that are necessary for any presidential retreat,” the official said.