Trump's Scottish Golf Courses Continue to Struggle

(Reuters) – Donald Trump’s two Scottish golf courses, into which he has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars over the past two decades, continued to burn cash in 2023, accounts published on Tuesday show.

Turnberry Course Falls to Loss

Republican presidential candidate Trump's Turnberry course fell back into the red last year, losing 1.7 million pounds ($2.22 million) before tax compared with a profit of 570,000 pounds in 2022. This marked the luxury resort’s first profit since Trump bought the fabled course in 2014, according to accounts for the operating company SLC Turnberry Limited.

Continuing Losses at Trump International Golf Links Scotland

Accounts for Trump International Golf Links Scotland, which operates a course north of Aberdeen that Trump built from scratch on previously protected sand dunes, showed a 12th straight annual loss since opening in 2012. The acclaimed course lost 1.43 million pounds in 2023, compared to a loss of 740,000 pounds in 2022.

Factors Behind Poor Performance

The poorer performance at the courses last year was attributed to flat revenues and rising costs.

Shift in Business Focus

Former U.S. president Trump’s business interests have shifted away from real estate, for which he was long best-known, to golf and related properties. His U.S. courses have seen strong performance, as political supporters flock to play and socialize there, industry executives report.

Popularity in Britain

However, opinion polls indicate that Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland, is unpopular in Britain.

Financial Outlook

The losses at the Scottish courses are unlikely to pose significant problems for Trump, as Reuters estimated in August that his businesses could generate about $80 million in cash this year.

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