King Canute demonstrated that although he was a wealthy king, he could not hold back the tides by standing on the shore as the tide came in. Trump did not get this memo.
There are signs of flooding all over the Menie Estate; this is not surprising as the North East is experiencing some of its wettest weather historically speaking.
But are things worse than if Trump hadn’t been there?
An arcane system of visible plastic pipes installed by the Trump organisation is not exactly helping things – well, not for common access roads and the residents, anyway.
Unlike some conservationists who objected to the golf course, the Trump people didn’t foresee what could happen when the weather got wild. How would the course hold up with the recent storms the North East experienced?
The path in question has the (formerly moveable) sand dunes and the North Sea on the east, and the course on the west.
In places, the course is very close to the sea indeed.
On our walk we found a large section of dune had crumbled. A World War II pillbox was newly covered by the falling sand and marram grass, planted to stabilise the dunes.
I guess Mother Nature hadn’t got that memo.
The damage was striking.
While continuing our walk towards the fourth hole, we discovered a set of traffic cones ahead of us on the path.
It is just as well the light hadn’t yet faded – or we might have fallen several feet into a newly-opened chasm.
Approximately four feet of the golf course path has simply fallen into the sea at Blairton Burn. It is as if Mother Nature took a bite out of the course.
Presumably if this pipe is being used for water runoff, it has been approved in advance by Aberdeenshire’s environmental and planning experts?
The pipe had no foundation, just sand around it.
The cross section of ground clearly visible from the course collapse shows that there is a thin layer of turf directly over the sand.
Photographs illustrate this dramatic gap eloquently.
While there are cones warning of the huge gap, there is no protective fencing.
Even more worrying is that other sections of this portion of the 4th hole might likewise be ready to fall into the sea.
In the news this past week a couple bid £80,000 to come and play here, including transportation, meals, etc.
We wonder in what state they will find ‘The World’s Greatest Golf Course’ when they arrive.
As the dunes shift, and the course crumbles (in one place anyway), how are the residents faring? Not very well, as a subsequent article will demonstrate.
- Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.
Donald Trump is going to have very, very bad karma.
Trump can’t defeat nature, and it looks like it’s taking the course back from him. Is the planting of marram grass a realistic defence for the forces faced by the east coast? Although, I don’t suppose dear old Trump has had time to consider this now that his primary focus is wind farms located several miles away… in the sea.
Ha, the coucil will probably fix it for them !!
Thats what happens when you hire an Irish contractor!! Hopefully it will be swallowed up by the sea whilst the buffoon is playing it…..
What goes around comes back around to bite ya on the arse, couldn’t happen to a nicer guy 🙂
Does this ring any bells?
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
Excellent! Great comment.
@Mike Xenophobic twat.
@R. Eric Swanepoel No it doesn’t. Got any poems about a shitty golf course or w*nker with a wig?
For a poem about w-nker with a wig trawl through the archives of Aberdeen Voice. There are a quite a few on there.
Is it wrong to laugh? I really do not like trump. The course should never have been allowed.
May there be 1000 windmills around it.
@Roger Daltry – do you have a wig? I ask as you’re clearly a w*nker.
Ok, lets call it off …. Aberdeen Voice does not like to over moderate or censor, but the comments facility is not a forum for namecalling …. please focus comments on the article.
Please note though.
@Mike. We passed your comment re Irish with some reluctance, but gave you the benefit of the doubt in terms of the promise of local jobs, and the non-materialisation of same. We are hopeful that Irish readers will see it similarly and not take offence.
@Roger Daltry. In view of the above, I can accept your judgement of Mike’s statement as Xenophobic. I do find your post to R Eric Swanepoel ( ie his apt quote from Shelley’s Ozymandias ) unnecessarily confrontational tho, but in spite of the choice language, have allowed you to express your view.
@sweet cheeks, in view of the above, your response is understandable.
@All …. IIn spite of the reluctance to censor and/or over-moderate, if the level of debate deteriorates any further, posts will be removed in order that the majority can read the comments section without having to suffer exchanges of a distasteful nature.
This is why a Moderator is called a Moderator – well done Moderator. I like this site more and more because of the moderation. Thank you.
( * Cheers John …. It’s a sair fecht, but somebody has to do it 🙂 – Moderator )
Jesus! I thought you Irish had a sense of humour?
As for the moderator…Are you perhaps a bible school teacher on the side?…True that rudeness on the comment section CAN be a problem…But it makes for fun reading watching adults snap at each other.
Did you really believe that you could print a story about a loudmouth American douche and not get SOME rude comments?… ( * Overt racist comment removed by Moderator )
Sweet cheeks gets a thumbs up by the way.
Anyways, to all much love from Monterey California.
Surely Moderator, it is of no great surprise the kind of comments you are receiving given the manner in which you have written the above article. It’s naive to believe otherwise. Hope all works out well for you though and that you resolve your differences in the locality. A big challenge ahead for all it seems.
No Ballanced, not a surprise, and as you will observe, we DO allow a lot of scope for readers to express their views, and do NOT like to moderate at all if we don’t have to.
But there are laws, and there are commonly understood boundaries of taste and decency which we are bound by in the same way as any other publication, and are obliged to observe and act upon.
Our request for a little restraint was in order that we can allow heartfelt exchanges to continue without having to intervene. We do prefer to present reader’s comments in their entirity.
Oh, and thanks for the good wishes.
The site was never going to be ideal for the proposed development. Perhaps Mr Trump should have listened to some of the advice he was offered instead of stubbornly persisting in his plans. None of us is more powerful than nature or immune to its acts of capriciousness, no matter how wealthy or important we might believe ourselves to be.
I have to ask, why is this not in any newspapers or online news sites yet? Surely you guys should have reported it to the BBC or someone similar? This is a story worthy of sharing! Many Scottish people will delight in this hilarity 🙂
( * In short Lynnski, Aberdeen Voice appear to be one of few, if not the only local media outlet interested in keeping the public updated on the REAL news from Menie. However, expect to see this story spill out tomorrow as many established media outlets will be picking it up. More from Menie coming soon in AV – Moderator )
Its a disgrace that he ever was allowed to build there, I hope that land is never used for golf but is always known as ‘trumps invasion” and our grandchildrens grandchildren will tell thier grandchildren about the frizzy haired twat who tried to ruin a beautiful landscape for his own profit
That was one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in the country and now it will never be the same again. Im glad for all the problems this is causing Mr Trump and his thugs but I feel very sorry for all the people who live on the estate who have had to put up with all this. My other main gripe with this sorry affair is the role of Grampian police who appear to nothing more than Trumps lackies. I would like to propose that a part of the site be used for a yearly festival of music and the arts. Cash raised could be used to help the area get back to some semblence of normality. Although he has destroyed a large swaith of the area.
Trump is always been an over leaveraged ‘pretend I am wealthy’ guy. His whole empire is a house of cards that when his creditors decide to pull the pin then thats that, as has happened in the past.
Canute wasn’t just famous for failing to hold back the tide.
In the year 1012 King Canute invaded Scotland, at Cruden Bay a few miles north of Menie.
He had power, he had soldiers.
The locals kicked his @rse.
Perhaps there is nothing new in the world?
I found this on Facebook! Live in USA, celebrating with Mother Nature. The bigger they are, the harder they fall (permaculture principle in a form of a traditional proverb). Trump has declared bankruptcy at least twice before. I’m amazed that ANYONE will lend him any money.
Clearly the traditional hazards like bunkers and water aren’t enough for Donald Trump.
What a surprise?!! Trump’s golf course has holes! I wish a wealthy Scot could build a golf course next to one of Trump’s prized houses (and break down his fence, charge him for it, as well as cut off his water and electrics.)
you don’t need to worry about trump any longer………
http://www.leagardens.co.uk
…. Brilliant Rosa 🙂 cheers for the chuckles, and carry on with the good work.
Look up Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca where we live next door to it. When the 14th fairway fell down over a couple hundred feet on the bluff, Trump spent something like 11 million dollars to put it back up again. Anyone can walk through his golf course to access the path along the ocean and they enjoy it. It’s the law that people can access the coastline and beaches. Dot