Internet weighs in as former project director says Trump 'hoodwinked' Scotland with golf course promises

EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM: Neil Hobday, the former project director of Donald Trump's Scottish golf resort, claimed that the nation was "hoodwinked" by the ex-POTUS' promise to spend around $1.26 billion (£1 billion) to expand the Aberdeenshire golf course into a massive tourist destination, as per BBC.

Hobday helped to broker the deal for Trump to buy his first Scottish golf resort in Aberdeenshire, which opened in 2012, going on to work as a consultant project director for the Trump Organization.

The Trump International Golf Links spans around 22 acres and includes an 18-hole links-style golf course, according to the Trump Organization website.

Neil Hobday feels Donald Trump 'never really had the money or the intention of finishing' the Aberdeenshire golf course

In a recent conversation on BBC's Sounds podcast 'Trumped', Hobday expressed his regret for helping Trump purchase the land in Scotland by falling for his false promises.

He noted, "I don't think even if he could raise the money to build the whole thing out, he wanted the golf course, and that was it. He was willing to fight the environmental battle and create this impression that this was a $1bn project and Scotland absolutely needed it. But I think he never really had the money or the intention of finishing it."

"I feel very hoodwinked and ashamed that I fell for it and Scotland fell for it. We all fell for it. He was never going to do it," sighed Hobday.

The Menie Estate was made of sand dunes formed by winds, meadows, and woodlands. In 2006, the ex-president revealed that he would transform it into the world's greatest golf course. He also had local support, anticipating a boost to the economy, tourism, and jobs in the region.

In 2018, Scottish Natural Heritage, an environmental agency, found that the Trump golf course "destroyed the vast majority" of sand dunes in the region, as per the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the course managed to rack up a loss of $16 million (£13.3 million) since 2012. 

The Trump International Golf Links course was included in his New York civil fraud case as the White House hopeful stood accused of inflating his net worth to secure tax and loan benefits.

Internet reacts as Neil Hobday talks about Donald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course 

One remarked, "He should have talked to people who had previous dealings with TFG. They would have told him."

Another joked, "A fitting reprisal for the scotts would be to surround trump's golf course with hundreds of windmills with true scottish revenge of the kilt."

"Anyone who’s done business with Trump has deep regrets," noted a person, while someone else stated, "The truth sometimes hurts! And when you support someone like trump, you will always come out as a loser! Everyone he has touched, regrets ever knowing him! Ask those who are locked up or lost Law Licenses! Bad Seed!"

An individual sarcastically wrote, "No way! Something Trump runs hasn't delivered? Impossible. I'm going to get on Truth and say something about all of his successful projects like: Trump University, Trump Steaks, Trump Water or his myriad Hotels and Casino's. That's why he had no trouble coming up with his bond."

"Should have known better, Trump’s always been a criminal, no due diligence," claimed a disgruntled netizen. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.