{"id":236756,"date":"2025-10-31T22:58:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T22:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/236756\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T22:58:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T22:58:12","slug":"councillors-approve-plans-to-introduce-roving-golf-carts-sellinh-alcohol-to-golfers-at-trump-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/236756\/","title":{"rendered":"Councillors approve plans to introduce roving golf carts sellinh alcohol to golfers at Trump International"},"content":{"rendered":"

Golfers at Trump International near Balmedie will now be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage while playing on the recently opened second course.<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump officially opened the new course at his Menie Estate in July.<\/p>\n

But, course bosses applied to Aberdeenshire Council to ensure alcohol could be sold and served across the new fairway and its halfway house.<\/p>\n

They sought to add the new facilities to the existing premises licence, which covers the Dune Clubhouse and original golf course.<\/p>\n

It also includes using a roving golf cart to sell alcohol to players around the green.<\/p>\n

The application recently went before the Aberdeenshire Licensing Board for consideration.<\/p>\n

Standard licensing rules across the region allow the sale of alcohol from 10am.<\/p>\n

But Trump was looking to add one extra hour for the halfway house and serve alcohol from 9am instead.<\/p>\n

Solicitor Tony Dawson told the board there was \u201cgood reason\u201d for the request.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cBoth courses are open at 7am, and by the time 9am comes around on the second course, players will be at or around the halfway house.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are perhaps looking for food and a drink to see them on their merry way around the new course, which has had incredibly positive reviews and is very popular.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Dawson described the recently opened halfway house as a \u201cbig, very fancy bothy\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got an outside area at the back for people to sit, same as the Dunes Clubhouse, and it\u2019s not nearly such a big operation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the Dunes has a pro shop, restaurant and changing facilities, there\u2019s nothing like that at the halfway house.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a stopover place to allow people to refresh and move forward,\u201d Mr Dawson said.<\/p>\n

The solicitor argued the additional hour was needed for the \u201cincredibly famous\u201d Trump resort due to its \u201csignificant amount of members\u201d and \u201cmassive demand from all over the world\u201d.<\/p>\n

Councillors granted the extra time, saying it would be beneficial for both local and visiting golfers.<\/p>\n

Board member Dawn Black said: \u201cIt makes absolute sense to have that so they can provide good services to their members and visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow councillor Geoff Crowson agreed, but wanted to ensure this would just be a one-off.<\/p>\n

He explained the board was granting the change due to the \u201ctourism factor\u201d and added: \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t want to set a precedent where any other places think that they could get the extra hour for any other reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump wanted permission to allow golfers to enjoy their drinks outside after 10pm.<\/p>\n

However, Mr Dawson was quick to stress that there would be no alcohol served after this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody wants to go out and have a smoke and take their drink outside to finish it, that is all that we\u2019re really wanting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis does happen on occasion when in summer, people will want to go outside, finish their drink and then they depart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Black queried whether doing this would create a noise nuisance to neighbours nearby.<\/p>\n

However, she was told the nearest property was around half a mile away, so there would be no threat of disturbance.<\/p>\n

Members later agreed to allow outdoor drinking until the existing 1am premises licence, but only at the terrace behind the Dunes Clubhouse.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, two policies involving children and young people were removed.<\/p>\n

This move was made to ensure youngsters can still visit and play on the Balmedie course, despite it being an outdoor drinking area.<\/p>\n

But the board called for a licensing objective risk assessment to be lodged to prove how youths would be protected from any potential harm.<\/p>\n

It is expected to explain how children would be stopped from accessing alcohol on the roving buggy and ensure youth competitions would be booze-free.<\/p>\n

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