15 Surprising Facts About Trumps Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey
As his Florida club Mar-a-Lago closes for summer, President Trump is expected to routinely decamp to his high-end golf club in Bedminster, N.J. starting with a trip this weekend. Trump National Golf Club is one of 17 Trump-branded private courses, but he has a special fondness for Bedminster. Nestled in New Jersey's lush horse country an hour from New York City, the 13-year-old retreat will likely become a more frequent hub of presidential activity. Already, Trump's conducted official business there, and he recently revamped his own villa on the property. Here are 15 surprising facts about Trump National in Bedminster. The guy behind the DeLorean from Back to the Future once owned it. The luxe club used to be the estate of the late car manufacturer who made the DeLorean, the souped-up winged-door sports ride from the sci-fi adventure comedy. John DeLorean called the stately red brick house his home and used the current golf club as his garage. Before that, the Cowperthwaite family owned the Somerset Hills Hunt Country property, and it was called the Lamington House. John DeLorean bought the 433 acres for 3.5 million in 1981, Turpin Realtors CEO John D. Turpin said. It then went up for foreclosure in 2000, and was sold at a bankruptcy auction to a developer. Trump's organization bought it for about 35 million in 2002. Trump was the organization's managing member, according to a sales agreement the county clerk's office provided to TIME. He began plans to turn it into a "world class" course and it opened on Fourth of July weekend in 2004. Like most things the President appreciates, it's yuuuge. The massive 535-acre facility spreads out across New Jersey's rolling green countryside where members can golf on two driving ranges, a 16-acre practice facility, an indoor golf training center, and five putting greens. Golf architect Tom Fazio II modeled the two sprawling 18-hole courses after the gardens of Versailles.