I don't know where to begin, maybe it's the parallel comments that JF moved "3 mill. cubic yds of dirt" while at the same time "routed the holes over the contours of the hilly terrain"
"Trump National blows Bethpage away" - how priceless is that.
Trump National Golf Club Opens
Donald J. Trump hit the ceremonial first drive on the morning of July 27 and proclaimed Trump National Golf Club open for play. The introduction of Trump's lavish golf project in Westchester County got under way with an exclusive 18-hole tournament whose field included Trump, celebrities, club members, corporate CEOs and the media. A gala reception followed.
Trump predicts immediate recognition and high praise for his spectacular Jim Fazio designed layout. "This will be the best course in New York and it's going to be named Best New Course in the country by all the golf magazines." Trump enthused. "My main goal was to build a great golf course and we have exceeded that expectation here. Trump National blows Bethpage away." Trump, a member of Winged Foot Golf Club, is also confident that his private Trump National will surpass the storied Mamaroneck site and be a sought-after venue for a PGA Tour event or major championship.
The golf project is Trump’s first construction endeavor in the county, even though he’s the largest private landowner in Westchester. Some 3 million cubic yards of Trump’s dirt were moved to build the course, which represents the largest excavation project ever undertaken in the county. The project involved the Trump Group remodeling the former Briar Hall Country Club and renaming it Trump National. The entire project will cost $120 million; other components include a pool, spa, tennis courts, a 42,000-square-foot clubhouse and 87 luxury condominiums. Trump expects to spend $15 million on the clubhouse, $30 million on the course, and $75 million on the residences. Memberships in the club are selling for $250,000.
Course architect Jim Fazio, who also created highly regarded Trump International in Palm Beach, Fla., shaped the par-72, 7,291-yard layout and routed the holes over the contours of the hilly terrain. The huge greens were patterned after those of Augusta National. There are man-made lakes and brooks on many holes, and the property's old maple trees were preserved and integrated into the course. Other contributors were Jim's son, Tommy Fazio, and Vincent Stellio, an executive with the Trump Organization and the on-site project manager.
Trump claims the course’s signature hole is the most expensive golf hole ever constructed in the U.S. The elaborate backdrop to the green at the par-3 13th hole is an impressive waterfall that flows over a 101-foot-high cliff of black granite. "There's never been a waterfall like this on a golf course," Trump proudly states. "We pump 5,000 gallons a minute." At the grand opening, local artist Susan Stillman presented Trump with a commemorative painting of the waterfall signature hole.