• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem

1

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
LeadershipDonald Trump

15 Surprising Facts About President Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club

By
Ashley Hoffman
Ashley Hoffman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ashley Hoffman
Ashley Hoffman
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 5, 2017, 3:25 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

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.

Christopher Lloyd & Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future (1985)
courtesy Universal Studios—moviestillsdb.comChristopher Lloyd & Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future (1985)

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHcTdJuBD4n/

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.

Golf magazine repeatedly named it one of the country’s top 100 courses of the year including 2016. It also picked up kudos when it won the Metropolitan Golf Association’s first-ever environment award in 2007, but was later cited for a number of violations in 2011.

Trump’s not the only big deal to set up shop in town.

As a child, Turpin often played in the house that’s now the President’s likely new getaway. (His aunt and her husband, Betsy Dillon and Jock Cowperthwaite, lived there.) He says that Trump’s far from the first famous property owner.

“Having a president in town is somewhat in keeping with our heritage,” he told TIME. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Malcolm Forbes were among the notable residents.

He added that without Trump’s golf attraction, the town wouldn’t be much of a destination, and he views the visits as a boost for the area’s property value.

Want to hit the links? You might need to spend your life savings.

The site frames the membership fees as “an investment in life, leisure, and luxury,” and TheRealDeal estimates that the initiation fee is $350,000, though the club didn’t respond to a request for the cost.

Mar-a-Lago’s initiation price tag? It doubled to $200,000 in January after Trump won the election, the club’s manager told Bloomberg. Trump listed Bedminster’s location—as well as Mar-A-Lago—as one of his assets worth “over $50 million” in his financial disclosure form filed with the Federal Election Commission when he was a 2016 presidential nominee.

There’s a helipad and other perks.

Members can access the on-site 25-meter heated pool, which comes with two “oversized” hot tubs, poolside dining service, eight tennis courts, a gym, a basketball court, a conference center, and a helipad, according to the club’s website.

Bedminister members score access to any of 15 Trump-branded courses across the world from Scotland’s Turnberry to Florida’s Mar-a-Lago Club, listed on the website as of Thursday.

He’s already used it for official business.

Trump prepped for the presidential debates there, and in November, he interviewed potential Cabinet members, including now-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

It has attracted well-known members.

According to Golf, Rudy Giuliani, Yankees manager Joe Torre and former President Bill Clinton have been among the reported members.

The President seems to like the vibe there.

After several visits to Mar-a-Lago, which he’s attempted to rebrand as the “Winter White House,” it’s clear that Maryland’s Camp David isn’t his speed. “Very rustic, it’s nice, you’d like it. You know how long you’d like it? For about 30 minutes,” he told a European journalist, according to the Washington Post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG2sW-KrHze/?taken-at=260164392

In November 2016, the then-President-elect hosted longtime members at a reception when he was busy meeting potential candidates to fill his Cabinet there. “I could go anywhere…this is where I prepared for the debate. This is where we had great victories,” he told the crowd in leaked audio that Politico obtained. “This is my real group. … You are the special people.”

His daughter Ivanka married Trump’s current special adviser, Jared Kushner there.

Ivanka married the publishing and real estate magnate on Oct. 25, 2009, at a lavish wedding for 500 guests. The New York Times reported that the club was her something “borrowed.” The then-private citizen told Brides that she planned to channel Grace Kelly in a custom Vera Wang gown and $265,000 worth of jewelry from her own collection. Her invitations were Tiffany & Co. and well-known cake designer Sylvia Weinstock did the 70-inch tall flower-ringed cake.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9RBTg0CkMp/

The wedding and event designer Preston Bailey said Ivanka made his job easy. “She’s a lady that is very clear in her direction.” Bailey also designed the Mar-A-Lago weddings for Melania and Donald Trump and Eric Trump and Lara Yunaska. He said the whole family has a consistently traditional “gold and white with French influence” style, and that Trump was hands on for every one, including his own.

“He looked at all the details, I remember him making sure the chandeliers and gold leaf were done properly,” Bailey said adding that he didn’t ask for freebies. “He didn’t bargain a lot. He was not nickel and dime-ing.”

The Trump family owns some of the club’s luxury cottages.

Members can opt to spend the night in one of the five swanky cottages or eleven one-room suites.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner won an application to expand their cottage by 2,200 square feet in 2015. This March, the town land use board also gave the President approval for a 500-square-foot, two-story balcony and porch add-on to his private villa.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIQ9bWFjRi2/

Trump enjoys it so much that he wanted to spend eternity there at one point.

A representative of his organization in 2013 said he wished the club would be his final resting place, telling local officials that he “appreciates the Bedminster ethic.” But after the club finally won the approval to construct a Trump family cemetery in 2015, the Trump Organization told the city’s land use board that he may go for Florida instead.

His presidential visits have an effect on the local landscape.

Bedminster recently urged the federal government to cover the cost of protecting the President when he’s at the facility. With only 16 officers on the police force, the Township pays for overtime to guard the club on top of the Secret Service. Mayor Steve Parker estimated that seven 72-hour trips could balloon to the cost of $302,000. But Trump’s visits are also good publicity for local businesses like Bedminster Pizza, where Secret Service agents like to eat. “They come every time when Trump is here,” a cook, Enzo Grande, told TIME. “They get chicken parmigiana and pizza. That’s what they love.”

It’s the home of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open in July and the 2022 PGA Championship, which caused an outcry from several of Trump’s detractors.

Recently the women’s rights group UltraViolet staged a protest at Bedminster, calling for the Open to be moved from the facility, and 109,873 people signed the group’s petition.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNu7zaeAF5A/?taken-at=260164392

The USGA is sticking with the location, and responded with a statement about its commitment to “ensuring our championships are conducted without discrimination.”

“The fact that they haven’t moved it sends a terrible message to women and young golfers after millions of people expressed outrage about the way Donald Trump treats women,” UltraViolet co-founder Shaunna Thomas told TIME, adding that they’re focusing on urging the USGA to cut off from the President’s brand in the future. “It does’t have to be over for them. They can still pledge to recover.”

But some golf pros say they’re thrilled to see it take place there.

Trump found support in some golfers like LPGA champion Christine Kerr, an honorary Trump club member who said, “I’m a woman. I’m all for women’s empowerment and everything. Donald’s done tons for the women’s game.”

Most people in the bucolic town voted for him.

While Trump lost Somerset County to Hillary Clinton by 14 points in November, he did win the small town of Bedminster—just now getting a taste of demonstrations and his motorcade—voted by 42 votes, according to the Somerset County Election Board. Only 8,165 people lived there according to the 2010 Census.

Michelle Molloy, who edited this photo essay, is a senior international photo editor at TIME.

About the Author
By Ashley Hoffman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

buffett
SuccessWealth
‘The man who dies rich dies disgraced’: The last time America had such wealth inequality, Andrew Carnegie knew he had to give it all away
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
7 hours ago
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
SuccessBillionaires
Larry Page and Sergey Brin splash $225 million in Miami property as billionaires flee California’s tax—and Google is expanding its office there too
By Emma BurleighJuly 22, 2026
8 hours ago
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
North AmericaWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett called Bill Gates’ Epstein ties ‘distasteful’ and pulled out of the Gates Foundation. Days later, a review revealed 30 meetings
By Sydney LakeJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
Jon Gray leans while talking and sitting in a chair
SuccessCareers
Blackstone president Jon Gray tells Gen Z to think like founders at work—but a growing number are skipping the corporate ladder to become one for real
By Preston ForeJuly 22, 2026
9 hours ago
clark
North AmericaMedia
Ryan Clark found out he was fired live, mid-broadcast, on NFL Live as ESPN undergoes first major layoffs in 3 years
By Joe Reedy and The Associated PressJuly 22, 2026
10 hours ago
A woman observes stock trends on her smartphone while a computer screen displays financial graphs.
NewslettersCFO Daily
Beyond SpaceX: Why great IPOs depend on more than first-day demand
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 22, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
7 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.