Donald Trump raises prices for golf resorts amid worsening financial situation

According to his recently released financial disclosure, Donald Trump has earned over half a billion dollars in the last 16 months from his golf clubs and resorts around the world. These clubs include Doral, Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster in the US, as well as Turnberry in Scotland – which recently made headlines as the most expensive golf course in the world after the Trump Organization decided to raise prices.

Although these are huge gains, the former president still faces liabilities of more than $100 million from three civil lawsuits he lost in New York, according to the 265-page document, a sum that makes his financial situation even more fragile at a time when his media company is regularly making losses.

The document provides a first insight into the former president's financial situation ahead of the November elections.

Golf has been a central element of Trump's public persona throughout his political career, and the former president seems to genuinely love the game, as he is often photographed on the golf course. But golf is much more than just a passion for the Republican candidate – it is a crucial part of his personal wealth.

According to his latest financial disclosure released last week, the former president earned a total income of $513 million from his U.S. clubs and resorts. Trump's largest source of income in the 16 months since January 2023 was a Miami-based company that owns golf courses and a resort.

The Palm Beach resort Mar-a-Lago, which has a 27-hole golf course, generated $56.9 million during the same period, while the Bedminster Club in New Jersey generated $37 million. The value of the three holdings is reported in the financial disclosure as “over $50 million,” the highest amount candidates can declare.

Trump's golf club in Jupiter, Florida, earned $31 million between January 2023 and July 2024, while his Scottish course, Turnberry, brought in £26 million – the equivalent of $33.5 million. The Turnberry golf course recently made headlines after the Trump Organization announced it would increase fees for players starting next year.

While the green fee for a round at the Ailsa Course has always been £176 ($228), the Trump Organization plans to raise the green fee for non-residents to £13,000 ($1,296) before 2025 and £545 ($706) after that date.

According to the Trump Organization, the price increase is intended to secure tee times for hotel members and guests.

“We found that a lot of people were booking tee times during peak times of the year but were just coming to play golf and then leaving,” Turnberry managing director Nic Oldham told Bunkered.

“In many cases, people chose to play at Ailsa but stayed elsewhere nearby. This meant that our hotel guests could stay in the hotel but could not access the course,” he added. “By excluding these peak times, we can offer our best customers more playing opportunities.”

The price increase will make Turnberry the most expensive golf course in the world. It could mean even higher profits for Trump – although Oldham said he expected people to recognize the convenience of staying at a hotel. Right now, the most expensive golf course in the world is Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, which charges a fee of $1,250.

Trump also recently raised Mar-a-Lago's membership fee. This year, four spots have opened up for the prestigious club. Each spot costs $1 million – 43 percent more than the current membership fee of $700,000. In 2016, the membership fee was $100,000. Registration for those with big money will begin in October.

But while Trump's golf clubs and resorts are proving extremely profitable, the former president's fortune, Trump Media, has been dented by repeated plunges in Truth Social's stock this year and the millions of dollars in losses that came with it.

On Monday, Trump Media's stock price fell five percent to below $25 per share – the lowest closing price since April 16. The decline cost Trump $170 million.