And He's Off...

Yes, the Donald has begun construction of Trump International Golf Links Scotland— a project he promises will include "the greatest golf course in history." Among the first tasks: planting grass to stabilize its environmentally sensitive dunes, the Associated Press reports.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., told Scotland's Press & Journal that golfers would be teeing off within 18 months to two years.

The newspaper is reporting Trump may have nearly reached a deal with with several area landowners who have been holding out, refusing to sell him their property.

Meanwhile, a group called Tripping Up Trump continues to protest the project, claiming it will damage the environment. (Trump Jr. had some choice words for the group, who were absent from the site on his most recent visit: "They are probably playing in their sandbox right now," he told the Scotsman newspaper. "It's recess at school and they probably weren't able to get their parents to write them a permission slip to leave.")

Trump's  £1 billion project includes two golf courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, and nearly 1,500 homes. The developer is holding off on the homes for now, hoping for a turnaround in the real estate market. The championship course will be designed by Tom Fazio II, 38-year-old nephew of famed architect Tom Fazio.

-- P.F.