According to the Trumptster, he holds a single digit handicap at Winged Foot. With his hacker swing, I would say 15 would be a vanity handicap.

Nevertheless, the handicap tells us Trump is a member at Winged Foot. Recently, word leaked out that the membership decided not to host the US Open in 2015.

Facts:
1. Trump has been vocal about hosting a major at one of his NY metro area "Trump Nationals."
2. New York City is a great market for the US Open. The USGA wants to have the Open in NYC market for because it is a huge cash cow.
3. Winged Foot - out as a venue.
4. Shinnecock Hills - out as a venue.
5. Baltusrol - tied to the PGA Championship

Being the suspicious type, I wonder how Trump voted. Was he a leader for/against hosting? If he can kill off WF as a venue for the US Open, it would certainly help his chances for hosting the event.

??

Other courses that I would like to see hold it.........
Friar's Head
The Bridge.traffic nightmare to get to though.............

If Donald Trump's off a single figure handicap, I'm a billionaire...

I understand your reasoning and it does seem logical especially in light of the way Trump thinks and his love for self promotion (I know he's a business man but I think we all know what I mean). However, I'm not sure how much pull he'd have getting the membership at WF to go one way or the other.

A good friend of mine who is a member at WF seemed to indicate to me some time shortly after the US Open in '06 that it was bigger production than the general membership liked and that it might be a while before they'd want to host again.

But who the hell really knows...

The article in Golf World January 11, 2008 page 13. Explains it all out. Has nothing to do with Trump. I seriously doubt he holds an Open in the near future. I can think of many more deserving venues that Trump's.

Trump has $$$, but I would bet there are members at WF that have more. His courses are nothing to brag about compared to the classics like WF and SH. They most likely don't like the abuse their course takes and how long it suffers after the event is long over.

There is the US Open at Bethpage the previous year. Why have 2 US Opens in the same area two years in a row? NY is a great venue but there are a lot of major cities and awesome courses out there in the US, granted none of them larger than NYC. That's my two cents

IMO, Bethpage is better than WF.

IMOP, the EAST course @ Winged Foot is a better (more interesting routing, etc.) golf course than the West.........I found the west to be pretty "uninteresting"......the greens complexes were great, but, the holes were just kinda' "ho-hum" IMOP.........I would also imagine they tore the East course up parking cars/tents, etc. in 06'........I would imagine it was a HUGE pain in the a** to repair..........wonderful club though........neat place.......

IMOP, the EAST course @ Winged Foot is a better (more interesting routing, etc.) golf course than the West.........I found the west to be pretty "uninteresting"......the greens complexes were great, but, the holes were just kinda' "ho-hum" IMOP.........I would also imagine they tore the East course up parking cars/tents, etc. in 06'........I would imagine it was a HUGE pain in the a** to repair..........wonderful club though........neat place.......

Winged Foot is a very democratic place. He had one vote in a membership of 500+.

1- I agree about the East course. I like playing it better.

2- The Donald is almost never at WF and has no pull in any way. The members had their course beat up after the last Open to the point where the USGA had to resod the entire East course in addition to the wear and tear of the West. That and the fact that The USGA wants some changes to a few greens on the West and they offered LESS $$$$ for 2015 then they did previously led the members to revolt.

The USGA does not deserve good venues for their championships the way they run roughshod over clubs to make unnecessary modifications to courses and then take away too much $$$ for themselves.

I'm guessing Trump will continue to work his courses into the non-Open USGA rota (i.e. US Junior, US Amateur, and such). He's already booked the US Junior, which will be played on an existing course and one under construction. I could see the Mid-Am going to his L.A. facility, for example.

The USGA does a great deal, but not nearly as much as it could, to preserve and support the game. In the end, they chase the dollar, as we all know. Going to any club, including Winged Foot, is more about profit than the course or tradition.

WW

The Bridge would be a great venue!! Too bad it will NEVER happen.
It was one of the (if not THE) best courses I've ever played.

Sounds to me like good for the Members at WF for standing up and saying no.

They obviously have the best interests of the club at heart.