The Bronx is now home to four golf courses, as the long-awaited course developed by Donald Trump on city-owned land opened Wednesday, and while the views are breathtaking, you'll have to pay a lot if you want to play. NY1's Erin Clarke filed the following report.
A project decades in the making is now a reality: a former landfill turned golf course.
"After 30 years of debate, after 30 years of negotiations, after 30 years of planning, finally, we have the Donald Trump Golf Links here," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
The Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point is a public, 7,400-yard, 18-hole course, characterized by open, undulating surfaces that make for challenging play.
On opening day Wednesday, the tee sheets were filled, with people eager to test the course.
"It looks great," said one golfer.
"It's certainly the best course in the city," said another golfer.
And the most expensive. It'll cost city residents $169 to play at peak times, compared to $48 to shoot a round at the nearby Pelham Bay and Split Rock golf courses. Trump execs say that's because golfers will be getting a better experience, a tournament-quality course with stunning views of the city skyline and Long Island Sound.
"I equate it to a golfer going to an exclusive high-end country club like one of Trump's great golf courses in Durral or Bedminster or in Westchester, where it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to join and $25,000 in dues," said Ron Lieberman, executive vice president of the Trump Organization.
But that's the price of luxury, some golfers say, and they don't seem to mind the cost.
"We don't have to leave the city now to play what's considered a premium golf course," said one golfer.
Not everyone is happy, though. The city built the course for $127 million and agreed that Trump does not have to fork over any revenue for four years. Critics say Trump got a sweetheart deal at terms no other golf course concessionaire enjoys.
"Trump is the one that's going to be making a lot of money, and the taxpayers are the ones that are paying for it," said Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates.
Trump executives and the borough president counter that. They say the course is good for business. It's expected to employ hundreds and draw many from the city and beyond to a borough enjoying a renaissance.