Palm Beach County Weighs Trump West Palm Beach Golf Retreat Plan

Palm Beach County commissioners have directed staff to begin talks on a proposal to turn Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach into a Camp David-style “U.S. Presidential Golf Course,” the Palm Beach Post reported on September 21. The land under the club belongs to the county, which makes the county the landlord in any deal.

Why it matters

The club sits on county-leased ground, an arrangement that grew out of a settlement of an earlier lawsuit tied to Palm Beach International Airport. Any presidential lodging, security build-out or federal use would therefore need county sign-off, not just a private owner’s decision.

Trump’s attorney, Harvey Oyer, pitched the plan as a gift. The Trump Organization would pay for construction and provide the facilities at no cost to the federal government, working with the General Services Administration and the Secret Service on lodging design.

The numbers

No dollar figures, acreage or lease terms have been confirmed in the reporting we could verify, and no construction cost has been published. The commission has not voted. The only firm milestone is that staff will start formal discussions.

Commissioner Maria Sachs backed the idea, saying it “will bring global leaders to our county, which will be very positive.” Commissioner Joel Flores wants answers on costs and flight-pattern impacts. Commissioner Gregg Weiss wants a lease extension and more detail before proceeding.

What’s next

County staff will negotiate terms and return to the commission, which makes the final call. The Post reported the facility is unlikely to be finished before Trump leaves office.

Watch for a commission agenda item covering any lease amendment or a lease with a federal agency, plus airport flight-pattern review. Developers and contractors tracking South Florida public-land deals should read the lease language when it is posted, since term length and federal-tenant provisions will decide whether the plan is financeable.