Trump golf course damaged protected dunes in Scotland
- Zachary Basu, author of Axios Sneak Peek

Donald Trump plays a round of golf at the opening of The Trump International Golf Links Course on July 10, 2012 in Balmedie, Scotland. Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Construction at Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, Scotland, has done considerable damage to a protected system of dunes since the course opened in 2012, reports The Guardian.
The big picture: The report is based on documents obtained by LSE's Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment via an open records request, which show the area may lose its status as a "site of special scientific interest." In order to gain approval for construction, President Trump promised in 2008 to protect the site as much as possible and claimed the land would be "environmentally enhanced and better than it was before.”