Golfers at Trump International near Balmedie will now be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage while playing on the recently opened second course.

US President Donald Trump officially opened the new course at his Menie Estate in July.

But, course bosses applied to Aberdeenshire Council to ensure alcohol could be sold and served across the new fairway and its halfway house.

They sought to add the new facilities to the existing premises licence, which covers the Dune Clubhouse and original golf course.

It also includes using a roving golf cart to sell alcohol to players around the green.

The application recently went before the Aberdeenshire Licensing Board for consideration.

Standard licensing rules across the region allow the sale of alcohol from 10am.

But Trump was looking to add one extra hour for the halfway house and serve alcohol from 9am instead.

Solicitor Tony Dawson told the board there was “good reason” for the request.

He explained: “Both courses are open at 7am, and by the time 9am comes around on the second course, players will be at or around the halfway house.

“They are perhaps looking for food and a drink to see them on their merry way around the new course, which has had incredibly positive reviews and is very popular.”

Mr Dawson described the recently opened halfway house as a “big, very fancy bothy”.

“It’s got an outside area at the back for people to sit, same as the Dunes Clubhouse, and it’s not nearly such a big operation,” he added.

“While the Dunes has a pro shop, restaurant and changing facilities, there’s nothing like that at the halfway house.

“It’s just a stopover place to allow people to refresh and move forward,” Mr Dawson said.

The solicitor argued the additional hour was needed for the “incredibly famous” Trump resort due to its “significant amount of members” and “massive demand from all over the world”.

Councillors granted the extra time, saying it would be beneficial for both local and visiting golfers.

Board member Dawn Black said: “It makes absolute sense to have that so they can provide good services to their members and visitors.”

Fellow councillor Geoff Crowson agreed, but wanted to ensure this would just be a one-off.

He explained the board was granting the change due to the “tourism factor” and added: “We wouldn’t want to set a precedent where any other places think that they could get the extra hour for any other reason.”

Trump wanted permission to allow golfers to enjoy their drinks outside after 10pm.

However, Mr Dawson was quick to stress that there would be no alcohol served after this time.

“If somebody wants to go out and have a smoke and take their drink outside to finish it, that is all that we’re really wanting,” he said.

“This does happen on occasion when in summer, people will want to go outside, finish their drink and then they depart.”

Ms Black queried whether doing this would create a noise nuisance to neighbours nearby.

However, she was told the nearest property was around half a mile away, so there would be no threat of disturbance.

Members later agreed to allow outdoor drinking until the existing 1am premises licence, but only at the terrace behind the Dunes Clubhouse.

Meanwhile, two policies involving children and young people were removed.

This move was made to ensure youngsters can still visit and play on the Balmedie course, despite it being an outdoor drinking area.

But the board called for a licensing objective risk assessment to be lodged to prove how youths would be protected from any potential harm.

It is expected to explain how children would be stopped from accessing alcohol on the roving buggy and ensure youth competitions would be booze-free.

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