bought the 520-acre property, which included the estate of automaker John Z. De Lorean, for less than $35 million in 2002. It was previously known as Lamington Farm and the site of a foundering golf course construction project. The 36-hole club was designed by golf course architects Tom Fazio and Tom Fazio II. The first course opened in 2004. Membership in the club costs at the most $300,000 In 2005, Golf Magazine ranked it at #73 in the United States and #84 by Golf Digest for 2005 and 2006. For tax purposes, The Trump Organization secured a classification of the Bedminster course and the Trump course in Colts Neck as farmland. For that purpose, part of the acreage at Bedminster is used for growing hay and raising eight goats. The Wall Street Journal estimated that the use of the property tax exemption for farmland reduced the tax bill on the two golf courses from $80,000 to less than $1,000. The director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club said that Trump was "hiding behind a farmland assessment to get a massive tax break on a golf course." The club hosted the wedding of Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, in October 2009.
In November 2016, after Trump's presidential election, the property was used to host meetings for the Donald Trump presidential transition. Representative Leonard Lance predicted that the resort could become "Camp David North". In 2017 it became one of the three official presidential residencies, the other two being - at that time - Trump Tower in New York and Mar-a-Lago in Florida. In May 2017, Trump started to use the property for weekend retreats during the summer when Mar-a-Lago is closed for the season. Trump stated that staying at his property in Bedminster is less expensive and disruptive than going to Trump Tower in New York. This made the property the "Summer White House". It is usually used from May to September. In August 2017, the estate was used as a "working vacation" of the President for a duration of 17 days while the White House underwent renovations approved by the Obama administration and overseen by the Trump administration. In August 2018, the estate became again the site of the President's "working vacation" for close to two weeks. Trump went for another "working vacation" at his golf club also in August 2019 while the White House underwent some fix ups. White House staffers receive the same discounts as club members at the Club's pro shop, an arrangement that was flagged as "absolutely wrong" by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Security issues
Due to security concerns, flight restrictions are imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration within a 30-mile radius during Trump's stays at his golf club. Restrictions affect 19 airports in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, among them two airports that have to close down completely because they are within a 10 mile-radius, namely Solberg Airport in Readington, New Jersey and Somerset Airport in Bedminster, New Jersey. Additionally, Academy of Model Aviation Clubs cannot fly model airplanes in this same 30-mile radius. With the official designation as an official residence of Trump, Congress appropriated up to $41 million for its security costs in the time between inauguration and October 1, 2017.
Trump Mausoleum
In 2015, Trump received the approval to build a family cemetery at the estate that would include a classical mausoleum. Trump indicated that he wants to be buried at the Bedminster golf course.
