Irish company wins main contract to create Trump’s golf resort

chance for local firms to bid on big-money projects as work set to begin at menie estate

By Ryan Crighton

Published:

ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME PROJECT: SOL Golf UK senior engineer Thomas Reilly, left, and contracts manager Esie O’Mahony ready to start work on the Menie Estate. Kami Thomson

North-east businesses will be given a chance to bid for lucrative contracts at Donald Trump’s Aberdeenshire resort after the tycoon moved to start work on the “world’s greatest golf course”.

Cork-based SOL Golf Course Construction has won the main contract to create the championship course at the Menie Estate, at Balmedie.

Big-money contracts for local suppliers, plant-hire firms and labour companies will now be up for grabs as the two-year-long project gets under way.

Mr Trump said last night the deal with the Irish firm was a major coup for the project.

“SOL’s experience of championship links courses is unequalled and their workmanship is second to none,” he said.

“They will do an outstanding job.”

From fairways and bunkers to tees and greens, SOL is now responsible for developing all aspects of the Menie course, including subcontracting parts of the job, as well as finding suppliers and staff.

The firm’s managing director, Michael O’Leary, said up to 100 jobs would be created during the construction of the course.

He said: “We will need local workers, materials and subcontractors for things like plant hire and some landscaping.”

Mr O’Leary spoke to Mr Trump before landing the multimillion-pound contract – and was told he had to create the world’s greatest golf course. “That was his brief,” he said.

“We are delighted to get this contract and it is a once-in-a-lifetime project. The site is magical and the design is flawless.

“We are aiming to have the course ready by July 2012.

“We will make sure this wonderful site gets what it deserves.”

Mr O’Leary’s company has worked on many of the world’s best golf courses and is now involved with various Open Champion- ship courses on behalf of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, in- cluding Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham and St Annes, Muirfield and Royal Birkdale.

The Trump project will allow the firm to resume its successful partnership with Martin Hawtree, who has designed the Aberdeenshire course.

The designer recently worked with the firm on the Portmarnock, Lahinch and Dooks golf courses in Ireland.

Mr Hawtree said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with SOL on this site. SOL has done great work with us in the past on some of the best-known courses in Ireland and Britain.

“Their huge experience of working on links sites makes them very suitable partners on what is undoubtedly one of the most challenging and stimulating golfing projects for very many years.”