Donald Trump’s Prestigious Golf Course In Jeopardy As State Authorities Demand Immediate Answers

It’s safe to say that most of us assume that once someone becomes the president, the rules start bending in their favor. That the power comes with a kind of permanent immunity. But that theory is now being tested at Donald Trump‘s Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, which is under intense review by the state authorities. And it has nothing to do with the happenings on the course.

At first glance, business is as usual at Trump National Golf Club. But behind the perfectly polished image of the club, a complex legal battle is unfolding that threatens to disrupt its operations and put its future in jeopardy. New Jersey state authorities are scrutinizing the club’s liquor licenses, raising questions about who truly benefits from the sales and whether the club can continue serving alcohol at all.

The club, owned by President Donald Trump, is under serious review by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control due to the legal shadow cast by Trump’s 34-count conviction for falsifying business records in New York last year. And under New Jersey law, anyone convicted of a crime involving “moral turpitude” is prohibited from holding a liquor license. And that puts Trump’s ability to serve alcohol at the Bedminster club directly in question. This all comes more than a year after the state canceled a planned license-revocation hearing in July 2024, and it’s still unclear whether a new date has been set.

The state has granted a last-minute extension, allowing Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster to sell alcohol for six months while its liquor licenses are being reviewed. But this extension doesn’t come out without strict conditions. “It comes with hefty conditions, though, that require the clubs to put proceeds from liquor sales in an untouched account, separate from the clubs’ other income, and prohibit any members of the LLCs that own the liquor licenses from profiting off the sales,” a state report revealed.

The New Jersey Attorney General confirmed that President Trump was previously determined to be a direct beneficiary of the club’s liquor sales, a key reason the licenses are being scrutinized in the first place. But now, it means that no one in the Trump Organization, including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who run the company, can see a cent from liquor profits during this review period. This has added weight to the state’s restrictions, tightening the financial leash on the organization while the investigation continues. Even so, the permit is valid for only six months and will expire in January 2026 unless the club fully complies with the state’s requirements.

The state has made it clear — if the Trump National Golf Club wants to keep serving liquor past the extension, they need to deliver a full breakdown of the corporate structure, ownership, and beneficiaries of the LLCs holding the licenses. “President Trump’s course and LLCs have until September 30 to provide information about ‘the corporate structure, ownership, and beneficiary interests’ of the club,” officials stated. Failure to do so could lead to a complete revocation of the liquor licenses, a potentially embarrassing and financially damaging blow for the club and the President himself.

Donald Trump’s golf empire

President Trump purchased the 520-acre Bedminster estate in 2002 for under $35 million, acquiring what was then a struggling property that had once belonged to auto magnate John DeLorean. With the help of renowned golf course designers, he transformed the land into a 36-hole luxury golf destination and opened it in 2004. Since then, Trump National Golf Club Bedminster has grown into one of the most prestigious private clubs in the country, known for its exclusivity, manicured fairways, and high-profile guests, including political fundraisers and even presidential events.

But Bedminster is just one piece of a much larger empire. Donald Trump now owns over 20 golf courses across the U.S. and abroad. Just last month, in July 2025, he opened a new course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, expanding his footprint in the UK. And in a notable milestone for next season, Trump’s golf properties will play host to events on both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Tour for the first time in the same year. LIV Golf is set to return to Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C., in Sterling, Virginia, while the PGA Tour is expected to stage an event at Trump National Doral near Miami. This comes after Trump faced a major blow after being turned down by the R&A to host the Open Championship in 2028 at the Turnberry Course.

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