GolfDigest Interviewer Rips Through Donald Trump For Short Cut

The power of the pen eh? I have to say I really enjoyed reading this Donald Trump Q&A style interview in Golf Digest by John Barton .  A...

The power of the pen eh? I have to say I really enjoyed reading this Donald Trump Q&A style interview in Golf Digest by John Barton.  And while I dont agree with everything Donald does, you have to hand it to the man, he's box office.  Follow @golfcentraldoc

But the author Barton wasn't about to start licking his ass.

With his relentless, unique brand of trumpological hyperbole, Trump spoke largely about his two favorite topics: golf, and Trump. We avoided some of the lesser Trump topics, like his supposed presidential ambitions. And his hair.

He let Donald big himself up.

Were you self-taught?
Very self-taught. Pretty much a natural golfer. I've won a lot of club championships. Anytime I win a club championship, I'm proud of those rounds. Club championships are like our majors.
Note: Trump elaborates here about how well he performs under pressure while lesser men wither away, followed by a bit of trademark trumposity: He says, "This is off the record," then tells me a self-aggrandizing anecdote.
Your lowest round?
Well, I've shot numerous times in the 60s, but I have the club record for an amateur at my course in Palm Beach, which is a world-class course, with a rating of 155.
What's the score?
Er, 66. From the blues. That's from not all the way back, but it's from the blues, so that's pretty good.

Then took him down a notch over the renamed Trump Turnberry.

I saw somebody on your Twitter feed (@realDonaldTrump) said to you, don't mess it up.
And I said, don't worry about it. I will not make any changes to the course without the strict approval of the Royal & Ancient.
You're rebranding it Trump Turnberry. Could you say a little bit about that?
Right, so my brand is a very hot brand...
What does your brand stand for?
It stands for quality and luxury. If I didn't use my name, Turnberry would not be nearly as successful as it can be. This isn't an ego thing; this is business. I've got the hottest brand in the world.
At this point, a somewhat fractious exchange ensues. One Trump tactic is to cite unnamed sources who agree with him. At a press conference in July, for instance, when asked about renaming Turnberry, Trump said: "I actually asked some people that are very important in Scotland, although I won't get them in trouble by saying their name, but I've spoken to very important and very powerful political people, and I said, 'What do you think of the idea of Trump Turnberry?' Everyone said that they would love it."
I decide to employ a bit of trumpery on Trump by citing unnamed sources who disagree with him. I tell him that I asked people in the golf industry what they think the Trump brand stands for, and offer an example of one that was less than flattering.
Trump bristles. He demands to know the source. He says, "If you put that in, it's no longer a good story, it's not even a fair story" and adds that the unnamed person is "gutless" for not going on the record. Trump says, "There is nobody more aesthetic than me."

Then in round 12, with Donald's legs buckling the interviewer brought up the subject of Michael Forbes.

What about Michael Forbes—how's he doing?
Forbes is a farmer who lives on 23 acres of land that he owns on the Trump estate. Forbes refused to bow to enormous pressure from Team Trump to sell and move on. He has lived there for 45 years and says he will never sell. In 2012, Forbes was named "Top Scot" at the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.
Look, I don't even know what he looks like. But he fought and lost. I had two people that fought me, really, three people. And they're the only ones that get publicity. The hundreds of people that supported me get no publicity. It's very sad.
But he's a hero to a lot of people, because he stood up to you.
Well, he lost.
He was David to your Goliath. He stood up to the playground bully.
I don't know why he's a hero. He lost. If you met him, you wouldn't think he's a hero.
I wonder if you have a sneaking admiration for him, because he didn't fold.
No, I don't have admiration for ... for what? Look, he is somebody who fought me and lost. And, by the way, his place is nowhere near my golf course. I didn't even need his property. My people made a deal with him twice, to sell, and he broke the deal. He wanted more money. I think I've done a great service for Scotland, and a lot of people are giving me credit for it.

The full interview is here. It's a must read.