The White House said on Wednesday that the US government had requested a study into the possibility of converting part of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, into a permanent presidential resort for future US presidents and foreign leaders and to host international summits, in a project modelled on the historic role of Camp David.
Land inside Trump club allocated for presidential base
The plan is part of efforts by 80-year-old US President Donald Trump, during his second term, to reshape presidential facilities outside Washington. It calls for a plot of land inside the private club to become an official residence for presidents during holidays in Florida, where Trump spends most weekends playing golf.
The proposal was submitted by lawyer Harvey Oyer on behalf of the Trump club to the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners. It seeks to grant the federal government a plot of county-owned land on which the golf course stands, alongside a commitment from Trump to cover all construction costs for the presidential residence and its associated facilities.
Under the proposal, construction would not be completed before Trump leaves office, making the project a “gift” to his successors. Future presidents would be offered free club memberships, while the rest of the property would remain a private golf course operated by Trump’s family company, allowing it to benefit from the expected additional commercial activity.
Palm Beach County reviews request and gate details
Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said local authorities were treating the request seriously and were discussing it with the General Services Administration. He added that Trump representatives had told county officials during a meeting last week that the Trump company would continue paying rent on the land occupied by the course, and that the proposed presidential resort would have a separate gate from the private club entrance.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in a text message that the planned facilities would provide world-class amenities and services, along with heightened security measures. In this context, he referred to the conviction of gunman Ryan Routh for attempting to assassinate Trump in September 2024 at the same golf course.
The official said the property was minutes from Donald J. Trump International Airport, which state officials named after the president earlier this year, along with the road running alongside it. The site also has no high-rise buildings or neighbouring residential areas and is close to law-enforcement agencies, factors the official described as essential when choosing a location for a presidential resort.
Comparing the proposed resort with prominent presidential sites
No official name has yet been set for the proposed presidential facility, while the Trump Organisation did not comment on the plan. Trump’s lawyer compared the project with Camp David in the United States, Windsor Castle in Britain and France’s Élysée Palace, saying it would strengthen Palm Beach County’s position among globally recognised destinations and brands.
The proposal reflects Trump’s preference for spending holidays at his private courses in Florida and New Jersey rather than at Camp David in Maryland. Trump visited the traditional retreat only a handful of times during his two presidential terms and had previously suggested that the site’s rural character lost its appeal after about half an hour.
Camp David’s history and proposals for presidential residences
Camp David dates back to President Franklin Roosevelt, who established the site as a complex for federal employees called “Shangri-La”, before President Dwight Eisenhower renamed it after his father and grandson. Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the richest woman in the United States, also bequeathed the Mar-a-Lago estate to the federal government in 1973 after her death to serve as a “Winter White House”.
But the National Park Service returned Mar-a-Lago to Post’s heirs because of the high cost of maintaining it, before Trump bought it in 1985. The Trump International Golf Club opened in 1999 after the settlement of a lawsuit related to planes flying over Mar-a-Lago and the leasing of the land to Trump.
The resort’s creation could expand Trump’s presence in Palm Beach, which has shifted towards the “MAGA” movement and attracted his supporters and people hoping to see him.
