By: Dwayne Twickley
Members of President Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf clubs may soon find themselves without access to an afternoon cocktail.
According to an article in the Washington Post, the Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck, NJ received a letter from New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal dated October 21 saying that they are seeking to revoke the club’s liquor license. The letter is in response to a fatal crash on August 30, 2015, in which an intoxicated guest named Andrew G. Halder left the club and got into a car accident that killed his father. The club being accused of overserving Halder, saying that he appeared to be intoxicated but was still served alcoholic beverages.
Halder was approximately four miles from the Colts Neck golf club with his father as his passenger when his car flipped on a highway ramp. His father died after being transported to the hospital. The Post notes that that Halder’s blood alcohol levels were above the limit. He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in 2018 and has been sentenced to three years of probation.
In the letter, the Attorney General says that the club was also in violation of its liquor license by selling alcoholic beverages other than beer on drink carts on the course.
As per New Jersey state law, Trump would lose the liquor license at all three of the golf clubs in the state if they successfully make the case at the Colts Neck club. This could include the Bedminster club, which Trump frequents over the summer. The revocation would be in effect for two years, and would surely cause a huge dent in the Trump Organization’s overall revenue.
The Post spoke to Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association, who reiterated how critical the revenue is from alcohol. “Could it be done? Sure. In theory, yes. But it would be really, really hard,” he told the Post, adding that without a liquor license, “people would look elsewhere to play.”
The Washington Post does note that Trump International does have a month to challenge the Attorney General; if the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control revokes their license, they can head to court and ask for the license to be restored in two years.
The Attorney General’s office declined to comment to the Washington Post, as did the Trump Organization.
