--- description: Donald Trump may say he doesn't believe the science of climate change, but he's hoping to protect one of his Irish golf courses from it title: Trump Calls Climate Change a Hoax, But Worries It Could Hurt His Golf Course image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt18c43e1d392ea0d1/69889474bc6cfca1b93dd19e/gettyimages-482353796.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Donald Trump](/tag/donald-trump/) ## Donald Trump Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Donald Trump Calls Climate Change a Hoax, but Worries It Could Hurt His Golf Course by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 23, 2016 7:59 PM CUT  Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump drives a golf buggy during his visits to his Scottish golf course Turnberry on July 30, 2015 in Ayr, Scotland. Jeff J Mitchell—Getty Images Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump drives a golf buggy during his visits to his Scottish golf course Turnberry on July 30, 2015 in Ayr, Scotland. Jeff J Mitchell—Getty ImagesJeff J Mitchell—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 23, 2016 7:59 PM CUT Presumptive nominee Donald Trump [may say he doesn’t believe](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385?lang=en "undefined") the science of climate change, but he’s hoping to [protect one of his Irish golf courses from its effects](http://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-acknowledges-climate-change-at-his-irish-golf-course/ "undefined"). The Trump International Hotel in Ireland applied for a permit to build a seawall on its golf course to prevent erosion. [Politico](http://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-acknowledges-climate-change-at-his-irish-golf-course/ "undefined") reports the permit application included an environmental-impact statement that explicitly said the wall would need to be built to combat “global warming and its effects.” The golf course is located at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland, in County Clare. Trump has repeatedly called global warming a “hoax” causing climate scientists and activists to worry what a potential Donald Trump presidency could mean for their work. > [](https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/265895292191248385) But the environmental-impact statement cited in the Trump Hotel’s application relies on facts about global warming presented by governmental scientists. The statement cites an Irish study that says erosion will continue at a steady rate through 2050\. “If the predictions of an increase in sea level rise as a result of global warming prove correct, however, it is likely that there will be a corresponding increase in coastal erosion rates not just in Doughmore Bay but around much of the coastline of Ireland,” the statement reads. \[[Politico](http://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-acknowledges-climate-change-at-his-irish-golf-course/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4345367/donald-trump-climate-change-golf-course/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4345367/donald-trump-climate-change-golf-course/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Calls Climate Change a Hoax, but Worries It Could Hurt His Golf Course","datePublished":"2016-05-23T19:59:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T17:46:34.457Z","description":"Trump wants to protect his Irish golf course from the impacts of climate change","url":"https://time.com/4345367/donald-trump-climate-change-golf-course/","keywords":["Donald Trump","2016 Election topic","climate change","2016 Republicans"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt18c43e1d392ea0d1/69889474bc6cfca1b93dd19e/gettyimages-482353796.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt18c43e1d392ea0d1/69889474bc6cfca1b93dd19e/gettyimages-482353796.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Visits His Scottish Golf Course","caption":"Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Visits His Scottish Golf Course","creditText":"Jeff J Mitchell—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4345367/donald-trump-climate-change-golf-course/","name":"Donald Trump Calls Climate Change a Hoax, but Worries It Could Hurt His Golf Course"}}]}] ```