Donald Trump and golf is more than a game. It is a passion." In 1999, Trump opened his first golf course: the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach in Florida. Land for the US$45 million course was acquired through a lawsuit against Palm Beach County, Florida after Trump's purchase of the Mar-a-Lago resort. By 2007, Trump owned 4 courses around the US. Following the financial crisis of 2007–2008, Trump began purchasing existing golf courses and re-designing them. Golf courses owned by Trump hosted the LPGA Tour finale from 2001 to 2008, as well as the 2009 US Junior Amateur and US Junior Girls
Barry Serafin (golf course architect) ratings of Ohio golf courses list 2 Serafin-designed courses (Chapel Hill in Mount Vernon, and The Links at Echo Springs in Johnstown) among 21 in the state with a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.0, the highest in Ohio. There are also 4 Serafin-designed courses (Black Diamond in Millersburg, New Albany Links in New Albany, Reserve Run in Poland, and Foxfire in Lockbourne) among 61 in the state with a Golf Digest rating of 4.0 stars out of 5.0. Four of the 37 courses that BestCourses.com selected for their Best Golf Courses in America list of Ohio courses (out