Balmedie, Scotland

Balmedie is a small seaside town just north of Aberdeen Scotland.  I played golf nearby years ago at the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, just north of the city of Aberdeen, and love this little part of the world.  In Balmedie, Cheeto Jesus built the Cheeto International Golf Links on the coast after the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, overruled local officials and allowed development to begin in 2008.  Cheeto promised $1.25 billion in investment including the golf course, a 450 room hotel, and 950 time share condos.  He ended up only spending $50 million (his people say $125 million), and the project actually lost over $1 million last year.  His grand hotel? He bought a nearby manor house and converted it to a 16 room in.  Officials now admit that Balmedie only got 10 cents on the dollar of economic benefit that was promised.

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