Mike Trout and Tiger Woods’ Exclusive and Expensive Golf Course Angers Hometown

Back in March of 2023, Angels player Mike Trout and Golf Hall of Famer Tiger Woods made a big announcement. They planned on collaborating to open up a golf course in New Jersey. It’s kind of surprising that Trout would want to build a golf course. I never would’ve guessed that golf would be his kind of thing. But what could go wrong?

Mike Trout’s Surprising Love for Golf

The golf course was designed by Tiger Woods and his firm, TGR Design, along with lead consultant Beau Welling. It was developed by businessman John Ruga and, of course, Mike Trout. It was built in Millville, New Jersey, which is Trout’s hometown. Trout said that he needed a personal “escape”. I understand the feeling, but a whole fancy golf course seems just a bit overboard in my opinion.

Teaming up with Woods on a project was a dream come true for Trout. Despite being famous for being a baseball player, Trout is actually surprisingly passionate about golf. He has maintained a handicap index of 2, which is nothing to sneeze at. Trout is also able to drive the ball over 335 yards. Golf has always been a favorite hobby of his.

A Really Expensive Sanctuary

Another reason this golf course was built is as a nod to Trout’s hometown in Millville. Partially, it’s for nostalgia’s sake, but also, Trout wanted to bring a little more recognition to a town that is generally not too well-known. However, I’m not sure how much of a service this is to the community when only the wealthy can afford to play.

The golf course officially opened on April 15, 2026. The thing about this golf course is that membership is limited to only 227 members, which is a nod to Trout’s jersey number. Estimates for initiation fees were around $500,000 or more. It seems like it’s just an excuse for a bunch of rich and famous athletes to all get together and play golf.

Dishonest Motives?

It’s one thing for a celebrity to want to build something like this for their rich friends. In fact, it’s not uncommon. But this golf course was initially marketed as a hometown project for a working-class community. It was advertised as something that would be great for the area. But now, it will not even be open to the public.

Some defend it by saying that it was too expensive to have ever been a public course. But it seems like it was implied that this would be something for the good of the town. That was kind of a bait-and-switch for what it would really be. An extremely exclusive playground for the rich.

People even say that the brick wall surrounding it looks like a prison. The word “hideous” has been used by people in the community. The area was excited about this golf course and was looking forward to seeing it. But now with these huge walls, they won’t even catch a glimpse of the long-anticipated project.

Bitter Feelings From the Town

If you have a dream, as long as you are not harming yourself or others, it is not wrong to work toward this dream and eventually fulfill it. We all have a dream, and when it motivates us to be hardworking people, that is a good thing. But when someone acts as if they’re doing something for the good of their community when really they just want it for themselves, that’s where it makes people bitter.

I am not sure what the original motive was in building this golf course. But many people in the Millville area feel that they have been wronged by their hometown hero.