For all we know, the direction of Donald Trump’s life might have taken an early turn in high school English class, courtesy of a famous quote by the poet William Blake: “The road to excess leads to the palace of wisdom.” Never mind that some believe Blake was taking a shot at excess, implying that you really can’t know (be wise about) what constitutes appropriate behavior until you cross the line. Be it an obsession with birth certificates, preening for the camera, or an over-the-top glee at faux-firing people, no one would ever accuse the Donald of staying on the discreet side of the line.
Which brings us to The Point Golf Club, the upscale golf community
Some of The Point’s residents fear the road to excess is leading to their own buttoned-up community. But, to be fair, there is no denying that when Trump takes on a golf club or any other property, he puts his money where his mouth is, and in this case, his mouth says he wants The Point; it is therefore unreasonable to assume he is looking to be a passive investor in The Point. (Is there anything passive about The Donald?)
Some of The Point members argue that Trump’s very excessiveness will cause him to raise dues significantly. There is some logic to that, but one could also argue logically that as the quality and reputation of the club at The Point increases, so too will the market values of members’ homes. For the sake of argument, would you rather pay 20% more in dues over time on, say, $10,000 per year, or accept a 10% increase in the value of your $1 million home? You don’t need to work for Donald Trump to figure that one out.
Members will vote later this month on whether to accept Trump's reported $7 million offer. If they think deeply about it, club members may come to reconcile that Trump’s highway of excess could lead to much loftier values for their palaces. And that will make everyone wiser in retrospect.