Doonbeg another gem in Ireland’s golfing crown

By Charlie Mulqueen TWELVE months ago, Greg Norman came to Doonbeg to open the much publicised and often controversial links that he designed at Doughmore Bay.

It was a memorable time for the people of this remote part of West Clare, both for those who were able to find bountiful employment where only a short time previously there was no hope of any at all, and for those who knew or cared little about golf but delighted at seeing such a grandiose plan come to fruition in an area heretofore derogatively referred to as "the middle of nowhere."

The building of the golf course, however, was only part of the battle. To make this hugely expensive project viable, the need was for the creation of an hotel, housing and all the other amenities so essential to make it all attractive to would be members and visitors. So, a year on, I recently revisited Doonbeg to see how the links had developed in that time and if there was any movement where the other amenities were concerned.

What I discovered will bring joy to those who supported the development through the dark days and there were many of those as the years went by with the course now settling down as everybody hoped it would and plans for the clubhouse, housing, hotel etc. well advanced.

The first thing that strikes you on arrival at the beautifully decorated house that at present serves as a clubhouse is the warm welcome forthcoming from everybody.

True, it's the kind of service anybody paying a green fee of 150 is entitled to expect but being nice seems to come naturally and easily to these people.

Golf director and professional Brian Shaw is an out and out Dubliner who, however, has quickly learned how to love the people of Doonbeg, Kilmurry and the rest of West Clare. Brian and Kyra (nee Donworth) have set up home in nearby Lahinch and have, if you like, become more Clare than the Clare people themselves. His pride in what is happening at Doonbeg is readily apparent and as we play the course, he points out what has been done here and there and what needs to be done in the future until such time as the course has reached the peak always intended and demanded for it by those well heeled Americans who deemed the site ideal for a project of this magnitude.

In truth, it's a relatively easy task for Shaw to expound on the virtues of Doonbeg. Very cleverly, Norman situated the first tee at one of the highest points of the property from which your vista ranges to the broad and majestic Atlantic to the left and ahead to the majestic duneland, the rumpled fairways and greens of a magnificent golf course.

The first hole, a par five of 567 yards from the back tees, is one of the finest openers imaginable. It boasts so many features, not least the little pot bunker located in the middle of the fairway 63 yards from the centre of the green. Don't moan if you get in there, the trap is visible from wherever you are playing your second shot. The green itself is located at the bottom of towering dunes which create a fabulous amphitheatre affect and if you walk off here with a birdie (and it is a reasonable proposition) then you are set up for a great round of golf.

To be honest, it IS necessary to strike the ball well at Doonbeg. It's a tough golf course, riddled with bunkers artfully built by greens superintendent Jim McKenna and his staff, there are some stiff carries from the tees and the greens are heavily contoured (some would say too much so) in parts. This time last year, I felt it was just a tad too difficult but it is now apparent that people who mattered at Doonbeg also felt that way. Now much of the ferocious rough that fringed the fairways has been cut back and I think I can fairly state that it is now a player friendly course.

It probably will take the bones of five hours for a fourball to get around but I advise you to plan your visit for a day when you have all the time in the world to enjoy the entire scenario. Stand on tees like the 6th., 9th and 18th with the Atlantic breakers surging on to the beach a few yards away and soak in all its glory. Sometimes you wonder why Americans come to places like Lahinch, Ballybunion, Waterville and now Doonbeg. Present yourself with the kinds of panoramas I rejoiced in at Doughmore Bay and you understand more readily their passion for golf on the west coast of Ireland! There are many great holes on the course. Few will ever forget the 14th, the little par three of 111 yards where it's the green or nothing. If it's the latter, don't worry, just take in the vista and it will make you forget your golfing miseries. From there home, this is serious golf. The 15th isn't to everybody's liking because you drive across the 5th fairway although for the life of me, I don't see what the problem is. Once again, the green site here is an absolute gem, even if Brian Shaw did strike the one inhospitable moment of our visit by holing a 30-footer for birdie when a par with a stroke looked likely to ignite our hopes of at least halving the fourball!

There follows a superb one shotter of 206 yards from an elevated tee and two testing par fours to finish.

As you walk up the 18th, you will feast your eyes on the ocean to the right and look ahead to where the hotel, clubhouse and housing will be built to the rear of the green. An elegant collection of stone-clad and stucco structures reflecting the romantic country architecture of Ireland will house the 15 Lodge Suites, the six Garden House Suites, the seven Norman Suites, the Spa, Golf Shop and the Oceanfront bar and dining areas. All of this should be ready by the spring of 2005 and the word is that 20 of the suites are already spoken for!