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.