Trump has 2018 Open plan for Doonbeg

Donald Trump yesterday confirmed he has been in touch with the European Tour with a view to staging the Irish Open at his recently acquired links at Doonbeg in West Clare.

But it is unlikely to happen before 2018 as the event has been allocated to Royal Co Down next year and to Lough Erne in 2017 and, as considerable plans on and off the course have to be implemented at Doonbeg, 2016 would almost certainly come a little too early.

However, four years’ time would sit nicely with the billionaire New Yorker’s vision for Doonbeg, now known as Trump International Ireland.

He makes no secret of his intention to spend up to triple the €15m it cost to buy the complex on a sequence of improvements and innovations and he certainly wouldn’t baulk at putting up the kind of money required not only to keep the Irish Open on the European Tour rota but to also provide a purse far in excess of the €2m on offer at Fota Island next month.

“Yes, we have been in contact with the European Tour with a view to staging the Irish Open at Doonbeg,” he said yesterday.

“Their reaction was very positive because the piece of land and the location were so incredible. You’re talking about tremendous frontage on the Atlantic Ocean and it’s going to be a huge success.

“We’re doing it right and making it one of the greatest courses in the world and one of which Ireland will be very proud. We’ll be hosting many things that will bring people to the area and create many jobs.”

It is many peoples’ belief the Irish Open should be staged on one of our great traditional links and while that isn’t always possible nowadays for a variety of reasons, Trump is of a mind to ensure nothing will stand in the way of such a development.

Nor is he deterred by the damage wreaked by the fierce winter storms that washed away a couple of tees and damaged some greens.

The recovery programme, he declares, is well under way under the supervision of renowned British architect Martin Hawtree.

“Everything is being done to the highest possible standards”, stressed Trump. “For instance, we have finished the fifth and sixth greens and people who have been out there are saying it’s incredible.

“We have a wonderful company that happens to come from Ireland, they’ve done a fantastic job. They actually worked on my course in Scotland and that’s why I’m using them here.

“Whenever we get the permits to a certain section, we are doing it to the absolute highest possible standards.

“The overall project will be about a year to total completion.

“We expect when it is finished in the not too distant future that it is going to be something really special.”