Doonbeg will bring Irish Open headaches but they'll be worth it

West Clare will feel like golf central this time next year with the Walker Cup and the Amgen Irish Open being staged in the area - and that will present its own issues

ON A CLARE DAY: General views of the Trump International golf resort in Doonbeg. The resort employs over 200 local people in the area and the village. Pic: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

IRISH Open organisers know they are facing a logistical headache to make Doonbeg in west Clare a spectator-friendly renewal next year.

The DP World Cup confirmed Wednesday that the Donald-Trump owned resort course will become the sixth links track to host an Irish Open in the last twelve years in September – but that will present its own traffic, access and egress issues to the links, which is located just outside Doonbeg village.

Much like the Old Head of Kinsale would make a picture perfect Irish Open venue only for its isolated headland location and limited scope for parking, special arrangements will need to be made to bus spectators in and out of Doonbeg next year.

That may put a cap on daily numbers, but nevertheless, the confirmation from organisers is a massive boon for tourism and visitor numbers in the mid west, with the always-possible extra carrot of a drop-in visit from the US president and resort owner.

The Irish Open will be played only a week after the 51st renewal of the Walker Cup at nearby Lahinch golf club, which has undergone a sympathetic restoration by Martin Hawtree in recent years and which continues to be a massive draw for American and Asian tourists.

Opened in 2002, the Doonbeg links resort was bought by President Trump in 2014. It has been developed into a five-star stay and play location, with hotel and generous Lodge accommodation on site.

The Sept 10-13 Amgen Irish Open's new venue was confirmed as part of the 2026 DP World Tour's schedule, which features 42 tournaments in 25 countries. Like the British Masters, BMW PGA Championship and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Irish Open will again form ‘The Back 9 in the run-up to the season-ending tour play-offs.

The schedule will once again comprise three distinct phases, beginning with five ‘Global Swings’ followed by the ‘Back 9’, with the season then culminating with the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’ in November 2026.

Members will compete for a record total prize fund of $157.5 million (outside the Major Championships) on golf’s global Tour next season.

The Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship, the first tournament on the European Swing, will take place from May 7-10 at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona.

It is a new event on the 2026 schedule following the agreement announced earlier this summer that the 2031 Ryder Cup will be played at Camiral in Catalunya, owned by Irish business man Denis O’Brien.

The Genesis Scottish Open, at the Renaissance Club from July 9-12, will once again be co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR and is one of five Rolex Series events on the 2026 global schedule, along with: the Hero Dubai Desert Classic (January 22-25), the BMW PGA Championship (September 17-20) and the two Play-Off events, the Abu Dhabi Championship (November 5-8) and DP World Tour Championship (November 12-15), where the 2026 Race to Dubai Champion will be crowned.