They come for the golf. They come back for the experience.
Now, there’s a line that would make a tourism slogan really sing. If that doesn’t sell it to you, perhaps an endorsement from Paul McGinley will get your attention. He was the host when the Irish Open came to the West Clare village in 2019.
‘Like everyone’s favourite auntie, no-one has a bad word to say about Lahinch.’
In short, it’s a place that knows how to show its visitors a good time. Such a reputation bodes well when your local golf course is deemed suitable by the DP World Tour.
And in 2019, Lahinch received widespread applause for their tournament which attracted 20,000 fans every day, and culminated in a two-stroke victory for Jon Rahm of Spain. That set a high bar for what’s to come over the next couple of weeks in West Clare.
Two prestigious events will be happening at golf courses that are just under 30km apart.
Lahinch is back on stage again to kickstart proceedings with the Walker Cup. Starting on Saturday, 5 September, the biennial amateur tournament will see a team from Great Britain & Ireland take on the United States over two days.
The attention will then quickly shift over to Doonbeg on Thursday, 10 September. The links course at the Trump International Hotel will play host for the Irish Open where some of the biggest names in golf will be competing. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will draw plenty of home support, while the impending arrival of President Donald Trump will spark a divided reaction.
A festival atmosphere is building in both villages, and preparations are ongoing for what they hope will be two memorable weeks in the region.
“We exchanged very cordial emails last week to wish each other well,” says Joe Russell, the managing director at the Trump International Hotel. “So, it’ll be helter-skelter in West Clare.”
2019 Irish Open champion Jon Rahm pictured with Paul McGinley after his victory. Oisin Keniry / INPHO
Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO
****
Lahinch first began expressing an interest to acquire the Walker Cup back in 2015. The event is held every second year, and alternates between venues in the US and Great Britain & Ireland.
The next opportunity was in 2019, but the Royal Liverpool Golf Club got the nod for that. And in 2023, the Walker Cup returned to St Andrew’s to mark the centenary of the event. A decision was then made to move the Walker Cup to avoid a clash with the World Amateur Team Championship.
So, after Cypress Point was appointed as the American hosts in 2025, a Great Britain & Ireland candidate was required for the following year.
Lahinch filled the vacancy with the announcement coming in 2023. As their men’s captain John Gleeson explains, hosting a successful Irish Open in 2019 put them on deck for consideration.
“A very famous Irish Open,” he begins. “People say it was one of the best Irish Opens of all time. Jon Rahm being the winner, the highest-ranked player in the field. Great crowds, wonderful festival atmosphere, the whole village embraced it.
“After that, one or two of us started to think, ‘What might we do next?’ And we refocused our sights on the possibility of the Walker Cup. And so we had a lot of discussions with our friends in the R&A [Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews]over maybe a year.
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“We put together a very elaborate video presentation for them. And I think it’s not unreasonable to say, they were very happy to appoint us.”
It was a similar story for Doonbeg. They made it known that they were keen to take on a similar project.
Over in Scotland, the Aberdeenshire branch of Trump International was the setting of the International Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, and Nexo Championship in 2025. This brought Doonbeg further into focus as their owner looked for opportunities to bring a big golf tournament to Ireland.
The Irish Open was confirmed for Doonbeg in September of last year, but really, the wheels were already in motion. Representatives of the DP World Tour started arriving in the summer to inspect the course, and share their vision for how the tournament would take shape.
Further discussions followed in the new year as the logistics came into view, while engagements with the Clare County Council and An Garda Síochána also came into play.
“Trump has been hosting live tournaments and PGA tournaments in America. And we’re in that sort of fraternity, whereby our time has come,” Russell continues.
“President Trump visited Lahinch in 2019 as well. So, there were a lot of eyes on West Clare at that time too.”
Russell says a crowd of around 80,000 is expected to descend on Doonbeg, while the entry list currently stands at 138 players. Between hotel staff and volunteers, he estimates that between 1,200 and 1,400 people will be working at the tournament throughout the week.
The course has also been closed to the public since 24 August for fine-tuning.
“Our greenkeeping team are working every day, making sure every blade of grass is looking perfect. And that golf course out there at the moment is pretty darn good.
“We’ll have about 40 to 50 volunteers coming in as well to assist the greenkeeping team over the course of the week. And that’s another thing within the industry, you reach out to clubs, and they send greenkeepers to work during tournament week.
“We house them, we feed them, we transport them. They want that experience of having a tournament on their CV.”
The golf course at Lahinch. Oisin Keniry / INPHO
Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO
When the R&A team came to size up Lahinch for the Walker Cup, they were happy to report that no changes were required to bring their venue up to code.
In terms of scale, the Walker Cup is a smaller operation compared with the Irish Open. Lahinch has two teams of 10 players to cater for, while the crowd is capped at 8,000 spectators. But Gleeson outlines the safety challenges that exist within those figures.
“Part of the Walker Cup experience is that people are able to walk the fairways with the players, whereas in a pro event, everything is roped off, and you’re watching from afar.
“We have teams of people with every game, so you have three teams of people with ropes to keep people back from when the player is playing the shot. But that’s as little as five yards away from where the player is. So, very much the ethos of the Walker Cup is the engagement with the people who are watching and supporting.”
****
There is one challenge that is specific to the folks who will be in charge of proceedings at Doonbeg. Not everyone supports the decision to award the Irish Open to a venue which is owned by a polarising political figure like Donald Trump.
Russell says there was a protest at the hotel on St Patrick’s Day where around “20 people turned up on the front gate.”
There is certainly an awareness of the view which objects to any association with Trump.
Donald Trump playing golf at Doonbeg. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“You would see stuff on social media with people putting up some posts. What people don’t know is how good of an organisation it is to work for. I’ve been here 23 years. Our head professional has been here 26 years. The people who work here certainly enjoy working here.”
Russell reflects back to when Trump bought Doonbeg in 2014. The hotel had gone into receivership and was recovering from damage caused by a storm. Neighbouring lands were flooded and Trump arrived a few weeks later and had a conversation with Russell on the 18th green.
“I was looking at the ocean those few days, thinking, ‘Is this thing going to be on top of us all?’ The storm caused significant damage. There were beach stones on our first fairway, which means it crossed one fairway to get in on our first fairway.
“We stood on the 18th Green, and he said, ‘You’ve been through a difficult time. I never realised this place is so beautiful. I’m really going to work on this.’ And over the course of the next few years, that’s exactly what they did.”
Trump is expected to be at Doonbeg for the Irish Open on Saturday 12 September after conducting some business in Dublin. When asked if the hotel is prepared for a hostile reaction upon his arrival, Russell replied:
“We are obviously aware that something may happen, and whatever happens, we have to leave that in the hands of the Gardaí. My responsibility is to what happens within the boundaries.”
*****
Within the wider communities of Lahinch and Doonbeg, local businesses are preparing for a hectic period. It’s coming at a great time too as the summer trade starts to taper off. To borrow the local parlance: come for the golf. Stay for the experience.
Clare is a county that is renowned for its love of music, and both John Gleeson and Joe Russell report that live tunes are scheduled in the local pubs over the two weeks.
Naturally, Trump International is sold out for the duration of the Irish Open, but the other local accommodation suppliers are happy to take in visitors as well.
Doonbeg is ready to host the Irish Open. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“The local community formed a subcommittee, and they have a village festival taking place that week,” says Russell. “There is a QR code, which shows the music and the type of events that they have organised over the course of the week. The pubs and restaurants and a lot of private houses and a lot of hotels are all full.
“We have buses that go up and down on a regular basis every night, taking people up and down to the restaurants and the pubs in the village.”
Paul McGinley’s love of Lahinch stretches back to 1991 when he won the South of Ireland Championship, which is held there every year. He was back to celebrate their 125th anniversary in 2017, and put the work in to secure the Irish Open for their course two years later. To paraphrase his description, there’s a family connection there.
And now another chapter awaits over the next two weeks in Lahinch.
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'Our time has come' - Spotlight falls on West Clare golf clubs for two prestigious tournaments
AROUND LAHINCH, THEY have a saying:
They come for the golf. They come back for the experience.
Now, there’s a line that would make a tourism slogan really sing. If that doesn’t sell it to you, perhaps an endorsement from Paul McGinley will get your attention. He was the host when the Irish Open came to the West Clare village in 2019.
‘Like everyone’s favourite auntie, no-one has a bad word to say about Lahinch.’
In short, it’s a place that knows how to show its visitors a good time. Such a reputation bodes well when your local golf course is deemed suitable by the DP World Tour.
And in 2019, Lahinch received widespread applause for their tournament which attracted 20,000 fans every day, and culminated in a two-stroke victory for Jon Rahm of Spain. That set a high bar for what’s to come over the next couple of weeks in West Clare.
Two prestigious events will be happening at golf courses that are just under 30km apart.
Lahinch is back on stage again to kickstart proceedings with the Walker Cup. Starting on Saturday, 5 September, the biennial amateur tournament will see a team from Great Britain & Ireland take on the United States over two days.
The attention will then quickly shift over to Doonbeg on Thursday, 10 September. The links course at the Trump International Hotel will play host for the Irish Open where some of the biggest names in golf will be competing. Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will draw plenty of home support, while the impending arrival of President Donald Trump will spark a divided reaction.
A festival atmosphere is building in both villages, and preparations are ongoing for what they hope will be two memorable weeks in the region.
“We exchanged very cordial emails last week to wish each other well,” says Joe Russell, the managing director at the Trump International Hotel. “So, it’ll be helter-skelter in West Clare.”
****
Lahinch first began expressing an interest to acquire the Walker Cup back in 2015. The event is held every second year, and alternates between venues in the US and Great Britain & Ireland.
The next opportunity was in 2019, but the Royal Liverpool Golf Club got the nod for that. And in 2023, the Walker Cup returned to St Andrew’s to mark the centenary of the event. A decision was then made to move the Walker Cup to avoid a clash with the World Amateur Team Championship.
So, after Cypress Point was appointed as the American hosts in 2025, a Great Britain & Ireland candidate was required for the following year.
Lahinch filled the vacancy with the announcement coming in 2023. As their men’s captain John Gleeson explains, hosting a successful Irish Open in 2019 put them on deck for consideration.
“A very famous Irish Open,” he begins. “People say it was one of the best Irish Opens of all time. Jon Rahm being the winner, the highest-ranked player in the field. Great crowds, wonderful festival atmosphere, the whole village embraced it.
“After that, one or two of us started to think, ‘What might we do next?’ And we refocused our sights on the possibility of the Walker Cup. And so we had a lot of discussions with our friends in the R&A [Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews] over maybe a year.
“We put together a very elaborate video presentation for them. And I think it’s not unreasonable to say, they were very happy to appoint us.”
It was a similar story for Doonbeg. They made it known that they were keen to take on a similar project.
Over in Scotland, the Aberdeenshire branch of Trump International was the setting of the International Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, and Nexo Championship in 2025. This brought Doonbeg further into focus as their owner looked for opportunities to bring a big golf tournament to Ireland.
The Irish Open was confirmed for Doonbeg in September of last year, but really, the wheels were already in motion. Representatives of the DP World Tour started arriving in the summer to inspect the course, and share their vision for how the tournament would take shape.
Further discussions followed in the new year as the logistics came into view, while engagements with the Clare County Council and An Garda Síochána also came into play.
“Trump has been hosting live tournaments and PGA tournaments in America. And we’re in that sort of fraternity, whereby our time has come,” Russell continues.
“President Trump visited Lahinch in 2019 as well. So, there were a lot of eyes on West Clare at that time too.”
Russell says a crowd of around 80,000 is expected to descend on Doonbeg, while the entry list currently stands at 138 players. Between hotel staff and volunteers, he estimates that between 1,200 and 1,400 people will be working at the tournament throughout the week.
The course has also been closed to the public since 24 August for fine-tuning.
“Our greenkeeping team are working every day, making sure every blade of grass is looking perfect. And that golf course out there at the moment is pretty darn good.
“We’ll have about 40 to 50 volunteers coming in as well to assist the greenkeeping team over the course of the week. And that’s another thing within the industry, you reach out to clubs, and they send greenkeepers to work during tournament week.
“We house them, we feed them, we transport them. They want that experience of having a tournament on their CV.”
When the R&A team came to size up Lahinch for the Walker Cup, they were happy to report that no changes were required to bring their venue up to code.
In terms of scale, the Walker Cup is a smaller operation compared with the Irish Open. Lahinch has two teams of 10 players to cater for, while the crowd is capped at 8,000 spectators. But Gleeson outlines the safety challenges that exist within those figures.
“Part of the Walker Cup experience is that people are able to walk the fairways with the players, whereas in a pro event, everything is roped off, and you’re watching from afar.
“We have teams of people with every game, so you have three teams of people with ropes to keep people back from when the player is playing the shot. But that’s as little as five yards away from where the player is. So, very much the ethos of the Walker Cup is the engagement with the people who are watching and supporting.”
****
There is one challenge that is specific to the folks who will be in charge of proceedings at Doonbeg. Not everyone supports the decision to award the Irish Open to a venue which is owned by a polarising political figure like Donald Trump.
Russell says there was a protest at the hotel on St Patrick’s Day where around “20 people turned up on the front gate.”
There is certainly an awareness of the view which objects to any association with Trump.
“You would see stuff on social media with people putting up some posts. What people don’t know is how good of an organisation it is to work for. I’ve been here 23 years. Our head professional has been here 26 years. The people who work here certainly enjoy working here.”
Russell reflects back to when Trump bought Doonbeg in 2014. The hotel had gone into receivership and was recovering from damage caused by a storm. Neighbouring lands were flooded and Trump arrived a few weeks later and had a conversation with Russell on the 18th green.
“I was looking at the ocean those few days, thinking, ‘Is this thing going to be on top of us all?’ The storm caused significant damage. There were beach stones on our first fairway, which means it crossed one fairway to get in on our first fairway.
“We stood on the 18th Green, and he said, ‘You’ve been through a difficult time. I never realised this place is so beautiful. I’m really going to work on this.’ And over the course of the next few years, that’s exactly what they did.”
Trump is expected to be at Doonbeg for the Irish Open on Saturday 12 September after conducting some business in Dublin. When asked if the hotel is prepared for a hostile reaction upon his arrival, Russell replied:
“We are obviously aware that something may happen, and whatever happens, we have to leave that in the hands of the Gardaí. My responsibility is to what happens within the boundaries.”
*****
Within the wider communities of Lahinch and Doonbeg, local businesses are preparing for a hectic period. It’s coming at a great time too as the summer trade starts to taper off. To borrow the local parlance: come for the golf. Stay for the experience.
Clare is a county that is renowned for its love of music, and both John Gleeson and Joe Russell report that live tunes are scheduled in the local pubs over the two weeks.
Naturally, Trump International is sold out for the duration of the Irish Open, but the other local accommodation suppliers are happy to take in visitors as well.
“The local community formed a subcommittee, and they have a village festival taking place that week,” says Russell. “There is a QR code, which shows the music and the type of events that they have organised over the course of the week. The pubs and restaurants and a lot of private houses and a lot of hotels are all full.
“We have buses that go up and down on a regular basis every night, taking people up and down to the restaurants and the pubs in the village.”
Paul McGinley’s love of Lahinch stretches back to 1991 when he won the South of Ireland Championship, which is held there every year. He was back to celebrate their 125th anniversary in 2017, and put the work in to secure the Irish Open for their course two years later. To paraphrase his description, there’s a family connection there.
And now another chapter awaits over the next two weeks in Lahinch.
And Doonbeg.
And West Clare.
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anticipation Doonbeg Golf Club Irish Open Golf Lahinch Golf Club Walker Cup West Clare Golf