Doonbeg - receivers appointed

[Jack_Marr]

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2014/0113/497596-lodge-doonbeg-receivership/

[Joel_Stewart]

Was this owned by the Kiawah ownership and management?

If memory serves me right, Doonbeg has been losing money for a long time.

[Bill Gayne]

Trump Ireland would have a nice ring.

[Tim_Weiman]

Jack,

I have never been a fan of Doonbeg, but my favorite moment was stumbling upon Tony Pender's sign "Beware of Bull" which was located near Tony's house and what is now the landing area of the 1st hole.

The bull might be a myth. Tony claimed it was there, but I never saw it or really wanted to find out so I avoided that part of the property.

Supporting the notion that the bull was really a myth was all the sand stolen from the property in the area behind #1 green. If there was really a nasty bull, how was all that sand stolen.

Who knows!

[john_stiles]

Hope it finds an owner.

Played it once, before the resort/hotel opened and it was fine.  I would return.

Though my partner and I found the green playing in only a 1-2 club wind,   I could see how that par 3 cut into the dune would be difficult in the long run. It was a wet year and everything but the large green was very high grass on steep slopes.

Was the green ever enlarged or a bail out area created ?

I never understood the large hotel being built.  

[Tim_Weiman]

Hope it finds an owner.

Played it once, before the resort/hotel opened and it was fine.  I would return.

Though my partner and I found the green playing in only a 1-2 club wind,   I could see how that par 3 cut into the dune would be difficult in the long run. It was a wet year and everything but the large green was very high grass on steep slopes.

Was the green ever enlarged or a bail out area created ?

I never understood the large hotel being built.  

John,

Me neither, but they thought Americans would like it.

[BCrosby]

As with many troubled US developments, the second (or perhaps third) owner will make a go of it.

Bob

[Dan Moore]

The infrastructure was a bit over the top but over two rounds in 2011 I found the course scenic, quirky and fun, and Guinness perfectly poured.  I didn't stay at the lodge as we preferred the coziness of a nearby B&B.  A very nice place to stop between Lahinch and Ballybunion.

[Jack_Marr]

Donald Trump could be in the running to buy Doonbeg...

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/us-property-mogul-donald-trump-in-running-to-buy-doonbeg-golf-club-for-15m-29998897.html

[Adrian_Stiff]

Remote Irish courses are rarely spoken about at my club. The only names I hear are on the southern coast or the RCD or Portrush. Britts like Ireland but remote Ireland ie West coast is not on much radar. I think in this case even the second mouse wont get cheese.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Remote Irish courses are rarely spoken about at my club. The only names I hear are on the southern coast or the RCD or Portrush. Britts like Ireland but remote Ireland ie West coast is not on much radar. I think in this case even the second mouse wont get cheese.

Adrian,

Doonbeg is a 20 minutes drive from Lahinch.

I’m not surprised that remote Irish courses don’t get discussed much in the South West of England. My own belief – partly conjecture, partly backed up by figures – is that the West and North West of Ireland is the one true growth area regarding golf tourism on the island… And that the UK are the biggest under developed market when it comes to promoting those areas.

Ally

[Adrian_Stiff]

Ally

I don't really know where Lahinch is exactly. My knowledge of those courses location is next to zero, there has not been much promotion of that West and North bit of Southern Ireland (if that makes sense), in magazines or articles. I pretty much only know what I have learned from this site. I had not even heard of Carne. They all look great golf but all see a very a long way to get too and I know from booking parties, they grunt a bit at 20 minutes. I know we can fly into Knock from Bristol, but how far are these courses away from that airport, parties like to have a base and drive to one each day.

Remote is a non-starter from UK people. Different story for Americans.

[Tony_Muldoon]

From what I’ve seen, in summer the South West Coast of Ireland is THE GB&I destination for wealthy ‘mericans who enjoy some very spectacular, and pricey, top notch golf.  Maybe it’s the concentration of venues  but compared to Scottish courses, the Car Parks at Lahinch, BallyB, Tralee and Waterville always seem to have 3 or 4 executive coaches with A/C and TV in them.  And if you want to know where they all played yesterday, then just check out the T shirts.  (Tip - play early).


I could see a Trump venue in the middle doing very well. I dropped in at Doonbeg and they seemed to be trying to run a low key “Irish” venue compared e.g. to The K Club, and that may now change.

This will do nothing to help me afford a return visit to the area.


For you Adrian

http://www.golfadventureguides.com/IrelandGolfSat/

Shannon airport is about an hour from Lahinch/Doonbeg/Ballybunnion.

[Tony_Muldoon]

The link Jack posted above still works but the articl e has been edited.

It's a done deal.

"Ailish O'Hora – 11 February 2014

US property mogul Donald Trump has bought up the five-star Doonbeg lodge and golf club for an estimated €15m.

The billionaire New Yorker, who has a range of golf interests around the world including Scotland, said today: “I am thrilled to announce that we have purchased yet another incredible golf resort, he said.

"Doonbeg is an already terrific property that we will make even better --- it will soon be an unparalleled resort destination with the highest standards of luxury,” said the chairman and president of the Trump Organisation.

It will be rebranded Trump International Golf Links, Ireland.

The Lodge at Doonbeg, consists of 218 hotel suites, an expansive spa and several restaurants all of which will be managed directly by the Trump Hotel Collection, Trump’s award-winning hotel management company"

[Charlie Gallagher]

    I'm never happy to see a golf venue in trouble, even one  I don't particualraly care for like Doonbeg. I've played it twice and it has some outstanding holes. Unfortunately,  it also has some  mediocre ones, where Norman just didn't think it all the way through.  The 12th hole is just plain bad, and 14, for all it's beauty, has a ridiculously small green given the wind that prevails off the sea. The first 300 yards of the 3rd hole are also poorly laid out, which is too bad becuase the rest of the hole is just fine. I believe they did some reconstructive work on the landing area  after initial construction, and it's still not right.
   The accomodations are quite comfortable, but the scale of the club house area is rather massive. It just lacks the friendlier feel of more localized clubs like Lahinch, Castlerock, or County Louth. The infrastructure is large and has to be expensive to maintain. Doonbeg has one of the best practice areas in all of the Republic.
   I wish the owners good luck in steering the place through it's difficulties, and it would be nice if a few course design issues were resolved to make the golf a little more inviting.

[David_Tepper]

Trump buys Doonbeg:

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/trump-loses-legal-challenge-against-wind-farm-plans.1392116349

[Tim Johnson]

Adrian
I can appreciate your comments regarding the "20 minutes" grunts from your clients but like everything in life, you have to look at the big picture. I would love to play Waterville, Old Head, Tralee and yes even Doon Beg but the time between those courses is quite bit. Now, if you bite the bullet on day 1 from the airport and drive to Carne and then head North West for 10-14 days, you are in for a treat. The drive time between courses and cost for those courses is nothing compared to the south west. More importantly, there is a strong case to be made that the best links courses are actually in the Northwest.(Not looking to start that discussion). I agree the North West does not get the publicity it requires and also, it is off the normal path but after having done the run twice, it has no equal for a 2 week trip when considering cost, travel time, scenery, accomodations, the locals and obviously, the courses. Green fees in Ireland do not relate to better quality of golf course but rather geography.

The reason they built Carne was to attract tourist and the selfish part of me likes that it is still consider too remote for the majority of the travellers but as I wont be back to Carne for a number of years, I truly hope the northwest gets its due but I fear the green fees upon my return. I could play Carne twice and have more than enough money left over for some beers after if I were to pay one green fee at Doon Beg.......is Doon Beg that much better than Carne?

As for the hotel at Doonbeg, not my cup of tea when travelling to oversees to play golf. 18 holes, quaint pro shop, and a bar...all I need. I can get gaudy in North America, I am in Ireland to experience remote links golf and it is incredible.

[Jack_Marr]

I love Doonbeg. It's not a very Irish experience, but I found them very friendly and I loved the course. I am not as fussy as many when it comes to golf courses, granted. I like the holes on the flatter land a lot. Maybe not as good as the ones in the dunes, but still very enjoyable.