On Location: Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland

Donald Trump loves golf with a passion. 

A recent expression of that love is his purchase of the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland (formerly named The Lodge at Doonbeg) in County Clare. It's the 16th golf club in Trump's ever expanding golf portfolio.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and was impressed with the lodging, dining and golf offerings. Better still, the resort is going to improve as Donald Trump is embarking on an ambitious enhancement program this winter for the course and resort facilities. 

Set amid lush farmland and framed by the Atlantic Ocean, this luxurious resort near the village of Doonbeg features American style amenities with a distinct and engaging Irish flair and friendliness.  

GOLF

Designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2002, the golf course looks like it's been there for decades. The site, which runs along 2 miles of a crescent shaped beach and dunes, is spectacular.

Some of the dunes rise to almost 100 feet and Norman stayed true to the land. His minimalist approach on the course led to a natural routing that resulted in five par 3s and five par 5s. The greens are not contrived and generally follow the natural terrain undulations.

Like most great links courses, don't let the yardage (6,785 from the black tees, 6,239 from white and 5,553 from gold) make you think you'll have a scorecard full of birdies. Between the constant ever-changing winds, high grasses and sometimes wildly undulating fairways, the layout is a formidable challenge. 

There are five sets of tees and I highly suggest you play the correct tee for your skill level. If you don't, bring along your calculator because the numbers will add up quickly if you keep trying to navigate the winds and hit long irons into the greens.

Postcard beautiful, the course offers majestic ocean views from the tee, fairway or green on 16 of the 18 holes. You'll definitely want to pause and take some pictures along the way.

For a video view of Trump International Golf Links, click here to Golf Travel Guru T.V.


 ACCOMMODATIONS/AMENITIES 

Trump International Ireland has 218 rooms and suites. A classic links hotel room is 390 square feet. The Guru stayed in a Links Cottage, a wonderfully furnished, one-bedroom suite. The Links Cottages range in size from 1,100 square feet to 2,800 square feet.

Amenities:

--Marble bathroom with walk-in rainfall shower
--Fireplace
--Air conditioning
--Custom design furnishings
--Egyptian cotton linens
--Exceptional high quality Internet access
--42 inch LCD flat-screen HDTV with DVD player

    
10 Little Things I Like

1. The phenomenal view of the 18th hole and oceanfront from the dining room where I had breakfast.

2. The interesting golf photos and artwork in the hallways just off the lobby.

3. The fireplace in my roomy golf cottage unit.

4. The shuttle bus to the village of Doonbeg.

5. The fantastic onion rings I enjoyed at the golf grill restaurant after a round of golf.

6. My caddie Owen, who was informative and helpful to me, a disoriented, jet lagged golfer.

7. The inspiring sounds of crashing waves next to the 18th green.

8. The genealogy services offered to trace your Irish ancestry.

9. The farmland surrounding the resort that provides a soothing buffer from the rest of the world.

10. The professionalism and attentiveness of the golf staff.

DINING & LOUNGING

Trump's--On the second floor of the clubhouse with views of the Atlantic Ocean and 18th green, this warm and friendly pub-style restaurant has a fireplace, a bar with padded stools and lots of beers and ales on tap. Popular menu choices include Traditional Fish & Chips, Pan Seared Clare Island Salmon and Braised Shank of West Clare Lamb. P.S. Don't miss the world-class onion rings.

Ocean View--Voted the "Best Hotel Restaurant Ireland 2012" by the Restaurant Association of Ireland, this elegant and romantic dining experience features an extensive wine list, impeccable service and beautiful panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean surf. The menu, please...Highlights include the Seared Atlantic Scallops, Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb and Pan Fried Whole Black Sole.

THINGS TO DO

--Luxuriate at the resort's White Horses Spa. 

--Take the resort shuttle bus into the village of Doonbeg.

 --Enjoy popular pubs in nearby Kilkee like Murphy Black's, Greyhound Bar and Naughton's Bar. 

--Visit the magnificent Cliffs of Moher, which are located 26 miles north of the resort.

 

--Fish for salmon and sea trout in Doonbeg River.

--Hike the picturesque West Clare Loop Walking Trails. 

--Ride the historic, steam-powered West Clare Railway train. 

--On-site genealogy services to trace your Irish ancestry.

--On-site Tranquility Hair and Nail Salon

--Activities arranged by the resort concierge such as horseback riding, coastal bicycle rides, kayaking, diving and rock climbing.

LOCATION

Trump International Ireland is located near the village of Doonbeg in County Clare on the main coastal road between Ballybunion and Lahinch about a 45 minute drive from Shannon International Airport.

GET THE SCOOP 

For more information, click to Trump International Golf Links Ireland or the resort's website Trump Hotel Collection-Ireland. Telephone number is 353 65 905 560.

5 Amazing Upcoming New Golf Courses

Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon by Mike Keiser

You can thank golf enthusiasts Donald Trump and Mike Keiser for almost singlehandedly expanding the international new golf course menu.

Despite a worldwide economic slowdown the past few years, these two golf course visionaries have been busy building some of the most dynamic layouts in the world.

Here's a look at some coming attractions from Trump and Keiser and a new layout in St. Andrews, Scotland:

Cabot Cliffs--Slated to open in 2014 on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada, this Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design is part of a phenomenal golf complex developed by Mike Keiser, who brought us Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Cabot Cliffs will be the sister course to Cabot Links, which has received rave reviews from golfers and golf tour operators since its debut in 2012.

Trump International Golf Club Dubai--The Trumpster is planning a new course in Dubai. It will be on the same site where Tiger Woods was supposed to design a course. Unfortunately, Tiger's project "Dubailand" never got off the ground for economic and other reasons. Trump already has 14 golf courses around the world.

St. Andrews International--The golf menu in St. Andrews is growing again. Scheduled to open in spring 2015, this Tom Weiskopf design will be the only "member only" golf club in St. Andrews. Named "The Freddinch", the course and facilities will available to members and their guests.

Bandon Dunes Muni--Mike Keiser has a preliminary agreement with state and local officials to build a 27-hole municipal layout on a site six miles south of the town of Bandon. Commissioned to design the course is Gil Hanse, the designer of the 2016 Olympics course in Rio.

Mary MacLeod--Donald Trump has plans to build a second course in Aberdeen, Scotland. To be named after his Scottish born mother (Mary MacLeod), the course will be on the southern end of Trump's 1,400 acre Menie Estate, 10 miles north of Aberdeen. Martin Hawtree, who designed Trump's first course in Aberdeen, has been commissioned to design the second.

Donald Trump is Good For Golf

Donald Trump

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is good for golf.


With participation numbers down, equipment sales flat and fewer golf courses under construction in the U.S., Trump is a much needed high-profile celebrity that consistently promotes the game in valueable ways.


Aside from Tiger and Phil, few people in the golf industry create as much buzz as Trump.

Trump International Golf Links opening in July

In countless interviews you see Trump touting golf as one of the world's great sporting pastimes. His popular Golf Channel show, Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf displays his passion for the game, and, most importantly, he's creating more great golf courses to play.


His company Trump Golf has a portfolio of 10 courses throughout North America and Europe. 


While the golf industry struggles with golf course closures and fewer new courses because of the sluggish economy in the U.S., Trump is aggressively purchasing and developing golf courses.


The Trump Organization recently announced it has closed on the purchase of the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami. Trump plans to invest more than $200 million in an enhancement program at the 800-acre resort, which encompasses five championship golf courses, 700 guestrooms, meeting facilities and a spa.


"Every year, my father and mother would take me to Doral for a weekend. It was the ultimate treat for me. It was beautiful," said Trump.


"My ambition is to bring Doral back to its first 20 years and then top it by a wide margin," he continued. "When the renovation is complete, Doral will be the greatest resort anywhere in the country. With almost 800 acres in the middle of Miami--and home to the Blue Monster and soon-to-be-great courses--nothing will be able to compete with it. This amount of land in this prime of a location can never again be assembled."


Gil Hanse, the Malvern, Pennsylvania-based architect who was recently selected to design the 2016 Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro, will head the re-design effort on the Blue Monster. 


Hanse's most notable designs are Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, Scotland, Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, California and TPC of Boston.


Doral Golf Resort & Spa will remain fully operational during the renovation, which is expected to conclude in Fall 2013.


On the other side of the pond, the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen, Scotland, slated to open next month, will be a phenomenal addition to the world's golf course menu.


Designed by highly respected architect Dr. Martin Hawtree, the course is designed around massive sand dunes on the northeast coast of Scotland. Stretching nearly 7,500 yards from the tips, the course will have more than 100 different tee boxes. 


I predict Trump International Golf Links will quickly climb up many world ranking lists and take its place alongside great modern Scottish courses like Kingsbarns, Machrihanish Dunes and Castle Stuart.


(Check out this amazing video of Trump International Golf Links.) 


Trump's other golf courses are located in West Palm Beach, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Charlotte, North Carolina, New York and New Jersey.

Coming Attractions: 3 Great New Golf Courses

Later this year, three exceptional layouts will take the golf world by storm.

Here's a sneak peek at this terrific trio:

Cabot Links (Nova Scotia, Canada)--Let me introduce you to the world's next phenomenal seaside course. Developed by Mike Keiser, the founder of Bandon Dunes in Oregon, Cabot Links, designed by Canadian Rod Whitman, is a walking-only layout with undulating fairways, swales, deep pot bunkers and fabulous ocean views. (opening June 29, 2012)

Streamsong Resort ( Polk County, Florida) -- Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are working in concert with Renaissance Golf Design (Tom Doak) to create 36 holes of spectacular golf on thoroughly interesting terrain formerly mined as phosphate land. The firms are leveraging their many years of experience to design two distinct yet intersecting courses. Massive sand dunes, dramatic landforms and lakes will dominate the golf experience. (opening fall 2012).

Trump International Golf Links (Aberdeen, Scotland)--Like him or despise him, when Donald Trump builds golf courses everyone takes notice. When he builds one in Scotland the "buzz" is off the charts. (opening summer 2012) Check out this stunning video of Trump International Golf Links 

The Blue Monster Makeover

Guess who will be re-designing the TPC Blue Monster at Doral Golf Resort in Miami?

Gil Hanse. 

He's the little known architect, who was recently selected over Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary player design groups to design the 2016 Olympics golf course in Rio de Janeiro with LPGA Hall of Famer Amy Alcott.

Hanse will take orders at Doral from Donald Trump, who purchased Doral for $150 million. Trump reportedly plans to spend a whopping $200 million to revamp the Blue Monster.

Trump already owns golf courses in New York, Washington and California.

Hanse’s most notable designs are Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness, Scotland, Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, California,  and TPC of Boston.

Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Hanse states several of his philosophies on his website. One of the most intriguing is: “We create courses that are simple and elegant in appearance, yet sophisticated in strategy and interest.”

It’ll be interesting to see what he and Trump come up with for 200 mill.

Rest assured, it will be fun to watch and eventually to play. 

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