This article is from page 17 of the 2014-02-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
DONALD Trump (Snr) is due to play his first game of golf on his newlyowned golf links – Doonbeg – within the month.
Representative from the Trump Organisation are to sign the final contract later today (Tuesday) in Doonbeg, for the Greg Norman-designed golf course which is reported to have cost them € 15 million.
Executive Vice President Eric Trump said he was excited to be signing the final papers, but it would appear he is not as excited as his billionaire father about his latest acquisition. Mr Trump asks about the course and its development at least five times a day.
“He will be very excited to play it. He will be very excited to get out here and obviously we speak no less than five times a day, and he is always asking how it is, he couldn’t be more excited,” said Eric.
“He is the one that came across this property. We have all so many friends who have played this prop- erty and who are members here, so he is truly, truly excited.”
While an exact figure is not yet available on how much will be further invested in the property, Eric Trump who is in Doonbeg today for the signing of the contract said it would be in the millions.
“We will spend what ever is needed to make it the best,” he said, stating that any work and labour will be provided locally.
“Just about everything will be local. If you just look at the operational team that we have already on the ground it is phenomenal. The number one hotel in Europe, you don’t just get that award by not having the best, and the team is incredible and Joe Russell is incredible. It is his team, and they are true professionals. Quiet frankly not always do you walk into a property that has such an amazing team. We plan on making very few changes in that regard. And in terms of labour as we move in to executing our plans it will all be local,” he told The Clare People .
He said the company has already received some permission from Clare County Council to carry out coastal erosion works and will continue to work with the council in that regard.
The whole process taking Doonbeg Lodge and Golf Links to Trump International Golf Links, Ireland has been completed in record time.
“It has been exceptionally quick. I think to be able to effectively find, go hard and then close on a deal like this in two and a half weeks is certainly unheard of, and it is how we like to work. We like to move very quickly. We have that ability as a private company and when we find something we like and we find something we love and something that has this kind of potential, we hop on it very quickly and we get it done,” said Mr Trump.