This article is from page 6 of the 2014-05-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
AMERICAN billionaire Donald Trump will arrive in Clare on Monday for a whistle stop tour of Doonbeg Trump International Golf Links.
The real estate tycoon purchased the Greg Norman designed golf links and five star hotel last February for an undisclosed sum.
While his sons and vice presidents of Trump International Donald Jnr and Eric Trump visited the west Clare resort to sign the purchase contracts, this will be Mr Trumps first visit to the course since he reportedly paid € 15 million for the 18-hole golf links, hotel and spa.
He is expected to arrive into Shannon Airport early on Monday morning and travel to Doonbeg where he will meet staff and examine the grounds.
He is then scheduled to leave Doonbeg on Tuesday, and travel on to visit his latest acquisition – Turnberry Re sort in Scotland.
Mr Trump is quoted as saying he has plans to develop the West Clare golf course to make it one of the best in the world.
“I have a lot of time and I have a lot of money and the best thing for Ireland is that you allow that great site to have one of the great courses of the world.
“And I have hired for that purpose, Martin Hawtree, to study it,” he said.
“Depending on the study, we may leave it and enhance it or go for an entirely new course.”
However a complete rebuild of the links course at Doonbeg could bring him into conflict with environmentalists over protected dunes and the microscopic snail- Vertigo angustior – that limited the original Greg Norman project. While an exact itinerary of Donald Trump’s visit to the Doonbeg Resort that now bears his name has not been revealed, it is thought he will walk most of the course during his brief time at the venue. It is not clear whether Mr Trump, a reputed scratch golfer, will play any of his Doonbeg course. Tue06May14