The discovery of the suitability of Doonbeg for golf goes back to 1892 when the Black Watch regiment stationed at Limerick founded Lahinch Golf Club just a few miles up the road. At that time they also considered Doonbeg very seriously for such a venture. It would be another 110 years before golf would come to these majestic sand dunes located on spectacular Dough Bay. Under the watchful eye of The Shark – Greg Norman, a new Irish golfing phenomenon was about to be created which he readily admits is his piece de resistance to the game.

In September of this year I coordinated a group of friends who had the opportunity to play this wonderful course and I took some time out to visit with Joe Russell, General Manager, Doonbeg Golf Club to ask him about this course in my beloved County Clare.

TIN: Since opening in 2002, DGC has garnered a lot of media, a lot of ink. The word is definitely out about DGC’s place in the golf world. How has it performed to expectations? Are you getting the traffic you expected?

J.R.: The club is exceeding expectations at the moment in terms of international and domestic traffic. The opening of the Lodge and additional facilities in May 2006 created a fantastic base for people to come stay and play the Doonbeg Golf Course. Also Lahinch, Ballybunion and Tralee have seen increased traffic. 2006 rounds will finish approximately 6k rounds ahead of the year previous.

TIN: Are you beginning to see the repeat business from many North American golfers who come to Ireland every few years or are you finding that your pricing at 195 Euros is discouraging the repeat visit?

J.R.: We’ve actually had people come, leave, and return in 2006 after their visit to Doonbeg. A lot of people have extended their stays after their original departure dates, which is very encouraging. So, no, the price is not a deterrent.

TIN: It’s inevitable that DGC will be compared to Lahinch, Ballybunion etc. both by the visitors and the locals. In the early days the comments from a lot of local sources seemed to be less than complimentary. This seems to have abated. How would you characterize the evolution of DGC into the Clare / South West Ireland habitat over the last five years?

J.R. Like any new development in any area there are going to be various points of view and considerations from people, particularly with a development’s size, quality, and ambition. The benefits to the location and region in terms of business and opportunity are now being realized and Doonbeg is seen as a special addition to an already special region for international links golf.

TIN: During the construction of DGC there was great concern over the twin environmental issues of the 50 or so acres of grey dunes and the indigenous snail – Vertigo Angustior. How much of a compromise do you feel these issues caused to the design of the course?

J.R.: I’m sure Greg Norman would have taken the extra 50 acres if he were given them, however the fact is that when you get a unique location and setting like Doonbeg environmental factors will be evident. Credit must go to Norman for creating his ‘Mona Lisa’ without hindering the environment. I’ve played the course regularly since its opening in 2002 and listened to the positive comments of friends and visitors. One must remember also that Kiawah Development Partners has much experience in managing environmental factors with the development of Kiawah Island and its fragile ecosystem. I’m pleased to say that the local government body is satisfied with our management of the grey dunes and the population of the Vertigo Augustior snail, which has increased since the course opened.