As the Irish Open looms, Doonbeg re-emerges into the spotlight

Wherever the Trump coat of arms is emblazoned on a welcome sign, conversation (and sometimes controversy) inevitably follows.

However at Doonbeg, just up the road from the sleepy village on Ireland's windswept Atlantic way, a stroll from the premises into town won't uncover much to nod at the club's presidential links. Locals speak of how well the club has integrated into the wider community, with regular shuttle services ferrying the club's clientele to and from the village's array of quaint pubs and restaurants. 

This week, however, this sleepy corner of the Emerald Isle will become the epicentre of the golfing world for the first time. Doonbeg's debut turn hosting the Amgen Irish Open will, inevitably, spark renewed conversation around the Trump organisation's wider relationship with professional golf. 

Indeed, the President is expected to fly into town to attend the event, which has already been branded a 'dress rehearsal' for his ultimate goal of The Open Championship returning to Trump Turnberry's fabled Ailsa Links.

Those, of course, are questions for after the dust has settled. As GolfMagic visits on a picturesque July weekday, there's a hum of anticipation and reinvigoration around the place – the sense that the significance of the Irish Open, along with its tens of thousands of spectators, arriving goes well beyond its owner. 

Significant work has gone into preparing Doonbeg for this moment. We're put up in one of two dozen luxury cottages built by the Trump organisation upon its purchase of the property back in 2014. These were then offered up for sale to local buyers, before being leased back to the club and used as luxury accommodation for local and foreign visitors. At the Irish Open they'll serve as dedicated accommodation for VIP players.

Likewise, the clubhouse has had a full interior renovation, incorporating five-star suites, a luxuriously appointed restaurant as well as Trump's Bar and Grill, a more casual brasserie for post-round revelry. 

Despite these would-be Americanisms, Doonbeg never loses its sense of Irish hospitality, rather the staff exude pride in every warm smile, every perfectly-poured pint of Guinness. The staff is made mostly up of Doonbeg village residents, some siblings and family members. We're told one has even been gifted a trip to one of Trump's Florida properties in recognition for their exemplary service.

It's on the links, however, where the greatest transformation has taken place. Sequestered on a truly stunning stretch of coastline, Doonbeg was laid out initially by Greg Norman in 2002. Upon taking ownership of the property, Trump felt more could be done not just to re-establish Doonbeg as more of a traditional links experience, but better showcase the grandeur of its coastal surrounds. 

Martin Hawtree oversaw a full remodel of the course, aided by the shaping talents of  Esie O’Mahony and Jamie O’Reilly of GolfLink. The aim, as head pro Brian Shaw explained to The Irish Examiner, was "to get the ball along the ground and giving you different ways to play the game."

Most of those big changes have now bedded in, however the last 12 months have seen a flurry of tweaking and fine tuning to bring the course truly up to the standard of the world's best. This becomes immediately apparent when you step onto the first hole, which has had its tee box moved further towards the coast to create one of the most dramatic opening seaside vistas I've ever seen. 

Towards the end of the front nine is where you truly lose yourself in the rugged wilderness of the place, as dunes tower overhead (these will offer some of the best viewing come Open weekend), fescue gnashes at errant balls and the prevailing breeze seems to change direction on a dime. 

Doonbeg isn't a course particularly heavy on bunkering, with just 54 dotted around the place, but each one has been completely rebuilt, made deeper, wider, and positioned more in the firing line of the average pro-level tee shot.

Doonbeg isn't a course particularly heavy on bunkering, with just 54 dotted around the place, but each one has been completely rebuilt, made deeper, wider, and positioned more in the firing line of the average pro-level tee shot.

It's a pretty standard out-and-back sort of affair in terms of routing, with a truly spectacular closing stretch that ambles its way back along the coastline and towards the clubhouse. 14, a 130ish yard par 3 played from an elevated tee, remains the show stopper, looking out across Doughmore Bay towards the clubhouse. Playing it at golden hour is something that'll live long in the memory. 18, which will play 465 yards come the weekend and climbs back up towards the clubhouse, is also a particular thing of beauty.

Exactly what the future holds for Trump and his Open ambitions is anyone's guess. To the folks at Doonbeg, however, we're not too sure that really matters. This is, after all, a weekend not so much for him, but for them. Regardless of who emerges from the Irish Open as the victor, it'll be a weekend showcasing the fact that Doonbeg, once and for all, is re-established as one of Irish golf's true crown jewels.