Contact:
Theresa Martin
Doonbeg Golf Club
PO Box 12001
Charleston, SC 29422
O: 843-768-5220
F: 843-768-5727
theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com
PRESS KIT
What They Say About Doonbeg...
Golf Pros and Writers
"When I first saw this site with my team I was speechless. I didn't know such a piece of property existed anymore" - Greg Norman, Course Designer
"Doonbeg is the epitome of what links golf is all about" - Greg Norman
"Boy, that was fun. I really didn't think anyone would design a golf course like this in this day and age. It is true links golf" - Padraig Harrington
"I didn't use a yardage book to build the golf course, I did it by feel" - Greg Norman
"Courageous....Quirky....an opportunity to design something different" - Padraig Harrington
"Doonbeg is probably the most natural experience that modern golf has ever delivered" - Greg Norman
"Unique...it gives you a mental test and a short-game test" - Padraig Harrington
"I put Doonbeg on top...because of the severity of the environmental issues we had to deal with, the sensitivity of the setting, for creating something that's never been created in modern times on a site as great as this and for the quality time I spent here" - Greg Norman
"I don't think you will find a links course like it" - Padraig Harrington
"Nothing on this earth compares to Doonbeg" - Greg Norman
"Doonbeg looks and plays like it has been there for a hundred years" - Ron Whitten, GOLF Digest
"...as quiet as a cathedral save the pounding of the waves" - Alan Shipnuck, T&L Golf
"A genuine Irish links of unexpected breaks, unanticipated results and undeniable thrills" - Ron Whitten, GOLF Digest
"Divert your gaze for a second and there are the waves of the Atlantic, restlessly rolling on to Doughmore beach. Glance beyond the line of the first fairway stretch of coastline and you can see the dunes, the fairways and the greens that await you. For that minute or two, you are the luckiest man alive" - The Sunday Times
"A sweeping grandeur that makes you want to pound your chest" - Alan Shipnuck, T&L Golf
"About as close as you can get without an Apollo spacecraft to playing on the moon" - GOLF Digest,
"Doonbeg will comfortably take its place among the great Irish links" - Irish Examiner
"The natural setting, from the crescent shaped coastline to the rocky beaches and crashing surf, to the towering dunes and farmlands off in the distance, is breathtaking - as marvellous as anywhere in Ireland" - Travel 2002
"I truly believe, along with many others, that Doonbeg has the potential to take its place among the great links of Ireland...which means of course that it will rank among the great links of the world" - Brian McCallen, Golf Magazine
"We sense the holes were revealed rather than built, having lain for aeons, awaiting the summons to life" - Golf Odyssey
"Doonbeg is natural architecture in its purest form. Even the green contours seem mown from existing terrain" - GolfWorld
"Given time, Doonbeg will be among the top five Irish courses, hands down. And that includes County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch and Portmarnock" - Golf Magazine
"I could remember all the holes afterwards, and some will definitely be showing up on golf calendars" - Golf Digest
"The variety of holes is incredible, with no fewer than six deserving of signature status" - Private Air
"Greg Norman's superb creation makes you feel exactly how the owner wants you to feel from the start, which is free, healthy and completely at one with nature and more than a little intimidated" - Golf World
"On any day this would have been impressive. In the early summer sunshine the rolling links of Doonbeg, crowned by its newly opened clubhouse complex, looked and felt magnificent" - Going For Golf
"The real greatness of Doonbeg hits us as we walk into the Darby Bar after our second windswept 18, juts as a full round of drinks was being poured by Chris, arguably the best natural barman in modern times" - Golf Punk
"Divert your gaze for a second and there are the waves of the Atlantic, restlessly rolling on to Doughmore beach. Glance beyond the line of the first fairway stretch of coastline and you can see the dunes, the fairways and the greens that await you. For that minute or two, you are the luckiest man alive" - The Sunday Times
"You guys have outdone yourselves with Doonbeg. It is absolutely mind-blowing, and destined to become a neo-classic. On reflection, I'm not sure I've ever played a course that begins and ends with such memorable holes. In between the knockout punch of 1 and 18 are three of the best holes of Ireland -- the 5th, playing down to the sea, the little par-3 14th, which is the most fun you can have with your spikes on, and the unforgettable 15th, playing to that green set amidst an amphitheater of dunes. Of course, these are just my favorites. There isn't a weak hole on the course." - Alan Shipnuck, Senior Golf Writer, Sports Illustrated
"'When I first saw this site with my team, I was speechless,' Norman recalls. 'I didn't know such a piece of property existed anymore. If I spent the rest of my life building courses, I don't think I'd find a comparable site anywhere. It's spectacular.' Is it ever. Doonbeg, located 40 miles west of Shannon International airport and midway between two Irish shrines, Ballybunion and Lahinch, is poised to become one itself." - Brian McCallen, Senior Editor, Golf Magazine
"This is a thinking man's course, from first tee to final green. Some of the carries from the back tees looked intimidating but in fact the fairways 'out there' are most generous. As hitting over obstacles rarely worries a real golfer and it is trouble along the wings that causes most players the headaches, I believe the course is fair and eminently 'playable' even from the back tees. I thought the greens looked so natural, as if they were forever waiting to be shaved down. It is the most natural looking layout I have ever seen. The surrounding scenery and ambiance of the place took my breath away. It will be a 'must play' for every golfing visitor to Ireland in the years ahead." - Ivan Morris, Author, "Only Golf Spoken Here"
"The Greg Norman-designed links is now up and running and, without exception, those people who have either the good fortune to play there or to enjoy a guided tour have come away hugely impressed. The course is laid out on the crescent-shaped Doughmore Bay and blessed with the kind of linksland that golfers drool over. You will see very few if any developments of this nature in the future either because the terrain is no longer available or for ecological reasons." - Charlie Mulqueen, Golf Editor, Irish Examiner
"It's an image straight from one of those comic golf calendars. The player stands on the impossibly isolated tee preparing to play his shot to the inaccessible island green rising up from the fathomless depths of the gorge below. Such may be your thoughts as you stand on the 14th tee of Doonbeg Golf Club. Clearly, Greg Norman has a sadistic streak. Or perhaps he simply has a genius for designing golf holes. For, although it is early days, already it seems that Doonbeg may in time be recognised as one of the finer jewels in his architectural crown." - Joe Culley, Irish Times
"One of the very finest links golf courses on the planet . . . a 'must play' venue to rank with the likes of Ballybunion, Royal County Down, Portmarnock, and Royal Portrush . . . a wonderful tale of imagination, enterprise and unstinting commitment to excellence." -
Liam Kelly, Golf Editor, Irish Independent
"The owners may have had a perfect canvas but they are not wasting it as Doonbeg offers a level of luxury not seen before in an Irish golf setting. No longer does a visit to Doonbeg begin and end with a round of golf; the off-course bar, accommodation and dining facilities are second to none" - Golf Digest
"The reason I liked Doonbeg Lodge so much had nothing to do with its culture of privacy or exclusivity. Or its golf links. I liked it because the minute I walked into our suite, I wanted to live there. It felt like home" - The Irish Times
"Ten out of ten for the unstuffy service, smart décor and the pastry chef at West Clare's extravagant new golf resort of Doonbeg" - The Irish Times
"... one mouthful of chef Aidan McGrath's delicious pan-fried halibut dressed with fennel puree, artichoke and shellfish foam followed by his delicate pear millefeuille and one look from my bedroom window at the sweeping view of Atlantic waves spraying Doughmore Beach completely blew my mind. Even with all the money in the world where could you buy that?" - Golf Digest
"Back upstairs, then to sleep with the window open and the sea roaring outside. To a stone-floored bathroom with a huge showerhead and basket of Burren Perfurmery toiletries and hand-cut soap ... And those beds! Not the only Kaymed beds in Ireland, but possibly the best dressed, with seven pillows to fall back on in a swoon" - The Irish Times
"The setting itself is almost mythical in its perfection – no manmade scenery could ever replicate the rugged natural vista found here. Set well back from the road, at night the only sound is that of the Atlantic as it roars towards the rolling dunes" - Business & Finance
"For lovers of all things culinary, Doonbeg Golf Club promises to be every food lovers dream" - Clare People
"The links are pure eye candy and now the Lodge offers accommodation to match" - US Airways
"Doonbeg has raised the bar in terms of service standard for Irish Golf and it has also to be recognised that the luxury facility will attract a much wider audience than golfers alone" - Irish Examiner
"Doonbeg is now on a completely new level with the Lodge and all its facilities" - Irish Independent
"What you see today in Doonbeg is mind-boggling in its magnificence and has done untold good for the people of the area" - Irish Examiner
"Reflecting the romantic nature of the Irish countryside in its architecture, the €150million development will provide one of the finest places to stay and enjoy true links golf" - Lusso
"The new White Horse Spa at Doonbeg Lodge Golf Resort, in West Clare, Ireland offers the perfect retreat for fatigued golfers" - Spa World
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Doonbeg Golf Club is a private club with limited visitor access to golf and accommodation upon availability. Membership is by invitation only; inquiries are entertained. Contact Theresa Martin at 843-768-5220 or email theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com for additional information.
KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to Doonbeg Golf Club, the company's affiliates include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique Golf Course, the Beach Club, and Sasanqua, the members-only spa; and Freshfields Village.
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