 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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 RELEASE
The Course / The History / The Environment
• Doonbeg Golf Club may be the last true links course built in either Ireland or Great Britain.
• The site is along 1.5 miles of crescent-shaped beach and dunes. The ocean is visible from the green, fairway, or tee of 16 of the 18 holes. The dunes, centuries old, reach almost 100 feet.
• Two-time British Open champion Greg Norman is the course architect, selected for both his design skill and his "least disturbance" philosophy of routing courses to fit existing terrains.
• Norman's layout follows a course designed by nature - 14 of Doonbeg's greens and 12 of its fairways were simply mowed. The fairways and greens consist of native grasses, including fine fescues, bentgrass, and ryegrass.
• The par-72 layout features a single loop of nine holes out and nine back. It plays 6,885 yards from the back tees. The most natural routing within the existing dunes resulted in an uncommon combination of five par-3s and five par-5s.
• Variations in wind speed and direction ensure the course plays differently almost every day. For example, the average golfer will play from a sand wedge to a 5-iron on the 111-yard 14th. To allow for a range of conditions and abilities, most holes feature five or more tee locations.
• Like many traditional Irish links, Doonbeg Golf Club is a private club with some public play. International memberships are being offered. There also is a local club component for Doonbeg-area residents.
• The course officially opened on July 9, 2002, when Greg Norman defeated Irish Ryder Cup star Padraig Harrington 2 and 1 in an exhibition match.
• Work on the accommodation phase of the project began in late Spring 2004.
• The first phase of this program includes the Lodge, (with 56 luxury suites) the Clubhouse, and Pro Shop.
• All of the building will be in keeping with traditional Irish architecture.
Location and Surroundings
• Doonbeg Golf Club is situated in the parish of Doonbeg on Ireland's southwest coast in County Clare.
• Located on the main coastal road (N67) between Ballybunion and Lahinch - both ranked in Ireland's top 10 courses - Doonbeg Golf Club is an ideally situated destination for links golf.
• Doonbeg is about 40 miles from Shannon Airport. The resort town of Kilkee is 15 minutes to the south, while the town of Lahinch is about 30 minutes to the north.
• The surrounding Shannon region is known for unique, natural attractions such as the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher; the latter are visible from the golf course on a clear day. The equally dramatic Cliffs of Baltard are even closer to the south.
• Located adjacent to the course with sweeping views of the Atlantic, the Lodge houses the Clubhouse, Lodge Suites, the formal dining room, the Members' bar, and the spa. The adjoining Garden House Suites, Norman Suites, and Courtyard Suites afford vistas of the Skivileen River and pasturelands beside the Club. The 17 Links Cottages located just before the entrance to the Lodge are larger than the suites and a bit more private. Some cottages stand alone, while others are joined as pairs. The Links Cottages boast views of the fairways and countryside and are all 4 bedrooms.
• The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club opened on May 10, 2006.
• The Lodge features polished stone floors, beamed ceilings, and centuries-old fireplaces.
• James Beard Award winning chef, Tom Colicchio, the force behind New York City's Gramercy Tavern and Craft, will lend his distinctive touch and style to the dining at Doonbeg. The restaurants are called Darby's Pub and The Long Room.
• The spa at Doonbeg, White Horses, incorporates an Irish essence in the treatments, which are inspired by the local natural environment. Kerstin Florian will be the featured skin care product line. White Horses was designed by Clodagh.
• Doonbeg Golf Club is the creation of Kiawah Development Partners (Charleston, SC). The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and Kiawah Development Partners co-sponsored the 1991 Ryder Cup Matches.
• Kiawah Development Partners is known for creating world-class golf settings. KDP's most recent course was The Kiawah Island Club's Cassique, designed by Tom Watson - his first solo course design in North America.
• Norman has designed about 35 courses worldwide, but this is his first in either Ireland or Great Britain. Other notable Norman designs include the TPC at Sugarloaf (Atlanta), The Great White Course at Doral (Miami), The Norman Course at PGA West (Palm Springs, Calif.), and The Medalist Golf Club (Hobe Sound, FL).
• Doonbeg was considered as an ideal setting for links golf as early as 1892 by officers of the Scottish Black Watch Regiment. Instead they selected Lahinch, which was more accessible.
• The Doonbeg Community Development Company began to promote the concept of a golf course at Doonbeg in the early 1990s. Urged by that group, Shannon Development obtained purchase options for 377 acres of linksland from four farming families at Doonbeg.
• Doonbeg Golf Club Ltd., an Irish entity created by the partners of Kiawah Development Partners, acquired the options from Shannon Development and closed the sale in December 1999.
• Construction of the golf course commenced December 7, 1999.
• Private investment in the golf course totalled around $25 million. This included course facilities, infrastructure (roads, water, sewer), and land costs (including legal and permitting), but does not take into account the accommodation or related amenities. The project is supported in part by €2.4 million in European Structural Funds.
• When complete with Lodge, Clubhouse, Spa, and Cottages the project will represent an overall investment of €150 million.
• Environmentally, the Doonbeg site contains two significant elements that have been meticulously protected: the grey dunes (the term applied to the oldest intact dunes) and an endangered snail, Vertigo angustior.
• The grey dunes at Doonbeg are designated as a candidate Special Area of Conservation by Dúchas, the Irish Heritage Service. Under a management agreement between Doonbeg Golf Club and Dúchas, those 51 acres of grey dunes are fenced off permanently for preservation and are not in play. The remainder of the site, including the course, is designated as a proposed Natural Heritage Area.
• Vertigo angustior, a microscopic snail just 2 millimeters high and 1 millimeter wide, was discovered on the site during the developer's environmental impact assessment. Like the grey dunes, it is listed for protection under the European Union's Habitats Directive. After analysis by the leading Irish expert on Vertigo angustior, it was concluded that the snail can coexist both in the dunes and on the course. A management plan carried out by the developer continuously monitors and protects the snail habitat.
• Kiawah Development Partners has won several significant awards for its environmental sensitivity at Kiawah Island. These awards note the company's record for careful, conservative dune preservation and for integrating its golf courses with nature, both of which are of utmost priority at Doonbeg Golf Club.
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.
|
|
|