The Donald to buy Doonbeg?

Donald Trump. Pictured at Doral last year by Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie

Donald Trump's interest in Ireland is not new. In 2011, his son Donald Jnr flew to Dublin and trawled through the NAMA properties looking for a potential investment.

He also visited St Patrick's at Rosapenna with a view to buying the course. Nothing happened and Rosapenna was snapped up by the Casey family at Rosspenna.

Now, according to the Irish Examiner, Trump is set to swoop in and pay €15m for Doonbeg in Co Clare, which went into receivership last month.

Tony Leen writes: 

The flamboyant New Yorker, who already owns a suite of 15 golf resorts around the world, is understood to be close to agreeing a package to purchase the resort from investment fund company, King Street. 

Ernst & Young’s Luke Charleton and David Hughes were appointed receivers last month, and expressed their confidence at the time that a sale would be completed within six weeks... The resort’s general manager, Joe Russell, said last month that those who had declared an interest in the purchase “have money”.

Doonbeg Golf Resort in Co Clare.

Trump is in the process of investing $200m in revamping he Doral Resort and the redesigne Blue Monster re-opened to positive reviews just a few days ago.

Twelve months ago, when rumours were circulating about his interest in acquiring an Irish course. he said: "I guess it's possible, right?"

He ruled out Adare Manor, saying: "When you can buy 'em for 10 cents in the dollar, I've no interest."

Now it appears that Doonbeg is ripe for the picking — a five star resort with a Greg Norman designed links course — that has debt due to unsold properties but still works well.

Given the problems the people of Aberdeen have had with Trump International Golf Links, some will be worried about the arrival of the most famous combover in golf.