US golfers are paying €25,000 per head to join US president Donald Trump’s Doonbeg golf resort in record numbers following his election as US president, it has emerged.
Just as leading US business figures embrace the Trump presidency, Joe Russell, the general manager of Trump Doonbeg, said on Friday that the resort had this month recorded “the highest ever number in new membership sales”.
Mr Russell said new members were paying €25,000 to join up and he said that the highest monthly tally also takes into account the years prior to 2014, when the Trump Organisation purchased the resort.
“€25,000 seems to be a good number for people,” he said.
The long-serving manager said: “Two-thirds of our membership are international with the vast bulk of those from the US.
“It’s been a record month so far for new memberships, following a tremendous performance in 2024″.
Asked if the election of Donald Trump to the presidency a factor in the upsurge in new membership sales, Mr Russell said: “We have no evidence to that particular fact – that is not being said to us.”
“What I do know is that the Trump Organisation do golf really well, and the investment the Trumps have made in Doonbeg has been absolutely huge and people are following.”
The Trump Organisation has ploughed more than €40 million into the resort, including the purchase price.
Mr Russell said that some of those who had signed up from the US were already members of Trump golf courses there.
He said the work of a 28-strong team of golf course employees “makes sure that the golf course is one of the best conditioned in Ireland and is one of the factors that helped the overall resort be awarded the Best Golf Hotel 2024 in the World Golf Awards Ireland’s Best Golf Hotel 2024″, which “was an exceptional year for us and already 2025 is pacing ahead of 2024″ in terms of bookings.
“All key components of our business for 2025 are looking very strong in comparison to the same time last year,” he said.
The resort is currently closed and will open for weekends in February and March before “it is all steam ahead, with the resort fully open from April to the end of October”.
He said the Christmas period at Trump Doonbeg “was very busy and it is always very gratifying to see people booking again for next Christmas before they go out the door”.
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