Doonbeg golf course.
COMMENT
Published:
Fri 26 Sep 2025, 11:27 AM
by Kevin Egan
All across the world, golf has traditionally been perceived as an elitist sport, of little relevance to ordinary people. Ireland and Scotland have always been the most obvious exceptions to this rule, where clubs generally do what the can to lower the cost of entry and to find ways to accommodate ordinary working people and their children.
The path from talented young amateur to professional is probably out of bounds for parents who cannot bankroll a few very expensive years at the top end of the amateur scene. The need for at least some expensive equipment will always put the sport out of reach for those families that struggle to cover the rent or the mortgage each month, but there isn’t a lot that administrators can do about any of that.
Rory McIlroy’s win in this year’s Irish Open, achieved in front of a wonderfully mixed audience that celebrated a truly memorable sporting occasion, was further testament to Golf Ireland’s decision to try and make the sport as accessible as possible to everyone.
Choosing to award next year’s Irish Open to Trump Doonbeg – owned by US President Donald Trump and his family, through Trump International Golf Links Ireland Enterprises Limited – is the exact opposite of all that and it will see all that goodwill and more go up in flames.
Considering everything that is going on in the world at the moment, the title of Omar El Akkad’s book comes to mind: ‘One day, everyone will have always been against this’. But Golf Ireland will never be able to make that claim.
Their decision to endorse and enrich the 47th President of the United States of America is a stain on Irish sport that will only grow darker with every passing year and every new revelation that emerges from that dystopian horror show across the Atlantic.
Published:
Fri 26 Sep 2025, 11:27 AM
