€10m invested in Lahinch as resort prepares for 100,000 golf fans

Around 100,000 golf fans are expected to converge on the resort before the new Dubai Duty Free Irish Open winner is declared on late Sunday afternoon at the ‘old course’ at Lahinch golf club.

In preparation for the tens of thousands, businesses have been busy giving the village a make-over with Mr Vaughan quipping "premises that never got a lick of paint in my lifetime have got a fresh paint in the last few weeks”.

Clare County Council has been busy too carrying out upgrade works across the prom and around the resort over the past number of months.

Mr Vaughan said: “The investment is phenomenal. It is unprecedented for Lahinch. It will be a watershed week for the resort.”

The staging of the competition at Lahinch is the first time it has taken place in the golf club's 127-year history and is the largest sporting event to ever take place in Co Clare.

Mr Vaughan estimated that the spend by visitors in Lahinch for the remainder of the week will be around €6 million to €7 million.

Antoin O’Looney is the owner of O’Looney’s located on Lahinch prom and he said on Tuesday that the excitement over the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open “has gone orbital” in the area.

Mr O’Looney’s premises bore the brunt of ‘house size’ waves during the January 2014 storms and featured in iconic photos of the waves going over the roof of his pub/restaurant.

He said: “This week is going to be very special for Lahinch”.

Mr O’Looney said that hospitality owners have met and there was a consensus that there would no one ‘jacking up’ prices for the week of the Open.

He said:

We don’t want visitors here leaving with a bad taste, feeling that they have been fleeced. That would be very short-sighted.

Mr Vaughan said that hotels in the village have also agreed with the organisers that rates for the week wouldn’t be any higher than 20% more than usual Summer rates.

Mr Vaughan - who recently added 10 new rooms to his Vaughan's hotel located around 250 metres from the golf course - said that he has been booked out since last Summer for the event.

Fourteen of the world’s top 50 players are competing and Mr Vaughan said that he is aware that a number of the top players are staying in homes around Lahinch for the week.

He said: “I know that some homeowners of luxury homes in and around Lahinch are being paid €4,000 to rent out their homes for the week.”

Chairman of the Lahinch Golf Club Tournament Committee, John Gleeson said that the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open “is within a whisker of being sold out for the weekend days and sales for Thursday and Friday are very strong as well”.

The prize money on offer for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be $7m.

The Pro-Am will take place on Wednesday and Niall Horan, Jimmy Nesbitt and Conor ‘Sketches' Moore playing in the same four ball.

Other well known players include no stranger to the course and triumphant Wexford manager, Davy Fitzgerald along other well-known Irish sports stars Keith Wood, Paul O’Connell and Kieran Donaghy.

The last four ball out for the day includes two of Ireland’s billionaires, JP McManus and Dermot Desmond who will be playing with jockey legend, AP McCoy and Swedish golfer, Robert Karlsson.

Mr Gleeson said: “Wednesday will be a lot of fun, but the real action starts on Thursday at 6.45am.”

The course has been shut for the last two weeks to allow preparations continue and Mr Gleeson said: “The course is in amazing condition.”

A number of pubs in the village that haven’t opened their doors for a number of years will be opening once more in anticipation of the massive crowds.

Frawleys in Lahinch shut its doors in 2011 after its late owner, Tom Frawley aged 91 decided to retire after 80 years in the business.

The pub, now owned by Peter Banim, opened its doors on Monday night and owner of the to be re-opened Spinnaker bar, Patrick McCarthy confirmed local rumours on Tuesday that Davy Fitzgerald is to have a role in the re-opening of the bar on Lahinch’s prom.

Along with the golf, Clare County Council is putting on a Family Fest on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

There is to be family entertainment on the Main Street in Lahinch each evening while live music is going to be provided each night on the prom.

A fireworks display is also planned for Saturday night. Clare County Council has also been involved in producing a series of videos that are expected to have a potential audience of 500 million.

Mr Vaughan said:

One of the best things around the Open is local businesses coming together to put the best foot forward.

Mr O’Looney said: “With the forecast good for the week, we couldn’t be better placed for what will be a historic week for Lahinch.”