Few world leaders have ever been so tightly bound to a single sport as Donald Trump is to golf. Unlike Dwight Eisenhower, who merely played it, Trump profits from it. His name is on the gates of courses across the world, including the one at Doonbeg in west Clare, which was confirmed this week as the venue for the 2026 Irish Open.
There is, therefore, a reasonable chance the US president will use the occasion to make his first visit to Ireland since 2023, when he dropped in as a private citizen. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has already said that Trump would be welcome, citing the importance of US-Ireland ties. The Trump Organisation, for its part, is “incredibly proud” to host the event.
The choice of Doonbeg is not just a matter of fairways, bunkers and greens. It is also, intentionally or not, political. Trump’s second presidency has been defined by confrontation abroad and bitter division at home. His policies on Gaza and other humanitarian crises have sparked outrage worldwide. And the Trump family have been extraordinarily blatant in exploiting their political power for personal gain. A presidential appearance on the Clare coast could draw protests on a scale well beyond any ordinary sporting event. Security will undoubtedly be intense, costs high, and access for local residents and businesses restricted. Whatever short-term tourism bump the Open brings could be offset by such disruption.
Then there is the symbolism. Trump’s political career has thrived on spectacle and on bending institutions to his personal brand. Golf, with its private clubs and exclusive aura, suits that project well. If next year’s Open becomes a backdrop for self-promotion – or worse, for the sort of fawning tributes seen since the inauguration – then the sport and the country will both be diminished.
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When the US president is also the proprietor of the venue, every handshake and every word of praise carries weight. As the UK prepares for Trump’s state visit next week, it will be instructive to see how a close neighbour strikes a balance between deference and diplomacy.
