Golf Business News – Donegal Golf Club hires design firm McGinley to carry out refurbishment project

Donegal Golf Club has announced that it has partnered with Paul McGinley's course design firm, McGinley Golf Course Architecture & Design, to take the next stage of developing its links course.

The par-73 Championship course is located on the scenic Murvagh Peninsula near Donegal Town on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way.

The course, which first opened for play in 1973, was originally designed by Eddie Hackett and later redeveloped by Pat Ruddy in 1992, with an outer loop playing along the sand dunes offering stunning views towards Donegal Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The inner loop is very sheltered with great views of the Bluestack Mountains.

The work is done in stages. McGinley's first three holes – 16, 17 and 18 – were completed last month, and holes 2-5 will be repaired this fall, leaving seven holes ready for the 2025 season.

“Donegal Golf Club is delighted to begin the next chapter of our evolution in partnership with McGinley Golf Design,” commented Brian Boyle, President, Donegal Golf Club. “Paul's stature in the world of golf combined with his passion for County Donegal created the right partnership to successfully deliver our next phase of development.

“I have high hopes that Paul and his team will build on the previous work of Eddie Hackett and Pat Ruddy, two legends of Irish golf architecture. The Donegal Golf Club Canvas and Paul's expertise will enable the club to develop into one of the world's leading links courses for years to come.”

McGinley commented: “It is with great pride that I have been appointed as the new links design consultant at Donegal Golf Club, following in the footsteps of Eddie Hackett and Pat Ruddy.

“My core goal of links is that it needs to be more playable for the membership and for all levels of player. At the same time, it should be seamlessly configured for larger events to create a choice of tees and challenge green designs that allow pins to be inserted when needed.

“Donegal are one of the best players of any team in the country and that's what really excites me and motivates me to make the best use of the venue while respecting the history, the route and the flow of the course.”