Irish Open organisers confident they can ‘keep everything civilised’ ahead of Trump visit

The sound of workmen drilling – as, quite literally, the final nuts and bolts were put into place – was evident by the large grandstand and hospitality area around the 18th green as a project just over 12 months in the making neared its endgame, preparing the site for this latest edition of the Amgen Irish Open.

And while those physical structures bore the evidence of the work that has gone in to getting the site ready for an anticipated crowd of 70-75,000, with all the logistical issues involved, the anticipated presence of Doonbeg’s owner, US president Donald Trump, has brought further contingency measures into play.