US President told Northern Ireland's golf courses trump the Republic's - as minister reveals his knowledge of Portrush

Gordon Lyons has told the News Letter that Donald Trump raised the development of the club’s 18th hole during a conversation between the pair last week.

The Communities minister said President ​Trump had heard that he was sports minister and asked about golf in the province.

“He said ‘tell me this, who has the best golf courses? Is it Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland?’

“So I told him, well, of course, it's Northern Ireland. And he said ‘Yeah, I know Royal Portrush is welcoming the Open, and I know they're doing a lot of work on the 18th hole’.

“Which they are. I thought it was incredible, that he knew not just that the Open was happening there, but that there was a lot of work being done on a particular hole, which I thought was fantastic”.

Donald Trump was also presented with a pennant from Royal Portrush Golf Club during a meeting with the deputy First Minister.

Emma Little-Pengelly met Mr Trump as part of the St Patrick's Day festivities in Washington DC, where he posed for photographs with her as she presented him with a personalized flag from Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Trump is a keen golf fan, and recently played with Northern Irish golfing superstar Rory McIroy.

The Open Championship – due to take place in Portrush later this year – was last held in the County Antrim seaside resort in 2019, with an attendance of almost 240,000 spectators.