President Clinton, a 16 handicapper, was due to be handed the keys to his locker and given the membership number "001" at a ceremony in front of 1,100 people in Dublin this evening.

Strong winds and heavy rain had prevented Mr Clinton from playing the County Kildare course earlier in the day. But it's hoped he'll return later in the year for his inaugural round.

Just 30 miles from Dublin city centre, the magnificent 7,419-yard parkland golf course is already being tipped to take its place among Europe's elite and host a major championship.

Sandy Jones, chief executive of the PGA, believes the new course is one of the best.

He said: "It will not be long before it is hosting some of the world's most prestigious golf events.

"It has been the ambition of the PGA for a number of years to create and develop a spiritual home for the PGA in Ireland. The criteria for choosing a suitable golf venue as our partner was rigorous and that meant only a course deemed by experts to be the in the top 10 in Ireland could be considered.

"Palmerstown House quickly became our preferred choice because of its location, the layout of the golf course, the facilities and the unique ambiance of the setting."

The Palmerstown House project is the latest brainchild of Jim Mansfield, one of Ireland's most respected and successful entrepreneurs, who also owns the 1,100-bedroom CityWest Conference & Golf Resort, Europe's leading conference destination, as well as Dublin's private airport at Weston.

Palmerstown House has been granted the unique title of PGA National Ireland and joins a select family of just three: PGA National at The Belfry and PGA Centenary at Gleneagles the others.

It will be the headquarters of the PGA for its activities in Ireland and developed as a centre of excellence for training.

The 800-acre site was once the home of the Earls of Mayo, with a magnificent manor house - built in 1872 - dominating the parkland.

The golf course is built around a renowned stud farm which has produced some of Ireland's top racehorses, including winners of the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Ladbroke Gold Cup and the Ebor Handicap.

Course designer Christy O'Connor Junior said: "It has to be one of the best sites for a golf course in the world and reminds me of going through the gates of Augusta and up Magnolia Lane at the Masters.

"The estate, with all the great racing thoroughbreds that have been produced here, is so steeped in history. It was probably one of the easiest jobs I have had to do: Beautiful mature trees, the lakes and bridges that were used as the entrance into the estate, are all incorporated into the golf course. It is a fantastic spectacle."

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