Dooks Golf Club, Co. Kerry

Surrounded by sandy beaches, with views of Ireland’s rugged South-West mountain ranges, Dooks Golf Club is a place where you can lose yourself in the beauty of the landscape. It’s easy to let your mind wander from your primary task here, to play golf!

Opened in 1889, Dooks Golf Club is one of the oldest links golf courses in Ireland. Originally a nine-hole course, it was extended to 18 under the supervision of the golf architect Eddie Hackett. Further development took place in 2002 to make Dooks Golf Club the course it is today.

Dooks Golf Club - 01. Dooks Golf Links is located in an area where you get great views of The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula — Dooks Golf Links is located in an area where you get great views of The Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula

Being located in one of the most scenic spots in Ireland and a course that I have heard many great things about, I made the journey to Dooks Golf Club on a sunny but breezy day to experience the course for myself.

Dooks Golf Club - 02. Welcome to Dooks Golf Links — Welcome to Dooks Golf Links

Below is my review of Dooks Golf Club.

Course layout (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

Even though the holes are mostly straight forward I still found the layout nice. It never feels monotonous as the holes are broken up nicely with par 3’s and the odd strategic hole thrown into the mix. It means you can relax and hit driver on a few holes, and then need to get the brain in gear for a hole to focus on the strategic aspect of the game.

Dooks Golf Club - 03. The par 3's on the course will test your distance judgement and accuracy — The par 3’s on the course will test your distance judgement and accuracy

Off the tees there were a few holes where you couldn’t see the green for the hole but not too many. It meant you never really had to worry about hitting a blind shot for your second as you could be confident you would see the green for the next. On the day, I was hitting my driver exceptionally well and I think this was partly because I was relaxed over the tee shots as I could see the full hole ahead of me.

Dooks Golf Club - 04. On a good few of the par 4's the green is visible from the tees meaning you cold relax a bit more on the tee — On a good few of the par 4’s the green is visible from the tees meaning you cold relax a bit more on the tee

Par 3’s

The par 3’s are a nice challenge. Getting the yardage right is vital as missing the green makes for a very tough up and down to save par. They are all a similar distance, but varying wind conditions and elevations mean you must do your calculations correctly before committing to the shot. With none of them being overly long they are a real proof that a good par 3 does not have to be a long par 3.

The 11th is a good example of how tough the par 3’s can be. With trouble all around the green, it’s vital to hit a good tee shot on this hole.

Dooks Golf Club - 05. The 11th is one of the par 3's with trouble all around meaning you need to club correctly and make a good solid contact — The 11th is one of the par 3’s with trouble all around meaning you need to club correctly and make a good solid contact

Par 4’s

The par 4’s are mostly driver friendly holes. If the fairways are dry, you can get a great run on them to really shorten the hole. The green complexes are the main defense on the par 4’s. Judging the wind, the elevations, and avoiding the run-offs and bunkers are key to hitting the greens in regulation.

There are some nice holes that require a bit of thinking and planning. The 15^th is one example where taking driver off the tee may put you in trouble. Dog legging slightly to the right your focus is more on getting over the fairway bunkers, instead you may run out of fairway on the other side if you go too long.

Dooks Golf Club - 06. The 15th is a hole that can catch you out if you automatically go with driver — The 15th is a hole that can catch you out if you automatically go with driver

Par 5’s

There are three par 5’s on the course and they are all good holes. If you are a long hitter, you can get close to them in two to have a good shot at birdie. At the same time if you are not so long then three good shots will still give you a good chance. The 10^th hole is the one I found the most difficult on the day due to the wind blowing into my face and the fact that the second shot was blind. An elevated green with a large run-off added to the difficulty of the hole!

Dooks Golf Club - 07. The 10th green is hidden from view if on the right side of the fairway and with an elevated green its a tough one to hit — The 10th green is hidden from view if on the right side of the fairway and with an elevated green its a tough one to hit

Course condition (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

The condition of the course was very good on the day I visited. Greens were cut nicely and rolled beautifully. The greens are one of the major defenses of the course and with a lot of run-offs and slopes you need to be able to judge them well.

Dooks Golf Club - 08. The 1st green shows you what to expect all around with slopes and run offs — The 1st green shows you what to expect all around with slopes and run offs

Fairways were in lovely condition and were beautiful to hit from. Real links fairways made sure you focused on compressing the ball when hitting it to get that perfect strike.

Dooks Golf Club - 09. The fairways were lovely to hit from and gave a true links feel to the course — The fairways were lovely to hit from and gave a true links feel to the course

The rough was fair and not punishing if you went in there. It wasn’t too long that you would waste a lot of time looking for a ball if you found the rough and you had a good chance of getting it close to the green if you did go in there.

Bunkers had lovely soft sand in them, and you could splash out of them well. Being typical to links courses staying out of the bunkers was key to having a good score as pot bunkers were in abundance around the course.

Dooks Golf Club - 10. Bunkers had nice soft sand in them and were maintained well — Bunkers had nice soft sand in them and were maintained well

Facilities (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)

The clubhouse has a pro-shop, and also a bar and restaurant where you can get a meal and a drink before or after your round. It’s quite a large space and there is also seating outside if you fancy that.

Dooks Golf Club - 11. The clubhouse to Dooks which includes the Natterjack restaurant — The clubhouse to Dooks which includes the Natterjack restaurant

For practice facilities there is a putting green on the way to the 1^st tee, a driving net behind the 1^st tee, and a short game chipping area near the car park.

Dooks Golf Club - 12. The putting green is located on the way to the 1st tee — The putting green is located on the way to the 1st tee

Dooks Golf Club - 12b. The chipping green where you can get a feel for how to play links style bump and runs — The chipping green where you can get a feel for how to play links style bump and runs

Price (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆☆)

During peak season the cost to play Dooks Golf Club is €170 and falls to €100 for off-peak season. It’s pricey but it’s a lot less than some of the other popular Kerry courses which are not too far away.

During the months of November and December the course is for members only.

For the rates to play the course please click here.

Setting & Course location (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Situated not too far away from where the Dingle Peninsula meets The Ring of Kerry there are some beautiful views from the course. Looking over at the Dingle Peninsula you get a great view of Inch Beach and the peninsula.

Dooks Golf Club - 13. Looking out at the Dingle Peninsula with Inch Beach in the background — Looking out at the Dingle Peninsula with Inch Beach in the background

Almost the same travelling distance from both Killarney and Tralee, it may be a little bit isolated if staying in one of these towns if you don’t have your own transport. However, if you do have your own car, it’s only about 40 minutes drive from either of these major towns.

For the location on Google Maps please click here.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed Dooks Golf Club when I played it. I feel it’s close to being up there with some of the more popular courses in the region. Especially when it comes to its condition and the views from the course. However, it’s a little more forgiving especially if you go off the fairways so it’s a more friendly course to play if you a bit wayward off the tee.

Dooks Golf Club - 14. Dooks has some great vantage points with some stunning views around the course — Dooks has some great vantage points with some stunning views around the course

It’s also a little quieter than some of the other courses located in Kerry and therefore you don’t feel under as much pressure with holding up a group if you do get caught looking for a ball. It’s a course that was easy to find my way around and I never had a problem knowing where to go at any stage.

Dooks Golf Club - 15. The condition of the course combined with the scenery makes for a great experience — The condition of the course combined with the scenery makes for a great experience

The only disadvantage is the lack of a full driving range where you can fully warm up before your round. There is a hitting net available but although these are good for loosening out the body, they never really tell you much about your swing or your ball trajectory on the day.

All in all, I would definitely recommend a trip to Dooks Golf Club. It’s an enjoyable day and trying to work your way around the greens makes for a fun experience. Tie that in with the stunning views you get around the course, and you’re guaranteed a great experience!