Dooks Golf Links

Dooks Golf Links is one of Ireland's hidden treasures — a traditional links course on the Ring of Kerry that has been welcoming golfers since 1889, making it one of the oldest clubs in Munster. Set on a narrow strip of duneland between Dingle Bay and Caragh Lake, with Seefin Mountain rising sharply to the north and the McGillycuddy's Reeks visible to the east, Dooks offers a genuinely authentic links experience at a fraction of the cost of Kerry's more celebrated courses.

The course was established by Scottish railway workers employed on the Great Southern & Western Railway, and retains the character of a traditional club throughout. The layout makes clever use of its limited duneland, with fairways that wind and twist through natural ridges of sand and grasses. The views across Dingle Bay are constant and spectacular — on clear days, the Dingle Peninsula is visible to the north, with the island of Valentia and the Skellig Rocks to the south-west.

Dooks measures 6,511 yards at par 72 and represents excellent value at €55–€80 per round. No handicap certificate is required and the welcome is genuinely warm. The course is popular with golfers making a Ring of Kerry circuit and provides an important counterpoint to the high-profile links at Waterville, Ballybunion and Tralee. Advance booking is advisable in summer but the club is generally more flexible than its more famous neighbours.