Dooks Golf Course
Glenbeigh, County Kerry
Dooks, established in 1889, is the oldest golf course in Kerry. It is a wonderful natural links, full of humps and hollows, full of quirks and full of atmosphere. The links is a throwback to what golf must have been like in the late 19th and early 20th century - this would be a great place to take out persimmon drivers, hickory shafted clubs and gutta-perch golf balls.
The situation is wonderful, the course overlooks the huge local beach at Rossbeigh and across to Inch beach on the Dingle peninsula. These two beaches mark the division between Dingle Bay and Castlemaine Harbour and the views across these to the Dingle peninsula are stunning.
Dooks Course Description
The course itself has underwent modernisation in 2006 under the plan and supervision of Martin Hawtree. Some of the old quirkiness has been removed but sufficient remains for the course to have improved.
The old first hole, always a contentious opener with the visitor, has been remodelled with a new green protected by bunkers and a severe fall on the left down towards where the old green was once sited. The old second hole (a short par-3) has been removed entirely and replaced by another par-3 (the new 11th) at the opposite corner of the course.
