The drama of Dooks

So, Friday morning, and Charlie and I were set to play Dooks. It’s not often you’re lucky enough to play the likes of Waterville and Dooks on consecutive days. Much has been said about the new changes at Dooks, so I was fuming when I woke up to rain. All through breakfast we were looking out at the dark skies. On the drive to Dooks we were looking at the dark skies, and just before we got to the club the clouds disappeared and the sun got its act together. It must have been 16 degrees when we teed off at 9am. [Photo: Views from the 2nd green]


I have never played Dooks before but Dave Kirby, a Greystones golfer, is a member down here and waxes lyrical about the place. In its new form it is absolutely stunning and I can see why. A links course that is so different to Waterville and yet every bit as good. Perhaps better in some ways: it needs a more tactical approach that’s for sure. And the scenery is breath-taking. I mean it. You have to stop and pinch yourself just to believe it’s real. Macgillycuddy Reeks, Dingle Bay and the Dingle peninsula, the hills of Glenbeigh… Closer to the course are the usual wildlife characters: hares and rabbits, and it was great to see orchids growing in the rough along the fairways – it says something for the type of fertilisers the club must use. [Photo: An out of focus Common Spotted Orchid]

There’s the Caragh River (pictured below) which you will cross before you turn down to the club. It is also visible from the 2nd and 4th tee boxes where it exits into the bay. It is very good for salmon fishing I’m told and it’s not hard to see why. Standing on any of the holes at Dooks you can see why Kerry is called The Kingdom.

The golf was good, bad and indifferent. Charlie is a 16 handicapper and hasn’t played in almost a year, so when he birdied 17 and 18 (Index 4 and 6) I got the impression he was likely to play a little more frequently!