Dooks Golf Club

Dooks is special. It is the kind of course that provides the glue to the Ireland blue-blood itinerary. If only the inward nine matched the outward nine, this would be a top 25 GB/I course. Had more fun today than I did on the first three days of the trip. Dooks is all Ireland on the front, but more resembles an English tawnier course on the back. That is not a slight, however, as I could see myself being a member here if I resided on this island. Eminent fun. Proper links golf. Enough said.

I hadn't played Dooks in over 20 years and while the course had been changed the feeling and warmth of the Club had not. We were greeted by the pro as we arrived and quickly made to feel at home . While there is no driving range there is a nice short game area and nets to warm up. The starter got us off right on time
A strong wind greeted us on the first tee and fortunately subsided a bit as the afternoon wore on. While not long the course is challenging especially with the pin placements we faced. Don't play this place on the weekend since they usually have a member competition of some sort and set it up accordingly.
The access to the greens was more limited since the changes made to the course in 2006. You need to be precise in your approach shots or were facing tricky shots from collection areas or bunkers.
Sean the caddy and Sean the barman were both great ambassadors for a wonderful club. Looking forward to my next trip there.

I will never forget my round at Dooks. It was one of the top golfing experiences of my life. It will be a long time before I ever have as much fun on a golf course.

It all came down to the turf, which is the key to links golf. Links courses are firm, but in the midst of a very dry summer, Dooks was on a whole other level. The fairways and greens were of such a consistency that tee shots ran out seemingly forever, and some approaches needed to land upwards of thirty yards short of greens in order to end up in pleasing spots. It was the golf equivalent of Grandmaster-level chess, and to anyone who enjoys putting together the puzzle of a great golf hole or shot, it was heaven. The water and mountain views added to a magical day. I would go back to Ireland and play Dooks three times in order to really get to know the place.